When you’re in a position to potentially assume fifth place in the Premier League table, but lose to the bottom side, well, there are scapegoats aplenty. Manchester United, in the thick of the top four race (allegedly at least) lost 2-0 at Watford today, and there is a lot of blame to go around.
One can start with Jesse Lingard, who was a top trending term, nationally, on Twitter due to another horrendous performance. Lingard, who has seen his playing time diminish (justifiably so) significantly this season, missed a golden scoring opportunity in the first half that, had he converted, would have changed the entire complexion of the game heading into half time.
Jesse Lingard has gone over 25 hours without a goal or assist in the Premier League.
? https://t.co/JcozejvQz2 #WATMUN #bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/DHvvfFDcSC
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 22, 2019
Now of course, it’s not all the fault of Jesse Lingard that United lost to a team that had fired its manager twice already this season and won a grand total of one game heading into this one.
However, the idea that he started, despite not having scored a league goal in all of 2019, well that falls on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. As we said before, Lingard was a top trending term today, and for all the wrong reasons, let’s go through some of the more memorable tweets referencing the young Englishman, who has not been involved in a Premier League goal since last Boxing Day, against now relegated Huddersfield Town.
https://twitter.com/Elcrucifixio/status/1208780844179107840
Gary Neville trying to find a way to blame this on Paul Pogba lack of professionalism while praising Ole energetic tactics and the energy that Lingard brings to the team ? pic.twitter.com/m9ShmzpO0T
— Zora (@Lixnk) December 22, 2019
Solskjaer – Living off 1999
De Gea – Living off reputation
James – Living off August
Lingard – Living off his passport
Man United Goal Difference – Living off Chelsea #WATMUN— Life Of Vegas ? (@LifeOfVegas7) December 22, 2019
Jesse Lingard vs Watford (A) – Match Highlights pic.twitter.com/7vBnopun57
— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) December 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/MANCZINI/status/1208777419118784513
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link.