MAN UNITED 0, CARDIFF CITY 2
ONE irate Manchester United fan encapsulated the sombre mood of Manchester United fans following the last day home defeat by already relegated Cardiff City.
The supporter, congratulating the women’s team in the directors’ box following their promotion to Women’s Super League, shouted: “Pity you weren’t out there. You would have given them a better game.”
In a bitterly disappointing end to the season, United extended their run to six Premier League games without a win as two goals from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, once a journeyman with Rochdale, earned the Bluebirds victory.
And following on from the draw at already relegated Huddersfield Town the previous week, it was another insipid display from the Reds who have suffered eight defeats in their last 12 games in all competitions, winning only two.
It was also a sad indictment about United’s recent demise that their best player was Mason Greenwood, who at 17 years and 223 days, became the youngest ever player to start a Premier League game for United.
He displayed the passion, drive and enthusiasm many of his so-called superstar team lacked as Cardiff recorded a victory against United for the first time since 1960 when United were still rebuilding after the Munich air disaster.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnd Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock recognised the size of the task of the rebuilding job confronting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“It will take more than two or three transfer windows to turn it around. The club must have a plan and the fans must bite their tongues for a few years,” explained.
When asked about United picking up eight points from a possible 27 being relegation form, Solskjaer said: “We have been poor and hit a brick wall towards the end of the season.
He said: “It has been disappointing, but the plus is the season is over, we can draw a line under it and move forward.
“In the last two games we have let ourselves down and should have won against relegated teams which has been a reality check.”
Solskjaer added the Glazer family, United’s owners, acknowledge a major rebuild of the squad is needed.
He said: “We are used to challenging for the Premier League but there has to be a realisation we cannot.
“We are 32 points behind the top two teams and, realistically not going to challenge them. But we have to look at the third and fourth places and winning a trophy like the Europa League or Caraboa Cup,” he said.
Solskjaer praised Greenwood saying he and Scott McTominay were their best players.
If it was to be 70-year-old Warnock’s last match as manager – he meets the chairman and chief executive tomorrow in London to discuss plans for the future – he went out in style as he recorded his first-ever win at Old Trafford in five games as a manager.
Warnock was determined for Cardiff to finish the season on a high.
He said: “I didn’t want us turned over like we were 5-1 at home to United.
“It was my last game in the Premier League and maybe also for some of the players and I didn’t want it to be a damp squib and have a go – our front four could have a go against anybody.”
Warnock added it was unusual for a team to be relegated and for fans to chant for the manager to stay as again happened at Old Trafford.
The Reds made five changes from the side held at Huddersfield Town last weekend.
Greenwood stepped into the side and there were recalls for Chris Smalling, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Diogo Dalot.
The players to lose out were the injured Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and Nemanja Matic.
United made a lively start and in the opening four minutes Pereira had a shot deflected narrowly wide and Greenwood headed over from eight yards.
The lively Greenwood came close to breaking the deadlock when his header from Pereira’s cross forced a decent save from Neil Etheridge.
Marcus Rashford failed to convert two openings as United created six clear-cut chances inside 17 minutes.
Cardiff’s first chance fell to Kenneth Zohore who forced a routine diving save from David De Gea.
The visitors fell behind in the 23rd minutes through a Mendez-Laing penalty after he was brought down by Dalot.
Mendez-Laing, the former Rochdale player, drove the spot kick down the middle as De Gea dived low to his right.
United were unlucky not to equalise when Greenwood’s deflected low shot was palmed on to the post by Etheridge who also saved well from Lingard.
Greenwood went close again firing into the side netting from Rashford’s through ball.
Cardiff almost doubled their lead when Josh Murphy’s shot from the edge of the box was acrobatically turned over by De Gea.
United made a change at the break as Phil Jones was replaced by Anthony Martial as Scott McTominay dropped from midfield to centre back.
And it got worse for United as Cardiff doubled their lead in the 54th minute when Mendez-Laing struck again.
Lee Peltier’s long throw found Murphy who breezed through the United defence and squared the ball across the face of goal for Mendez-Laing to slot home from three yards.
United were stung into a response as Rashford and Martial forced excellent saves from Etheridge in quick succession.
It might have got worse for United when a long clearance by Etheridge found Bobby Reid who wriggled away from Smalling before crashing a shot narrowly wide.
United kept creating chances as Paul Pogba’s drive was turned over the Etheridge while Greenwood flashed a header narrowly wide.
Solskjaer made his last two changes with 16 minutes left when Dalot and Pereira made way for Angel Gomes and a farewell appearance for Antonio Valencia.
It was one of those days when it would not go for United as Rashford shot just over and Lingard dragged a shot narrowly wide.