Ralf Rangnick said Manchester United only had themselves to blame for their FA Cup fourth round exit to Middlesbrough despite arguing the goal they conceded should not have stood.
United lost 8-7 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Friday. Anthony Elanga missed the key penalty in the shootout after Cristiano Ronaldo had missed from the spot in regular time.
– Ogden: Man United’s trophy drought continues with no end in sight
– ESPN+ viewers’ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more
– Notebook: The inside stories from world football
Matt Crooks scored Middlesbrough’s disputed equaliser after Duncan Watmore had appeared to handle the ball in the build up, but after Rangnick was just as upset with his team’s finishing.
“How can it be accidental [handball] if he controls the ball up in the air with his hand?” Rangnick asked after the match. “It was clear it should not stand, but in the end I was really surprised it stood.
“In the first half we should have easily been 3-0 up and second half we had chances too. We should have won the game in normal time. On penalties it can happen what happened today.
“Incredibly disappointed, we should have won and killed off the game in the first half.”
Elanga, 19, was left to take a penalty in part because of the absence of both Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard from the squad.
Cavani was granted extra time off after playing for Uruguay in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, while Rangnick said Lingard asked for time off to “clear his mind” after a proposed move to Newcastle United on deadline day failed to materialise.
Lingard later posted on social media saying he had been absent from training on the advice of the club but asked again on Friday night, Rangnick appeared to stick to his version of events.
“Edi played for Uruguay on Wednesday [morning], with jet lag and the travel arrangements it would not have made sense, he wouldn’t have been in the squad anyway,” said Rangnick.
“And with Jesse, I told you what my information was and my knowledge was, and of course I would have loved to have had Jesse in the squad.
“We were one outfield player less on the team sheet today, so why would I have allowed him to have four or five days off?
“I would have loved to have had him in the squad, but it was not the case and therefore it doesn’t make sense to speak about players who were not available.”
OVERVIEW
OnMyWay Is The #1 Distracted Driving Mobile App In The Nation!
OnMyWay, based in Charleston, SC, The Only Mobile App That Pays its Users Not to Text and Drive.
The #1 cause of death among young adults ages 16-27 is Car Accidents, with the majority related to Distracted Driving.
OnMyWay’s mission is to reverse this epidemic through positive rewards. Users get paid for every mile they do not text and drive and can refer their friends to get compensated for them as well.
The money earned can then be used for Cash Cards, Gift Cards, Travel Deals and Much, Much More….
The company also makes it a point to let users know that OnMyWay does NOT sell users data and only tracks them for purposes of providing a better experience while using the app.
The OnMyWay app is free to download and is currently available on both the App Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android @ OnMyWay; Drive Safe, Get Paid.
Download App Now – https://r.onmyway.com
Sponsors and advertisers can contact the company directly through their website @ www.onmyway.com.