A 2-2 draw against Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday underlined the current state of United Sitting beside Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box at Old Trafford, Jim Ratcliffe took in a Manchester United game in person for the first time since agreeing a deal to buy a 25% stake in the boyhood club he hopes to restore as a major power.
A 2-2 draw against Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday underlined the current state of United — a team capable of stunning isolated passages of play but, in general, is ragged and often outplayed by its rivals.
United’s goals, scored by Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford, were things of beauty at the start and end of the first half.
In-between, the marking was poor at a corner to allow Richarlison to glance in a header and Tottenham’s equalizer — scored barely 50 seconds into the second half — also exposed defensive flaws as Rodrigo Bentancur was allowed to wander into United’s area before unleashing a fierce shot past Andre Onana.
The result left United in seventh place and eight points off the top five, from where England’s Champions League entrants for next season will come.
Tottenham is among them — in fifth — after an encouraging display with the team still missing a clutch of key players — like James Maddison, Son Heung-min and Yves Bissouma — whose return could yet help qualify Spurs for Europe’s top competition.(HT)