Leicester 2-2 Manchester United

Leicester 2-2 Man Utd (Vardy 27, Maguire 90+4) (Mata 40, 60)

United weren’t at their absolute best, and Leicester are a decent team under Claude Puel, yet when the final whistle went the United fans were crushed with disappointment and anger. Well, of course, a last minute equaliser is always gut-wrenching. But this was different, given that United had come from behind, had been playing since the 73^rd minute against 10 men, and spurned at least 4, maybe 5 cast-iron sitters. Childish and immature, as our manager called it afterwards.

8 changes were made from the loss at Bristol City, with only Pogba, Martial and Lindelof keeping their places. Mourinho selected the Swede at full-back over Darmian, who wasn’t even named in the squad in the absence of Valencia.

United started pretty well in the final game before Christmas, with Pogba on his league return from suspension looking sharp, and Martial seemed dangerous despite some rough tackling from Leicester. However, it was Jamie Vardy who opened the scoring with an astonishingly simple goal, borne out of careless (to put it kindly) defending. Ndidi hoofed it 60 yards, Mahrez chased it down before holding it to play in Vardy for a simple finish. Why Smalling didn’t put a foot in on Mahrez, and why Jones ran out to press thin air to leave us exposed are questions that will forever remained unanswered.

To their credit, the players stepped it up a gear and went on the attack, to be rewarded when Juan Mata put us level late in the half with a precise effort from Lingard’s lay off after Martial had found him in the area. It was only the Spaniard’s second goal of the season.

The second half was exhilarating as the Red Devils completely outplayed Leicester, cutting them open on the break frequently, and they were rewarded with a comprehensive 4-1 away triumph but due to demented finishing and decision making, 2 points were dropped.

It was criminal, really. All those chances, and playing against 10 for the closing stages, with Amartey getting two clear bookings only 16 minutes after coming on. The game should have been over, but United took wasteful to a new level and reminded the faithful of the umpteen home games like this last season. It all started with Martial blazing way over from 12 yards out after a top ball in from Lukaku. The Belgian threw his hands up in frustration, but soon he was celebrating.

Mata had definitely come to the party, putting our noses in front with a curling free-kick from the right of the D past Kasper Schmeichel, his first brace since… March 2015! Yep, the famous Juanfield game. His general underperformance for a £37m player notwithstanding, the quality set-piece had surely made the game simple enough for his teammates.

The still makes it look worse... but it's still a terrible miss

Instead United contrived to fuck up glorious chances. Lukaku was great all game at receiving on the turn and letting others run into the vacated space; one such move ended with Lingard facing an open net after taking the ball past the keeper. But, on the run, he incredibly hit the post, before duly hitting the rebound over as well. It was harder to miss.

After Amartey was sent off, Mourinho confusingly brought on Herrera for Lingard, perhaps as a reaction to Lingard’s dreadful miss. But why bring on a more defensive player when they’re at their most vulnerable, and why Herrera, who isn’t in good form anyway? Still, for all the posturing afterwards about this particular sub, it didn’t have much of an impact. It wasn’t Jose’s fault, this one; United still created more gilt-edged opportunities to put the game to bed with a story and a mug of hot chocolate.



Rashford, just before inexplicably trying to take it round the keeper

Rashford had already contributed to the red card, and he was played through again with only Schmeichel to beat. Instead of shooting, he tried to round the Dane, and ended up losing the ball. It was pathetic from the kid. From that position you have to open your body up and put it in the far corner, not try and act clever.

Still, Leicester weren’t looking that threatening. The MOTM Mata came off for Mkhitaryan, so at least his weird isolation appears to be at an end. Mind, the manager was going spare at yet another chance going begging as the Armenian tried to pass back to Lukaku rather than shoot from point-blank range. At this point, I was bricking it. Surely we would be punished for such muddled thinking in front of goal?

Smalling was involved in a heavy tackle, and it looked like we would have to see it out with 10, but then Rashford was sent clear again and United had almost a 3-on-1. It was the 92^nd minute, so he could’ve even chosen to run the ball into the corner and waste time. But instead he stopped, delayed, passed inside, and lost possession. It was fucking amateur hour, brain-dead from such a good player, one more chance to finish the game wasted. Why did he stop running? What the hell was going through his mind?


Look at the pitch. Then the clock. He stopped and passed inside. Despair.

Leicester pushed Wes Morgan and Harry Maguire up front and went route one for the dying seconds. Amid confusion with our shape, with United taking the ridiculous decision to send Smalling back on at centre-back, Albrighton sent in a deep cross and Maguire volleyed in at the back post, leading to rapturous scenes all over the King Power. It was the last kick of the game.

The post-mortem wasn’t pretty as it was suggested Herrera had ignored Jones’s instruction to fill in at right-back so Lindelof could move into the centre. But that was splitting hairs, tt was at the other end where the fault lied. Romelu Lukaku had been robbed of 3 assists, from Martial, Lingard, and Mkhitaryan. Those three but in particular Rashford should hang their heads in shame at throwing away two points. Lukaku was creating 1 on 1’s at will, they all fluffed their lines, and we were rightly punished by a Leicester team that, to be fair, deserve considerable praise for never giving up despite going down to 10 men. Even though the dirty bastards didn’t deserve anything from the game, obviously. I’m not bitter, what gave you that idea?

The only crumb of comfort from this is with City’s lead being 13 points, the title race is over in the self-styled most competitive league in the world before Christmas. I’m sure Sky’s shareholders are delighted at their flagship product being all but wrapped up before the Champions League even starts again. Fuck them, and fuck their pathetic hype for games that meander into nothingness. It’s the little things, I suppose. Merry Christmas.

United (4-2-3-1) De Gea 7; Lindelof 6, Smalling 5.5, Jones 6.5, Young 7; Pogba 7, Matic 6; Mata 8.5 (Mkhitaryan 83, 5), Lingard 5.5 (Herrera 76, 5), Martial 6 (Rashford 71, 4); Lukaku 8.