PL hits & misses: Man Utd slip up | Issues remain for Everton

Man Utd unable to put it all together

Twelve shots were taken in the first half of Manchester United's game against Burnley at Turf Moor and Ralf Rangnick's side had all of them. They even had the ball in the net three times against the Premier League's bottom club. They still did not win the game.

More often than not, this was a performance that would have been rewarded with the three points and a third consecutive Premier League victory to strengthen the club's hold on the final Champions League place that is now the focus of their season.

But just as in their FA Cup elimination against Middlesbrough on Friday, United found a way not to win. When Burnley took the game to them in the early part of the second half, they could not cope with it. When Burnley sat back late on, they could not find the finish.

It was not a good night for captain Harry Maguire. Made to look foolish by Burnley's new striker, that one error proved costly. Rangnick will point to the disallowed goals - particularly the second one - but they were culpable too. Nick Pope did not have to make a save in the second half.

Dispassionate analysis might lead one to conclude this was one of those nights. "A little bit of luck," as the interim boss put it. The problem for United is they have little margin for error right now. Dropping two points against the bottom club leaves them vulnerable.

West Ham have pushed them out of the top four. While United have a game in hand on them, the teams below boast that advantage over United. Tottenham, for example, are three behind with three games in hand. This is a precarious situation. It demands focus.

At Turf Moor, United were unable to maintain it. Such sloppiness needs to stop soon because while the fixture list