Manchester United fluff their lines against Southampton as missed chances become a theme

Top four hopes take another hit after Cristiano Ronaldo's goal drought continues

Manchester United's Harry Maguire of Manchester United challenges Che Adams of Southampton at Old Trafford on Saturday, February 12, 2022. Getty

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after missing a chance against Southampton at Old Trafford. AP

Manchester United's Paul Pogba attempts an overhead kick. AP

Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford. Getty

Southampton's Che Adams, right, celebrates with Romain Perraud after scoring his sides first goal. PA

Manchester United's Jadon Sancho celebrates after scoring against Southampton. EPA

Jadon Sancho after scoring at Old Trafford. Getty

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick gives instructions to Marcus Rashford. AFP

Manchester United are wearily familiar with the script. “It was very similar, unfortunately,” sighed Ralf Rangnick. The opposition changed, but not much else. For the third consecutive game, United took a lead, lost it and failed to beat supposedly inferior opponents.

Once again, they could lament their wastefulness, with disallowed goals and spurned chances again accounting for a struggle to score twice in a match. For the sixth time in a row, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score. His longest drought since 2009 has spanned the whole of 2022.

Missed opportunities were a theme, with United passing up the chance to return to the top four. Carry on at this rate and the Europa League may beckon for them.

For Southampton, beaten 9-0 at Old Trafford last season, there was revenge and respectability. “From 0-9 to 1-1,” grinned Ralph Hasenhuttl. “A point here is a big signal.”

His team have had a terrific week and Che Adams, scorer of their winner at Tottenham, added an equaliser against United. In the irrepressible Stuart Armstrong, the forceful Armando Broja and the excellent Romain Perraud, they had a host of impressive performers and were the better team for spells.

United could lament the defiance of Fraser Forster. Busy throughout, he made an outstanding injury-time save to deny Harry Maguire a winner but the reality is that United have had 64 shots against Middlesbrough, Burnley and Saints and only scored three goals that counted. “We are just not effective enough if you compare the amount of chances we create and score,” said Rangnick.

He ended with six attack-minded players on the pitch but his team are insufficiently prolific and, as their frequent complaints to referee Stuart Attwell showed, too petulant.

The recalled Ronaldo was not the only culprit in either respect but his drought ought to have ended early on. He sprang Southampton’s offside trap, sprinting on to Jadon Sancho’s pass to round Forster. But, with the goal gaping, his shot had too little power and a sliding Perraud cleared off the line. “He would have wished to score, I would have wished him to score,” said Rangnick. Neither got his way.

When Ronaldo did have the ball in the net, heading in after Sancho flicked on Bruno Fernandes’ free kick, he was several yards offside; he had strayed even further before setting up Paul Pogba for an earlier disallowed goal. In his determination to rediscover his scoring touch, Ronaldo seemed to have forgotten the offside law.

And United’s more potent forwards flanked him. Sancho’s second Premier League goal was a simple finish but a reward for his superlative start. He provided the far-post finish to Marcus Rashford’s inviting low centre.

United’s wingers prospered on a quick break as Southampton could lament Mohammed Salisu’s decision to go to ground in a failed attempt to cut out Fernandes’ pass to Rashford. But for a fine save from Forster, Sancho would have scored sooner, following a surge from his own half.

It was a game to suit him, full of fast breaks that have become the trademark of managers from the Germanic school of quick transitions and full-throttle football. It made for an open match and entertaining fare.

Chances abounded at either end. Armstrong twice almost levelled, as did Perraud, courtesy of a fine solo run. Then, played onside by the former Saint Luke Shaw, Adams latched on to Mohamed Elyounoussi’s pass and angled a shot in off the far post. “It is too easy,” complained Rangnick. “The question is, how can we get more compact and aggressive and nasty when it is about defending a lead?” He is yet to find an answer.