Ralf Rangnick says Manchester United have only themselves to blame after FA Cup exit | Soccer News

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Ralf Rangnick says Manchester United’s wastefulness has only to blame itself after making an embarrassing FA Cup exit at home to Middlesbrough.

A year after guiding Sheffield United to a shock victory at Old Trafford, Chris Wilder led Championship side Boro to an even more surprising victory as the fourth round of the competition got off to a stunning start.

Jadon Sancho gave United a deserved lead after Cristiano Ronaldo uncharacteristically missed a penalty, but their continued debauchery in front of goal gave the visitors a chance to claw their way back.

Matt Crooks, a young former United player and lifelong fan, equalized in the second half – a controversial goal given Duncan Watmore got it before crossing – and Bruno Fernandes then hit the post as he looked certain to score .

The match ended 1-1 and remained so after extra time, with United striker Anthony Elanga’s missed penalty eventually sealing Boro an 8-7 penalty shoot-out win to the delight of the 9,500 supporters visitors.

“Bruno’s luck was like a penalty”

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Courtney Sweetman-Kirk says Manchester United should have been out of sight after their shock penalty shootout loss to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.

“We gave away too many chances, especially in the first half,” United caretaker manager Rangnick said.

“We should and easily could have led 3-0 after 45 minutes and even in the second half we missed some great chances, even after scoring their goal which shouldn’t have held.

“But Bruno’s chance was also almost like a penalty, so we have to blame ourselves for giving and wasting too many chances in the game.

“And, in the end, if it’s on penalties, it’s also a matter of luck and in the end, we lost this game and we are all incredibly disappointed.”

Elanga was consoled by Ronaldo and others after his missed penalty, with supportive fans chanting his name at the end of a night when Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard were out.

The Uruguay striker was granted extra time off after his international duty and Rangnick said Lingard asked for time to clear his head after a January exit was blocked – something the player denied.

‘No Lingard, Cavani regrets’ Image: Man Utd players and Ralf Rangnick console Anthony Elanga after his missed penalty

When asked if he regretted those decisions, the United manager said: “No, because he played for Uruguay on Wednesday.

“With jet lag and travel arrangements, I don’t think it would have made sense. Either way, he wouldn’t have been in the team.

“And as far as Jesse is concerned, I told you what my information and knowledge was, and of course I would have loved to have Jesse in the team.

“We had one less outfield player on the team sheet today, so why should I have allowed him to have four or five days off?

“I would have liked to have him in the squad and be in the squad, but that wasn’t the case and therefore it doesn’t make sense to talk about players who weren’t available.”

United’s FA Cup exit means they have only one outside chance to end their five-year wait for a trophy, with the Champions League their only route to silverware.

United apologize to fans

Meanwhile, United issued a statement apologizing to fans after a technical issue meant there was no food or drink available at half-time.

The stadium announcement led fans to call on the club’s owners, the Glazer family, to leave.

A statement from United read: “We can confirm that Old Trafford was affected by a power surge shortly before tonight’s game and this caused some systems in the stadium to fail, including the tills in our food and beverage kiosks. We sincerely regret the disappointment and inconvenience this has caused All leftover hot and perishable food was distributed free of charge to supporters upon leaving the stadium.

Keane: Not good enough from Man Utd Image: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the English FA Cup fourth round soccer match between Manchester United and Middlesbrough at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England on Friday February 4, 2022.

Sky Sports’ Roy Keane speaking on ITV:

“You have to criticize Manchester United. In the first half they were fantastic, but they face a league side at home in the cup.

“Obviously it’s not good enough. Defeat changes the mood. It also changes the mood on the pitch.

“The fans would have thought they would win tonight and being at home I expected them to beat a championship side.

“But now it adds more and more pressure to the next games.”

Wilder: The FA Cup is alive and kicking Image: Matt Crooks celebrates Middlesbrough’s controversial equalizer

As for Boro, manager Wilder is delighted to be in the fifth-round draw on Sunday after a night of grit and drama.

“The FA Cup is alive and well, especially at Middlesbrough tonight,” he said. “The scenes at the end. I talked to the players about making memories.

“We played against world-class players and sometimes took our chances, but we showed a lot of spirit and took one of our chances.”

When will the FA Cup fifth round draw take place? Image: Middlesbrough players celebrate at Old Trafford

The FA Cup fifth round draw will take place on Sunday 6 February.

It will take place before Liverpool’s clash against Cardiff, and it is expected to take place around 11.30am.

Still to come in the FA Cup this weekend… FA Cup fourth round matches… Crystal Palace v Hartlepool Bournemouth v Boreham Wood Huddersfield v Barnsley Peterborough v QPR Cambridge v Luton Southampton v Coventry Chelsea v Plymouth Everton v Brentford Kidderminster v West Ham Tottenham v Brighton Liverpool v Cardiff Stoke v Wigan Nottingham Forest v Leicester Manchester City v Fulham Wolves v Norwich

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