For Manchester United, the scoreline had unfortunate symmetry. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign ended with a 4-1 defeat. Ralf Rangnick had cited defensive improvement among his achievements. Then United lost 4-1 on Sunday and if it was against superior opposition – Manchester City rather than Watford – another injury-time goal was also a picture of a shambles. Rather than a straight line, United’s offside trap was a triangle when Riyad Mahrez raced away to score.
There could have been a second common denominator. Harry Maguire was sent off a Vicarage Road. A hideously late lunge at a flying Kevin de Bruyne only drew a yellow card at the Etihad Stadium but provided an image of a player way off the pace.
Maguire’s derby could be encapsulated in the goals: nutmegged for the first and just before the second, the third deflected off him. He can look hapless, a haunted figure weighed down by the twin burdens of the United captaincy and his £80 million ($105.4m) transfer fee.
Maguire can be the personification of a problem, but it is not confined to him. United have conceded more goals than Burnley. As David de Gea has made the most saves in the Premier League, that tally could be considerably higher than 38. City had 24 shots on Sunday, but Leicester had 22 and Watford 20 in scoring four against United.
A sense forged against lesser opponents that Rangnick had brought more solidity looked an illusion when City were rampant. Perhaps the most effective sticking plaster is not the interim manager but a summer signing: United have only conceded twice in one match that Raphael Varane has completed. Sadly for them, the Frenchman is injury prone.
In his place, Phil Foden left Victor Lindelof looking “like a fire engine racing to the wrong fire,” to borrow Geoffrey Green’s immortal description of Billy Wright, when fooled by Ferenc Puskas. Perhaps, given Maguire’s lamentable season, Varane and the limited Lindelof should be the first-choice pair. Certainly the captain can seem afforded preferential treatment, just as Alex Telles is entitled to think he could have been preferred to an out-of-form Luke Shaw at times.
Individuals are underachieving but the issue is also systemic. Rangnick clearly felt United were too passive and defensive in losing to City in November but Sunday’s high-pressing approach left then too open. And, as Ralph Hasenhuttl pointed out after Southampton’s draw at Old Trafford: “It is not a secret that when they lose the ball that the reverse gears are not the best from United.” Rather than Cristiano Ronaldo, they could have done with signing a high-class defensive midfielder to help cut out counter-attacks.
Manchester derby player ratings
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MAN CITY RATINGS: Ederson - 7: Out quickly to save at feet of Fred and prevent United grabbing instant first-half leveller. No chance with sublime Sancho finish. Getty -
Kyle Walker - 7: Launched some marauding runs down right flank that didn’t always end with a decent final product. Solid performance though. EPA -
John Stones - 7: England defender was kept on toes despite United not employing a recognised centre-forward but not exactly over-worked. A stroll in park in second half. AP -
Aymeric Laporte - 7: Assured night’s work from Spain defender who was rarely troubled by a United attack lacking a cutting edge. Getty -
Joao Cancelo - 8: Vital tracking back and challenge on Elanga as United man lined-up shot on goal after 60 minutes. Saw acrobatic volley saved by De Gea with 10 minutes left. EPA -
Rodri - 7: Arguably slow to react when Sancho was able to ghost inside and level for United, but let’s give benefit of doubt to quality of United winger. Looked a level above United’s central midfielders throughout. Reuters -
Jack Grealish - 7: Involved in move for early City goal and helped drive City forward from midfield. Former Villa man learning to play in a team where he is not the main attacking threat. Getty -
Kevin de Bruyne - 9: Dream start with low finish after just five minutes for 50th Premier League goal. Denied another by smart De Gea save, then did lash home second just before half-hour mark. Picked out Mahrez with perfect corner for third goal. Big game from a big-game player. Getty -
Bernardo Silva - 8: Portuguese’s cut-back supplied De Bruyne with opening goal and provided cross for Foden’s header that bit bar. His blocked shot fell for De Bruyne to score his second. Getty -
Riyad Mahrez - 8: Had low strike superbly saved by De Gea just before break. Curled shot from edge of box over bar just before hour. First-time finish on half-volley made it 3-1 via slight deflection and scored second in injury-time after tight offside call from VAR went in his favour. PA -
