Jay Rodriguez delivers Burnley point against wasteful Manchester United

Manchester United are currently in an unwanted surrender mode, this being a second, second-half abdication of responsibility in two matches. It is, patently, not good enough and there is an oddity to elite players of the ilk of Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Raphaël Varane, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes being unable to kill off an opponent who are last in the standings and who trailed at half-time.

Yet, as against Middlesbrough, the plot was lost in the contest’s second 45 minutes. Burnley ended with a precious point that was handed to them by weak defending for the Jay Rodriguez strike that cancelled out Pogba’s opener, and by United’s inability to fire thereafter.

Ralf Rangnick’s team may now have lost only once in nine league games but wins are the demand.

United were as bright at the start as they were against Middlesbrough on Friday. Jadon Sancho launched raids on the left and both Pogba and Fernandes scooped balls into Burnley’s area from the same side.

Rain swept across the ground on a classic dank night in sight of the Lancashire moors but it did not dampen the visitor’s spark, a Marcus Rashford attempt forcing Nick Pope to make the contest’s opening save and hand United a corner.

United struck shortly after, only for the goal to be chalked off. Fernandes floated in a free-kick and up jumped Varane to head home. But no. To Rangnick’s obvious chagrin Mike Dean was ordered to the monitor and ruled that an offside Maguire had impeded Rodriguez and the game remained scoreless.

Moments later Rangnick’s mood was dramatically altered after his team gave the best riposte. Fernandes, a firefly flitting around everywhere, appeared at halfway and volleyed a pass out to Rashford on the left. He fed an overlapping Shaw and the