A couple of years ago, Manchester United completed a salvage operation against Leicester. Victory at the King Power Stadium on the final day of the season meant Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side qualified for the Champions League and Brendan Rodgers’ side, who had been 14 points ahead of them with 14 games to go, did not.
Now the scenario is different, and not merely because Leicester are 14 points behind United. The European competition they are focused on now is the Conference League. United may only been four points adrift of Arsenal and one behind Tottenham but they feel outsiders in the top-four race, and not merely because the Gunners have a game in hand.
Their last nine games include Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. Only four of the nine are at Old Trafford. They lack the momentum their immediate rivals have acquired. Since January they have played 10 matches in all competitions and triumphed in just three. They have been held by Watford and Burnley. While their peers are winning, Ralf Rangnick has the highest percentage of draws of any Manchester United manager.
The broader issue goes beyond scorelines. There is little in United’s performances to suggest they are capable of going on the kind of run that, when they have precious little margin for error, would bring a minimum of 20 points and perhaps as many as 24.
Once again, they can rue events earlier in the season. Including those at the King Power Stadium, where a 4-2 defeat was perhaps the first definitive sign Solskjaer’s United were fundamentally broken. It was the first of four chastening setbacks in five weeks, with losses to Liverpool, Manchester City and eventually Watford finally finishing off the Norwegian.
That reunion with Leicester was particularly harrowing for Harry Maguire. It set the tone for much of his season. Booed by the fans who used to celebrate him, he was culpable to differing degrees for three goals. And yet he was also victim of Solskjaer’s excessive faith in him, rushed back when Raphael Varane was absent and he clearly wasn’t fit. Solskjaer seemed to believe that Maguire, who he fast-tracked to the captaincy, was a superman. Instead, he became a common denominator in calamities.
Leicester City 4 Manchester United 2: player ratings
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LEICESTER CITY RATINGS: Kasper Schmeichel, 6 -- Produced several solid saves and couldn’t do much for either of United’s goals which were both good finishes. AFP -
Daniel Amartey, 8 -- With incredible pass accuracy and a stalwart outing whilst marking Ronaldo, it was a great day at the office for Amarety. AP Photo -
Jonny Evans, 6 -- Won several challenges throughout the game but his lack of pace caught up to him on a few occasions. AFP -
Çağlar Söyüncü, 7 -- Was sloppy on the ball at times but more than made up for that with a composed finish from close range. Getty Images -
Ricardo Pereira, 7 -- Showed wonderful positional play and caused all kinds of problems both going forward and at the back. Getty Images -
Youri Tielemans, 8 -- Scored one of the best goals of the season and opened United up at the back whenever he was in possession. AFP -
Boubakary Soumaré, 7 -- Was sharp and focused in his natural position which is a testament to the changes made by Rodgers. AFP -
Timothy Castagne, 7 -- Looked off the pace for the opening goal but appeared to be really comfortable playing alongside Soumare and Pereira. AFP -
James Maddison, 7 -- Spent most of his time drawing fouls whenever he found the ball at his feet but still walked through United’s midfield fairly frequently. PA -
Kelechi Iheanacho, 8 -- Held play up brilliantly, put himself about the final third time and time again and grabbed a nice assist for Tielemans’ goal. AFP -
Jamie Vardy, 7 -- Had one of his weaker days with some questionable finishing but still managed to find the back of the net in the 83rd minute. AFP -
SUB: Jannik Vestergaard, N/A -- The strength and creative flow that Vestergaard brought to Leicester’s defence really helped them over the finish line. Getty Images -
SUB: Patson Daka, N/A -- The 23-year-old did his job by coming on and scoring a late tap-in to seal all three points for the Foxes. AP Photo -
SUB: Ayoze Perez, N/A -- It was a “change the game” kind of performance from the Spaniard as he produced two assists to lift Leicester above United. AFP -
MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea - 7. The best United player. Early siege against a side who didn’t lose any of their three matches against United last season. One clean sheet in 19 games now for United. Magnificent save from Tielemans on 75. He wasn’t culpable, unlike many of his teammates. AP -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 6. Involved in the opening goal. Cut out some of Leicester’s otherwise fine passes. Booked for a wild challenge on 85 before Leicester’s winner as his defence became incapable of defending. Reuters -
Victor Lindelof – 7. Stretched by Vardy and Maddison early on. Booked for 52nd minute challenge on Vardy. Assisted the second for Rashford. Looked like he was giving 100%. Not all his teammates did. AFP -
Harry Maguire – 4. Back from injury and a surprise start – in part because Raphael Varane is out and his manager is reluctant to start Eric Bailly. Busy against his former club. Schoolboy error as he was too slow to react for Tielemans' equaliser. Not as bad in the second half but then played Leicester onside for their second. Getty Images -
Luke Shaw – 6. Crosses didn’t always reach teammates and he kept cutting inside. Tidy header to stop 57th minute Leicester attack, but nowhere near effective enough. One of the best players last season. Not this. AFP -
Paul Pogba – 5. Lost the ball which led to Leicester first attack. Booked on 86. Incapable of making the necessary impact on the game. PA -
Nemaja Matic – 6. Tidy on the ball and passed well, less effective when Leicester’s midfield were going forward. Won ball back when he could. Excellent half volley just over on 54 but lost ball in after 75 which led to Leicester nearly getting a winner. Getty Images -
Mason Greenwood – 7. Decent 13th minute effort after running from his own half. His thunderbolt shot five minutes later was his best goal of the season so far as he swerved the ball past Schmeichel. Getty Images -
Bruno Fernandes – 6. Set the opening goal up and created more chances than any player in first half. A couple of superb corners, but looked baffled, impatient and frustrated at what was going on behind him in a first half where United were second best. AP -
Jadon Sancho – 5. Bright idea at the start but again largely ineffectual and United had little width. Received constant instruction from the United bench, but he’s not been the player United hoped he would be so far. Subbed every time he’s started this season. PA -
Cristiano Ronaldo – 5. Shot produced a save from Schmeichel on 28 when he should have made it 2-0. But after a bright start back at United he’s underperforming and underwhelming. PA -
SUB: Marcus Rashford – 7. (On for Sancho after 64). Combined with Fernandes. Lively and got the equaliser with a beautiful strike. Getty Images -
SUB: Jesse Lingard – 5 (On for Greenwood after 79). And what a crazy 15 minutes he was on the pitch for. An awful display and result for United, while Lingard continues to worry about his future. PA -
SUB: Scott McTominay – NA. 9On for Matic after 80). Might have been a case for starting him in defence at the start of the game, given the injuries. Getty Images
His last outing in a United shirt ended when fans cheered as he was substituted in the defeat to Atletico Madrid. Some booed before England’s win over Ivory Coast, drawing condemnation from Gareth Southgate and many of his international teammates. Maguire’s form for his country has usually been terrific, even when he has struggled at club level. He has become a convenient punchbag.
A status as the world’s most expensive defender has scarcely helped him. Leicester could rationalise that they made a £63 million profit on the player who became the £80m man. Even when he was performing better for United, Leicester could feel they got the better of the deal: that £63m more than paid for Maguire’s former sidekick Jonny Evans, his successor Caglar Soyuncu and the prodigy Wesley Fofana. However, in a year where Evans and Fofana have invariably been injured and Soyuncu has underperformed, defensive problems have not been confined to Maguire or United.
But United’s problems command more attention. Elimination from the Champions League, courtesy of Atletico, leaves them with a nine-game rescue job. It will be the last nine of Rangnick’s time in charge, almost certainly the last nine as a United player for Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, maybe even the last nine for Marcus Rashford. They are nine games to prevent their season from being certified as a complete failure for a club who dreamt of so much more.
