Manchester United are out of the FA Cup.
Leicester City were excellent in their 3-1 victory at the King Power Stadium as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a number of changes, resulting in a bog-standard performance.
Few players emerged at full-time with any credit.
All three goals conceded were atrocious, too, which won’t help the hangover tomorrow morning.
Our writers give their verdicts after crashing out of the FA Cup
Dale O’Donnell – Stretty News editor
I’m deeply disappointed with the result. I thought, with the position we hold in the Premier League, there was room to focus on winning two trophies this season. Not that’s not the case and I’m feeling pretty flat about that. Right before a boring international break, too.
What concerns me is United look like a club content with top four. A horrible trait carried on from the ownership.
I didn’t see enough bite this evening. Or genuine desire to progress. Leicester wanted it more and that showed.
No excuses if we don’t lift the Europa League…
Ben Parsons – Stretty News reporter
United are left with the less significant Europa League to end a drought of four years without a trophy. Solskjaer has made real progress but his squad could be at risk of becoming serial losers.
It wasn’t the result against a more focused Leicester side but the manner of defeat that was particularly disheartening, and the manager has to take responsibility for his role.
Solskjaer left out his two most important players and then took off his two most creative players when his team were chasing the game.
The quartet of changes was truly baffling and this isn’t the first time Solskjaer’s choice of personnel has backfired.
United will not win trophies with their current crop of defensive midfielders and that was just one department they were outclassed in at the King Power.
The worrying trend is that these sorts of results never seem too far away…
Read more: Man United player ratings: Fred awful as Reds crash out of FA Cup against Leicester
United couldn’t handle the hard press by Leicester players and did not have a Plan B. A mistake by Maguire for the first was one I’ve been expecting for some time as we continually play slowly around the back from our goal kicks.
Ole’s team selection was also very poor in leaving out our most consistently good players and I’m sorry but Van de Beek has shown that he isn’t a United type of player. Too timid!
United have poor quality in depth in their squad. There are too many players on the books who are mercenaries rather than die hard united players. Thats what i miss most about the SAF years. Back then, players busted their lungs for the red shirt. Now, you have technically poor players like Fred masquerading as Manchester United employees. Ole Gunnar Soslkjaer is the other problem. He is a conservative coach minus the consistency the approach affords. His tactics are one-dimensional and he makes the mistake of often using the wrong players in the wrong position, when they could be more effective in another area on the field. He is afraid to take risks. He will always be a United legend, but he is not the coach to take us forward, im truly sorry to say. Clear out the deadwood in the squad, promote more academy graduates and being in quality players that respect Man United and actually want to play for us. Glory, Glory!!!!