Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho had another scathing assessment of his misfiring attack after his team's 1-1 draw with Anderlecht, complaining that "the people who had to kill the game didn't".
"So I would prefer [that], but maybe we don't win the Europa League, so we have to fight until we can to try to finish fourth and it's what we did today without many players, but with a great answer in terms of attitude and desire from all the boys". We lost the ball easily too many times, we stopped our counter attacks because of sloppy touches, sloppy decisions. We were very strong defensively and that wasn't just about the defenders, it was about the team.
Yet given Jose Mourinho's vast European experience and Anderlecht's undoubted inferiority to United, the Portuguese's team should still progress when next week's return leg is played. In the meantime, Mourinho prepares to welcome old side (and likely Premier League champions) Chelsea to Old Trafford as they resume the battle for the top four.
But United will suffer the consequences of lacking a killer touch sooner or later, and it would be disastrous for their season if that backlash comes with a defeat or high-scoring draw against the Belgians next Thursday.
"If we arrived in a situation in the Premier League... where mathematically the top four is not possible, then it's an easy decision... rest them and go with them in the Europa League - if we are still in the competition".
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However, United missed several chances to grab a second away goal, before conceding a late equalizer.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic met Marcus Rashford's teasing left wing cross and saw his first-time attempt saved by Ruben, before Jesse Lingard turned the rebound on the post.
The return leg is next week, on the 20th of April at Old Trafford but now United must shift their focus to the English Premier League as Mourinho's former club and current league leaders, Chelsea, come visiting on Sunday. "We play 10 matches to get here, we travel around Europe, now we have to push". "We have chances, we have control, we don't score goals".
United captain Michael Carrick echoed his manager's feelings with a brutally honest assessment of the team's shortcomings. "Not just one - they need more than that", Parker told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast.
The 54-year-old has singled individual players out a few times this season, not least after United were held at home by West Brom on Fool's Day. "I want to see who is the victor". This is something we have seen Spurs do in recent weeks, and it seems like even when Man Utd do win, it's a nervy one such as the Middlesbrough result that needed Victor Valdes' blunder in stoppage time for breathing space.
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