ED WOODARD sat this one out as he tried to get some transfer business over the line.
Probably just as well as the fans ire once again turned on the Executive Vice-Chairman and the owning Glazer family.
Burnley celebrate the opening goal at Old TraffordCredit: PA:Empics Sport
The under performing players, however, seem to get off scot free.
When will people decide that it could actually be their fault?
Why for example in the absence of the injured Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial cannot step up to the plate?
Why can’t they defend simple set pieces?
Why do they crumble when things turn against them?
The fear was that Rashford would be sorely missed now he is sidelined with a double stress fracture of his back.
Last night gave very quick evidence of that.
With Rashford there is pace and movement up front, without him there is not.
Martial wants the ball to his feet, Rashford makes runs to give the midfield something to aim at.
He works the channels, he goes looking for the ball.
Martial expects the ball to look for him.
Unless Woodward can pull something through the transfer window in the next week-and-a-half there could be a long painful few months ahead.
Harry Maguire was beaten in the box as Woods nipped in ahead of the defenderCredit: PA:Empics Sport
Chris Wood beat Harry Maguire to flick home the opening goalCredit: Reuters
Credit Burnley who deserved this thanks to goals from Chris Wood in the 39th minute and a screamer from Jay Rodriguez in the 56th.
It was their first win here in 58 years.
As for United?
The booing at half time was well warranted given the first half performance.
There are times with this team when there is awful lot of hit and hope.
The plan seems to be get it into the final third and then have a think about it.
There was one point in the opening period when under no pressure in front of his own box captain Harry Maguire just hammered it upfield and Burnley goalkeeper collected it.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reacts to Man Utd’s loss at home to Burnley
Woods reels off in celebration as United looked on stunnedCredit: Reuters
No United player running on, nobody near it for a header, just a ball to nowhere and nobody.
When opportunities were created there was nobody to finish them.
The pressure was on Martial and the chance came for him to get an early goal, and the chance went.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, one of the few United players to come out with some credit, supplied a low cross into the six-yard box, Martial slid in and missed it.
When the full-back did the same thing again this time for Juan Mata the Spaniard swung his right leg at it but the ball instead hit his standing left.
Fred and Andreas Pereira both had a go but the shots were weak and poor, easily collected by Pope.
In his programme notes Solskjaer was gushing about Fred.
‘I think everyone can see why we’ve had such faith in him’ wrote the boss.
Jay Rodriquez made it 2-0 to Burley with a wonder goalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The bar is so low at Old Trafford right now that this is what a handful of decent games can earn you.
Martial has been getting praise too and to be fair 11 goals in 24 appearance sis not to be sniffed at.
He just isn’t a 20-30 goal a season man and that is what United need right now.
When Matic put him in after 33 minutes he wanted three touches when he should have shot first time and Charlie Taylor had time to block him.
United have struggled to defend set-pieces this season as proven by the eight goals they have conceded from corners in the league this season.
They weren’t too clever at handling the free kick that led to Burnley’s opener either
A clumsy aerial challenge from Phil Jones conceded the kick midway inside United’s half.
Ashley Westwood floated it into the box, Ben Mee beat Nemanja Matic in the air far too easily and Chris Wood turned the ball in at the near post for his tenth goal of the season.
Solskjaer made a much needed change at the break with teenage striker Mason Greenwood coming on to give Martial some support in place of the ineffective Pereira.
Angry Rio Ferdinand lays into Man Utd’s ‘terrible’ defending after poor performance against Burnley
Sean Dyche‘s men silenced Old TraffordCredit: AFP or licensors
Nothing changed, except the scoreline in Burnley’s favour and what a goal it was.
Rodriguez played a neat one two with Wood and then blasted a left foot shot into the near top corner off the underside of the bar.
This was only the Burnley born player’s seventh league start since coming home from West Brom, but what a moment for him.
He didn’t want the celebrations to end and referee Jonathan Moss had to remind him that there was still more than half-an-hour to go.
The question now was could Burnley make sure a 2-0 lead ended up in victory?
They had gone 2-0 in their two previous league visits here only to finish with a share of the points both times at 2-2.
Last season in this took goals in the 87th and 90th minutes to deny them.
Luke Shaw did get the ball in the net in the last minute but it was ruled out for a push.
By the final whistle the ground was half empty.
The home fans could stand no more.
United lost further ground on the race for Champions League footballCredit: Rex Features
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
