Man United dropped another point in the Premier League by drawing 0-0 at Old Trafford with a dreadful Watford side.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka received the ball with 83 minutes remaining and wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. Wan-Bissaka somehow overhit it to a Watford player when Paul Pogba was free. The strain had taken its toll.
Wan-Bissaka had had a productive hour, but time had caught up with him. This season has revealed many Manchester United players, including Wan-Bissaka.
United are still fourth, but in every other way, they belong in the Europa League. Supporters booed at full-time, not because they were unhappy with the performance, but because they were angry.
Whoever finishes the month of May in fourth place will have done so by default. Those who miss out may find themselves closer to the bottom than the top.
Cristiano Ronaldo stood alone at full-time, despondent and depressed. He hit the post in the fourth minute, and it was all downhill from there. Long before the final shrill, he appeared to be shot.
This one belonged to the players. Ralf Rangnick cannot be held responsible for their waste. His choices, some of which were arguably frivolous, were vindicated by lively play that lacked the elusive goal. United had never played more identifiably in Rangnick's image.
As far as visiting teams at Old Trafford go this season, Watford were worse than Leeds and Middlesbrough.
They were the most amicable challengers United could have asked for, and they still managed to go undefeated against them this season.
Nothing is a given for a United team that plays as if it knows it is only fourth in the league. That position is under threat, with Arsenal adept at dismissing league fodder and Antonio Conte capable of extracting spirited victories from Tottenham's underachievers.
To maintain the positive atmosphere, United fans politely applauded Tom Cleverley's substitution in the 80th minute. Their mood was not helped by the referee's pathetic patrolling of Ben Foster's time-wasting at full-time.
Only three of the 22 attempts found the target of Foster's goal.
Ronaldo hit the post, Anthony Elanga blazed a volley over, Bruno Fernandes beat Foster in a one-on-one, and Ronaldo hit the post before miscuing a presentable volley. Ronaldo was offside when he put the ball in the net. That was just in the first half.
It was all too familiar for a crowd that had already seen enough dominant and wasteful halves in February. United's most recent dominant half ended without a goal, and it was fitting that February ended the same way it began - with a demoralizing draw.
Pogba did not cross or shoot on the volley when unmarked close to goal in the second half.
Emmanuel Dennis, who had been a thorn in United's side in the previous match, soon began to threaten, and the crowd's upbeat mood was dampened. Watford could have won it in the final seconds.
The United fans were lifted by Elanga's run, Fred's probing pass, and Pogba's phenomenal flick, but Elanga fired wide. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho both warmed up as soon as the game resumed, and the latter was substituted before the hour for Fred, a move that was as logical as it was risky. Rashford's poor form was unabated.
Football provides escapism and a platform to express support beyond the pitch in these trying times.
Rangnick suggested that the players from Manchester United and Watford pose with a sign with the word "peace" written in six different languages around the symbol for peace. The crowd applauded just one day after concerned United fans contacted the club, pleading with them to end their sponsorship with a Russian airline. They did it on Friday.
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