Phil Foden - 9: Felt he should have had penalty after wrestling match with Maguire but foul given other way. Clipped top of bar with header, had shot saved by De Gea in run-up to De Bruyne’s second, then dragged another chance wide in breathless first half. Reuters -
SUBS: Ilkay Gundogan – (On for De Bruyne 80’) N/A. Scuffed chance to make it 4-1 wide of target. Reuters -
MAN UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea - 7: No chance for the opener. Good save from De Bruyne on 17. Dived to save from Mahrez on 44, but couldn’t save the deflected third from the same player. He was fuming at that. Saved from Cancelo’s overhead kick. Faced 10 shots on target. EPA -
Aaron wan-Bissaka - 5: City attacked towards him on their left, with Silva and Grealish a continual danger. Didn’t stop cross for the first. Involved in United’s equaliser, a highlight early on as his teammates threw the towel in. AP -
Victor Lindelof - 5: Tough for him on the right against the bulk of City’s attacks and could have done better for both City’s first half goals. Too much space around him, which City exploited. Reuters -
Harry Maguire - 5: Blocked a 15th minute De Bruyne attack. Battled with Foden but United’s central defenders remain an issue and he could have put the ball out for the second. Booked for a late challenge on De Bruyne, who’d bested him all game. Deflected the ball past De Gea for City’s third. Captained a side who gave up and that’s unforgivable. Getty -
Alex Telles - 5: Not close enough to De Bruyne for the opener. Far quieter for him compared to Wan Bissaka on the other side, but Mahrez cut inside too easily against him. Swung to shoot on 45 but shot blocked. Reuters -
Scott McTominay - 5: Up against it in the first half. Blocked a 48th minute shot from Silva. Blocked a Foden pass into the box but slow to get back for City’s third. Or was it the fourth? Outclassed by a very good team. Like the rest. Getty -
Fred - 5: Super feet to beat two defenders and get United’s first effort on target. Helped attacks but passed a ball back 60 yards which led to a City free-kick. Man of the match here two years ago. No United players were in the best 10 players on the pitch in this game. PA -
Jadon Sancho - 6: Super curling shot against his former club for the equaliser on 21. Leaned back and rushed a 41st minute chance which was easier than the one for his goal. Positive first half. Nothing in the second, like his team. PA -
Anthony Elanga - 6: Kept wide and gave the ball away which led to City’s second. Productive first half though. Played deeper to help Wan Bissaka in the second half. Looked a threat until he went off after 63 but gave a couple of balls away. Getty -
Paul Pogba - 5: Played up front alongside Fernandes. Beautiful ball and link play to set up the first. Gave ball away on 39 after a spell of United possession – and did that too often. Faded in the second half, but his team were still weaker without him. EPA -
Bruno Fernandes - 6: Played more advanced with the intention to stop City playing out. Clever overlap run helped Sancho for equaliser, then the superior talents of superior opponents took over for the second Manchester derby this season. PA -
Jesse Lingard – (On for Elanga 64’) 4: First touch of the ball came six minutes after joining. His second came 19 minutes later. And that was it. Two touches as his side were toyed with. EPA -
SUBS: Marcus Rashford – (On for Pogba 64’) 4: On as United shifted formation. Ran into four City players when left alone in a 70th minute City attack. Nothing else. EPA
But a £130m duo highlighted one of the failings of the modern United: players get worse there. Maguire’s towering performance for England against Germany last summer is a reminder he can be a high-class stopper. He normally excels for Gareth Southgate. He was wanted by Pep Guardiola in 2019, though City would not pay a world-record fee for a centre-back and, in Ruben Dias, bought a better player for less a year later. It is easy to imagine him flourishing in a Thomas Tuchel team, rather than floundering amid a rabble at Old Trafford.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was isolated and exposed as City ganged up on him on Sunday. Rangnick’s lack of faith in the £50m right-back was shown when he preferred Diogo Dalot and even an out-of-position Lindelof. Wan-Bissaka’s limitations on the ball have long been recognised by teammates who were reluctant to pass to him but he arrived with a reputation as an excellent defensive right-back. That, too, is being lost amid defensive disarray that reflects United’s lack of joined-up thinking.
