Ralf Rangnick's decision looking more logical after latest Manchester United setback

Manchester United led 1-0 at the interval again, dominated the first-half again, squandered presentable chances again and were left to rue them again.

The drenched away-dayers rocked to the United Calypso in the belief of a breakthrough and their sense of adventure was shared by Ralf Rangnick, who withdrew Scott McTominay for Jesse Lingard as Paul Pogba dropped back to defensive midfield for the denouement. It could still not procure the breakthrough.

It is easy to see why Rangnick appointed a sports psychologist. Whenever United suffer a setback, their mental fragilities are all too visible and they struggled to play with the swagger they oozed in the first-half after conceding in just the 47th minute.

For 45 minutes, 20th-placed Burnley were as harmless as eighth-placed Championship team Boro. Yet United reprieved Aston Villa last month by not scoring a second before the pause when it would have deflated the crowd and Burnley, like Villa, re-emerged transformed, equalised and David de Gea was suddenly in saviour setting to repel Wout Weghorst's fizzing volley.

Rangnick may again feel aggrieved by the officiating, specifically surrounding Raphael Varane's disallowed goal, although United rendered that moot by scoring legitimately within minutes. At half-time, Pogba was still vexed a linesman adjudged he had fouled Erik Pieters before Josh Brownhill put through his own net.

The problem was United's finishing again. They did not spurn umpteen opportunities as they did against Middlesbrough but Edinson Cavani somehow nodded the ball onto Nick Pope's knee from point-blank range and the decision-making was often suspect.

Cavani's selection ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo did not compromise United's enterprise and, in a month of