It was a disappointing way to end the season for Manchester United but like every game, there are always points to ponder about before moving on.
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
In the past three games without Lukaku, United’s attack clearly struggled and it was a surprise to see Marcus Rashford starting despite Mourinho declaring Martial fit to start. Both Lukaku and Martial came on in the second period in a double change, but it was too little too late, as the duo could barely influence the play given the late introduction.
WEMBLEY RUN ENDS
It was United’s first defeat in a Cup competition at Wembley since losing to Barcelona close to 7 years ago. In that run, United beat City, Leicester, Everton, Crystal Palace, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspurs. It was a dream run that saw the club win two Community Shields and an FA Cup and EFL Cup apiece.
HAZARD TORCHES UNITED
In the past two wins over Chelsea, United did an excellent job nullifying the threat of Eden Hazard. First, it was Ander Herrera last season at Old Trafford followed by Scott McTominay this season. But United could not handle the Belgium who was at his unplayable best. He scored the penalty to secure the win after an excellent run before he was chopped down by Phil Jones.
A DIVIDED FANBASE
Reports of fighting among the fans and chants of “F*** off Mourinho” were heard around Wembley as fans understandingly disappointed with the result tried to vent their anger. The aftermath also saw unruly fans abuse and target the Portuguese on social media causing the gaffer to deactivate his Instagram account. Morale is clearly low among the fans and a couple of signings are needed to bring back positivity at the club and boost morale.
JONES POOR
Jones had a rough day at work as he could not handle the threat Chelsea provided in the first half. He first let Hazard escape him and had to be bailed out by a smart save by De Gea at the near post. The Englishman again let the Belgian get away from him and this time was punished as he could recover only to chop the attacker down. The resulting penalty was converted by Hazard himself. Jones also had a glorious chance to get things back level but horribly put his header wide of the mark.
NO BAILLY YET AGAIN
Manchester United persisted without starting Eric Bailly despite the Ivorian having a good game against Watford. It was a move that eventually backfired as Jones had a disaster of a game. Bailly was an unused substitute as United suffered defeat in the final.
