Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo responded to stupid pundits with Anthony Elanga moment

Manchester United's players have grown all too familiar with the cruelty of penalties over the last year.

United lost on penalties in Gdansk, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho failed to convert at Wembley and Anthony Elanga was the latest youngster to be overcome by numbness at Old Trafford on Friday night. The defeat was far from Elanga's fault, but that was lost on the 19-year-old. He looked distraught after the final whistle. Elanga couldn't have felt more alone in front of 70,000 people.

This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't part of the script. There was an audacious lofted chip from Sancho than cannoned off the bar, Ronaldo sent his penalty wide in the first half and Bruno Fernandes squandered a golden opportunity. The result should have been put beyond doubt, but United failed to take their chances. That proved costly when Middlesbrough won the penalty shootout.

Elanga was the unfortunate player to miss his penalty. He has been brilliant since his introduction to the first team by Ralf Rangnick and this was the first 'blemish' on his record. It feels wrong to even call it a blemish. The youngster should never have been in that position. The number of internationals on the pitch for United should have been enough for the Reds' chance to have been taken.

Yet the chances were squandered and United are out of the FA Cup. They remain in the Champions League but you'd get long odds from any bookmaker on United winning that trophy. They are set to match the club's longest trophy drought for 40 years.

The weight of that burden fell cruelly and unfairly on Elanga's shoulders on Friday night. The Swede was immediately consoled by Phil Jones, Fred and Harry Maguire after his penalty miss. Bruno Fernandes, Juan Mata,