Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League tonight after a late brace by Sevilla substitute Hassam Ben Yedder saw the Spanish side go through 2-1. United had been ineffectual for most of the match and only really looked to attack with intent once they went a goal down.
After the match Graeme Souness was speaking on TV3's coverage of the game gave his opinion on United's capitulation. You could tell the former Liverpool midfielder didn't want to come down too hard on the Manchester club and become open to accusations of bias and the Scot was measured in his criticism of United's exit:
I just don't see them playing any football that gets me excited.
They couldn't get out of that second/third gear. Major disappointment, no ambition, resorted to just lumping it to the centre forward looking for second bits off him. Fellaini is on the pitch that tells you which way they want to go, thinking they might get something at a set piece. This is Manchester United we're talking about, the biggest club in the world arguably, playing football like that. It ain't good enough.
The TV3 pundit went on to say that he believed that an 'average' Sevilla side were fully deserving of their win and stated that Mourinho wasn't "getting the best out of the group". The pundit seemed to be lost for a way to describe United's failings, vaguely blaming the exit on a "lack of football".
The former Rangers manager also said that this result was coming for United citing their recent games against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Liverpool as evidence:
I was at the Chelsea game they got away with that one (the win) Chelsea played the better football.
Then they went to Crystal Palace and they got themselves out of a hole there big time and showed great character to come back, again they get away with it.
They had 32 per cent of the ball against Liverpool at the weekend and won 2 nil, that camouflages the bigger picture. I think today it finally caught up with them.
