ETH accepts the "facts" as Man Utd fan reaction speaks volumes against Burnley

Sometimes fans can speak volumes without saying anything. So it was when Zeki Amdouni levelled from the penalty spot in the 87th minute and some Manchester United supporters reacted by walking out.

Adding on stoppage time, there were still nine minutes left, classic Fergie time. But those days have long gone and those fans already knew United would be pegged back in yet again, just as they were recently against Chelsea, Liverpool and Coventry.

There were boos at the final whistle to add to those in the second half when manager Erik ten Hag replaced Kobbie Mainoo. Mainoo had played poorly and ten Hag wanted to replace him with Scott McTominay’s fresher legs.

The fans were not interested in his logic and they have clearly had enough to deliver their verdict on ten Hag. Ten Hag admits Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s goal of Champions League football is gone and claims they have two chances of reaching Europe in the league and FA Cup.

“These are the facts,” said the beleaguered United boss. “It’s not easy to get fourth when you’re so far behind. We needed to win. In the past few weeks, we’ve got in winning positions and then given it away. The gap is too big in this phase of the season. We have two opportunities, one in the Premier League and the other in the FA Cup final.”

It’s highly unlikely that either will be enough to satisfy Ratcliffe and he has changed everything at United behind the scenes - bar Ten Hag. That will surely happen at the end of the season and Ratcliffe wants a coach who can take United forward, not backwards as ten Hag has done this campaign.

Every statistic is damning for ten Hag and next-to-bottom Burnley had 16 shots, seven on target, and had 53 per cent possession at Old Trafford. It seemed, though, United had