Like a bandit after a robbery, Diego Simeone fled. The Atlético Madrid coach, dressed as always in black from jacket to tie, ran along the sidelines to the exit with his head ducked immediately after the final whistle. Although the angry fans of Manchester United Football Club threw numerous beer mugs at him, Simeone had already escaped into the cabin tunnel, unharmed – and with the fat booty, just with Atlético in the usual cunning way the glorious United won the Champions League to have snatched quarterfinals.
With the 1-0 (1-0) in Manchester, Atlético was the first club – and thus Simeone, who has been employed there since 2011, also as the first coach – to have all three previous English premier class winners (Liverpool, Chelsea and now United) in one knockout round of this premium competition. After the 1-1 draw in Madrid three weeks ago, a meager goal in the second leg was enough for the Spanish champions to progress. This winning goal by Renan Lodi (41st minute) actually felt like a small robbery for United, because the wonderful goal was preceded by a arguable duel: Atlético’s Reinildo Mandava had stopped United striker Anthony Elanga with impunity when winning the ball.
The generous line of referee Slavko Vincic recognized the ripped off Atlético in the early stages when goalkeeper Jan Oblak misjudged a cross in a duel with Elanga – but received a free kick because of his outcry. It was therefore understandable that United coach Ralf Rangnick later referred to “some strange decisions”, including the “clear foul” on Elanga before the 1-0 – but without these offenses ultimately having been “decisive” for the failure, as Rangnick admitted.
Too often, however, Vincic succumbed to the “time-consuming antics” of the guests, in which, in the well-known manner, “someone” always rolled on the floor, criticized Rangnick. Therefore, the only four-minute stoppage time was “a joke”. On top of that, the referee seemed to fall for the ruse to end the game immediately as Simeone deliberately ordered all the men on the substitutes’ bench to the sidelines in full force to wave the end.
Scholes deals out against the coach again. But the core problem is the composition of the squad
United’s resentment was also focused on the referee because, given their own superiority, there was probably nothing else to blame – apart from the missed chances. The good structure of the game in the first half showed how far Rangnick had brought the crooked United squad into shape in his three-month tenure. However, United’s second-half penury against ever-deeper defenders revealed the legacy the club has accumulated since forever coach Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
The most striking effect is the team’s lack of physicality and the resulting lack of penetrating power on the offensive. Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo’s six goals, no other United player has scored more than one goal in eight premier league games this season.
Although Rangnick continued to strengthen his attack as the game went on with his substitutions (Pogba, Rashford, Cavani, Mata), hardly anyone was able to defend himself against the robust Atlético defenders. Not even the exceptional striker Ronaldo, who would probably score goals forever due to his talent – but at the age of 37 he doesn’t succeed in the decisive phase of the Champions League anymore. It was only the third time in his impressive career that the Portuguese didn’t have a shot on goal in a premier game – which was also due to the useless deliveries. Apart from his compatriot Bruno Fernandes (seven assists), a reliable assist provider is missing.
Rare game without a shot on goal: Cristiano Ronaldo.
(Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Images/Imago)
Paul Scholes – one of Manchester’s perpetually nagging pundits who once played far better football than she now analyzes games – but on the BT mic named another culprit for United’s fifth consecutive untitled season. Scholes went so far as to claim that United would have won “with the experienced Simeone in charge”. According to Scholes, it is not “obvious” to him how Rangnick, who was employed as an interim coach until the end of the season, could be selected for the job. As a result, the most important thing now is to find a “right” coach for a team that has “some real talent”.
Scholes is wrong in this polemical analysis, because the problem at United is exactly the other way around: When the end of this already damned season, which only ended lightly with the renewed Champions League qualification in the league, it goes a long way for the club less on the selection of the coach than on the procedure for restructuring the squad.
Players would have to be scouted for a clear game idea, after too many opposing coaches have been messing around recently. In order to advance the planning, it would be advantageous if United agreed on a coach for the future in a timely manner. In the past, the club around the American owner family Glazer often tended towards football coaches with a proven track record in this personnel matter, which has not yet been decided but is urgent.
Rangnick could get into a conflict of conscience when looking for a coach
But this time, the two-year consultancy contract concluded with Rangnick beyond the summer could prove decisive in the search for a team boss. Unless the clause was intended as a pure lure for Rangnick, the composition of the squad would henceforth fall within his area of responsibility. Rangnick would then have no choice but to cover the team with several ambitious professionals willing to work – and to look for a suitable coach.
But in this search, the 63-year-old could have a conflict of conscience because he would probably prefer to continue his work with the team himself. Formally, the decision-making power on this issue is held by the chairmen Avram and Joel Glazer as well as the new managing director Richard Arnold, who took over in February for the resigned Ed Woodward. Football boss John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher also have an important say. Both are in close contact with Rangnick and already pushed through his activity in December.
Despite the disappointment of failing in the Champions League, Rangnick proved a fair loser. After the press conference, he congratulated his opponent Simeone with a handshake and wished him all the best. After that, Simeone finally fled.