"We are extremely disappointed" - Ralf Rangnick reacts to Manchester United's FA Cup elimination after loss against Middlesbrough
Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick has blamed his side's ineffectiveness in front of goal as the reason for their loss to Middlesbrough at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils crashed to a defeat on penalties against the EFL Championship side in the fourth round of the FA Cup to exit the tournament on Friday. Rangnick revealed he was disappointed with the result, but reiterated that his side must move on and switch their focus to their next game.
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty in the 20th minute for Manchester United before Jadon Sancho gave the Red Devils the lead just five minutes later. Rangnick's side dominated the first half and created a number of goal-scoring opportunities, but failed to convert their chances.
Matt Crooks then scored a controversial equalizer for Middlesbrough in the 64th minute. The two sides couldn't find a winner in regulation or extra time as the game went to penalties. Anthony Elanga missed the decisive spot-kick which helped Middlesbrough claim a 8-7 penalty shootout victory and progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Rangnick was left to rue his side's missed chances after the game. In his post-match press conference, he said:
"I think we played well in the last couple of weeks, in the league and also today in the first half. I don't think we could have done a lot of things a lot better in the first-half apart from scoring more goals. The way that the team played, I was more than pleased with that, with our performance."
The interim boss went on to add:
"In the Cup, it's about winning the game and proceeding to the next round, which we didn't achieve in the end. That's why we are extremely disappointed, but there is not that much time for us to prepare for the next important game at Burnley on Tuesday. We have to take our chances better, with more quality than we did today."
Manchester United suffered just their second loss under the management of Rangnick against Middlesbrough. The German has managed to improve the Red Devils' results in the Premier League since his arrival. However, some of their performances have been a source of concern for the club and their fans.
Manchester United have often lacked cohesion, unity and quality in attack. A number of stars, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Sancho, have suffered dips in form in recent weeks.
Another miserable night for Manchester United, who are OUT of the FA Cup #MUFC
talksport.com/football/fa-cu…
Cristiano Ronaldo's recent poor is a major source of concern for Manchester United
Ronaldo has managed to score just two goals in his last eight appearances for Manchester United in all competitions. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has often cut a frustrated figure during the Red Devils' matches.
The 37-year-old's penalty miss against Middlesbrough last night arguably cost his side a victory as they failed to progress to the next round of the FA Cup. Ronaldo has often been criticized this season for his lack of work-rate, but seemed to make up for it with his goal tally.
vs Wigan (2006)
Cristiano Ronaldo has missed a penalty for Manchester United for the fourth time in his career:
❌ vs Wigan (2006)
❌ vs West Ham (2007)
❌ vs Barcelona (2008)
❌ vs Middlesbrough (2022)
It didn’t even hit the target. 😳 https://t.co/F4szinabBY
Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United this season. However, many fans and pundits believe he has not had the desired impact on the club's performances. Some also believe Ronaldo is hampering the growth of youngsters such as Rashford and Sancho.
The Portuguese superstar will look to put his penalty miss against Boro behind him by netting against Burnley in midweek.