Penalty reactions that tell us everything we need to know about Manchester United’s character
Before we find fault with Manchester United after reaching the FA Cup final, and there is plenty of it to go around, it is worth considering what would constitute an appropriate response to winning a penalty shoot-out in a match they had deserved to lose?
Lap of dishonour, heads down while pelted with pies and programmes from fans of both clubs? Storm the Wembley steps to locate and personally apologise to the spirited OAP billionaire who achieved a PB in the London Marathon before the game? Sprint straight down the tunnel, onto the coach and ask the driver to take everyone to the training ground for a bonus coaching session then 100 lines: I must not squander leads to teams from the league below.
United led 3-0 against Coventry, threw that away, then only avoided a humiliating 4-3 defeat thanks to a dubious VAR decision. Nevertheless, they will play in next month’s final, and Erik ten Hag reckons that equates to a good afternoon’s work.
“I see the mistakes we make, we can’t look away from it, but it’s not an embarrassment. It’s a huge achievement,” he said. “Even the big team from United, a decade ago, only achieved the final three times. We now have two times in two years. So that’s a good performance.”
We don't make it easy for ourselves 😅🔴 pic.twitter.com/4V6h2oFQG5
— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) April 21, 2024
Not entirely sure that passes the eye test, and neither did some of the behaviour from United’s players during and after the penalty shoot-out.
Penalties are a game of margins, a battle as much about psychology as what you do with your feet, and an administrative nightmare. So always good to start with an argument about which team stands where in the centre circle. Some needless needle from United towards Coventry, who refuse to cede territory. Harry Maguire already looking mildly embarrassed.
Bruno Fernandes steps up to take his penalty, with a veritable menagerie of mixed emotions across his United team-mates behind him, who have amused themselves by forming a line in ascending height order from Amad Diallo upwards. Rasmus Højlund is seemingly leading his team in song, Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks like a teenager enduring a tedious aunty’s birthday dinner, Diallo is contemplating how tasty his pre-match energy drink was.
Siri: show me the opposite of a united front. The arm-in-arm thing really only works when it is the entire team, not when just six of your players bother to take part. Bruno cannot bear to look, Antony appears isolated, Omari Forson has chosen this moment to attend to his bootlaces
Winning penalty scored, job done, time to lap up the plaudits of your adoring public. Bruno and Christian Eriksen manage to combine delight with respect, Casemiro still cannot bear to look and Maguire looks like he’s just watched United lose, or an hour of clips from his 2022-23 season. But there goes Antony, choosing this proud moment of vanquishing the eighth-best team in the Championship with an ear-cupping gesture towards his opponents. Lovely.
There he goes, Antony, and it is telling that even in this low moment several of the Coventry players see what he is up to and find it amusing rather than enraging. Maguire is immediately into reputation-salvage mode, his laudable first thought is to turn to his opponents and offer them applause.
Has anyone checked on Casemiro? Is he still out there?
Bruno and Diogo Dalot enjoy a Portuguese cuddle, Amad Diallo gives thanks, Eriksen and Wan-Bisakka chase Antony and attempt to neutralise him before he can perform any more incendiary gestures. Once again, this does not look like a well-integrated team enjoying their moment together
Bruno, Dalot, Diallo, Casemiro, Wan-Bissaka all belatedly follow Maguire’s lead to shake hands with and console Coventry’s players. All’s well that ends well. Until Antony starts prank calling Mark Robins at 3am and playing knock down ginger on Steve Ogrizovic’s house to really rub it in.
