I think this is a good evaluation but I do question when you say they are not playing for the manager. Do you think that after 70 minutes the team agree to defend deep so as to let in goals and go against the managers game plan? I'm sure they are professional enough and want to win rather than prove a point.
What I think is that lack that very authoritative voice on the field, marshaling the troops. Could you ever imagine a player like Roy Keane just accepting the ways things are on the pitch - probably not. He would fight (sometimes literally!) to get the players motivated for the final 20 minutes.