However, Manchester United's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were doused despite the fierce winds and torrential rain that lashed the city. Because of their own actions, they extinguished the last of their surviving flames of hope in typical self-destructive fashion. They were the ones who extinguished the embers of their own hopes.
United have had a disastrous season, but they blew a perfect opportunity to turn things around while they bizarrely still had a chance to save their season. Their prospects of winning the Premier League are still very much alive despite their loss to Arsenal on Saturday. The next four matches of the season would have at the very least had some relevance, but instead they will be a gloomy death march until Erik ten Hag arrives to try and dispel the heavy clouds that have gathered.
In North London, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to anticipate a small amount of backlash. In midweek, United were brutally humiliated by their arch-rivals Liverpool, who put them in their place and forced them to consider just how far they have fallen. Everyone else failed to show the same level of defiance and concern that only a youngster with a strong drive to prove himself received. Even if he didn't play well, he at least shown a level of defiance and concern that was lacking in everyone else.
In the minutes, hours, and days following the match, a torrent of criticism rained down from all directions, with much of it being spot on. When Manchester United journeyed to Arsenal to face another old adversary, the players should have been eager to prove the doubters wrong. It took less than two minutes for them to concede the first goal as a result of some shoddy defence. Then twenty minutes later, it happened again.
After falling behind in the first half through the efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and Diogo Dalot, who twice struck the post, United rallied and for long periods of time, they looked to be attacking effectively, but their inexperience at the back proved costly once more. In addition to Bruno Fernandes' failed penalty and his recent stalemate,
There is nothing left to play for in the final games against Chelsea, Brentford and Brighton and Crystal Palace for Manchester United. Pride? All of that has long since been abandoned. To make a good impression on the new boss? At this time, I'm confident he's had his fill.
To salvage his reputation as a coach, Rangnick must win at least a handful of games in the final few weeks of the season - though he surely retains the respect of United fans for his refreshing honesty - and qualify for the Europa League.
Even so, it is not a given that this will occur. United are now in sixth place, with West Ham in sixth place, two points behind United. Meanwhile, if Wolves win their remaining match against West Ham, they will draw level on points with the Hammers.
The Hammers will almost certainly devote all of their attention to the Europa League, but they still have a chance to finish ahead of United and potentially condemn them to the ignominy of the Europa League Conference. It's possible that they'll be unable to qualify for that.
It would be an embarrassment if United finished as low as ninth and failed to qualify for any European competition. It would also hurt the club's earnings and ability to attract possible transfer targets. However, it is possible that this is the best outcome for them at this time.
This summer, Ten Hag will be left with a shambles on his hands. With six players now very set to quit at a bare minimum, an exodus of players is possible; but, those that stay are mostly hollow shells of the players they can and should be. Many people's confidence levels have been shattered, and it will take some time to restore them.
Afterwards, while he is attending to it, he must also attend to the minor detail of actually molding the side into his likeness. The coach's responsibilities include explaining his intentions, defining a style of play, drilling tactics in possession and off the ball, strengthening an atrocious defense, instructing players on how to construct attacks, and putting together a cohesive press. Providing the squad with a long-forgotten sense of identity.
As with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, this type of job entails spending hours upon hours upon hours on the training ground with the world's greatest players who are all committed to a manager's ideology. Even though Ten Hag will not be working with the world's best players, there have already been some alarming rumblings that not everyone is pleased with the decision, which doesn't exactly bode well since the Dutchman hasn't even come on the scene yet.
Time will be necessary for Ten Hag. There's a lot of it. Time on the Carrington pitches to sharpen up his new recruits as much as possible. If there were a season of Thursday night football, that would be dramatically reduced. A schedule that includes three games every week, travel to far-flung areas of Europe, and rest days does not leave much time for high-intensity training sessions or laborious learning.
Arsenal have benefited greatly from not having to compete in Europe this season, and while they still make mistakes, Mikel Arteta's ideas are beginning to come through, and they are much more competitive despite not having a very strong roster. When Antonio Conte came over as manager of Tottenham, he couldn't get his team out of the Conference League quickly enough, and the extra time he's had with his new players has certainly had a great influence.
Even if the players have indicated a readiness to "throw" their remaining games this season, and neither competition should be considered beneath them when it has the potential to end a five-year trophy drought, having a less intense fixture calendar will enhance the odds of Ten Hag being successful. Having a less intense fixture schedule will increase the chances of Ten Hag being successful. Another public embarrassment might well be worth it in the end.
