So, after that brilliant second-half performance against Aston Villa, Manchester United are back to square one.
A fitful and slapdash performance at the City Ground has soured the mood yet again. For context, this was the first time Nottingham Forest had beaten United since December 1994. Even once Marcus Rashford had equalised, the visitors could not build any real momentum. Morgan Gibbs-White’s late winner ended a sequence of 11 United wins in all competitions in this fixture.
Some familiar issues flared in this latest defeat, a 14th loss of the season in all competitions — United have not suffered that many before the turn of the year in 93 years — that leaves United seventh in the Premier League.
Laurie Whitwell analyses another disappointing display.
Why did United not start where they left off against Aston Villa?
Old Trafford had sizzled with hope after the comeback win over Aston Villa, but Erik ten Hag’s team did not pick up where they had left off.
United beat Villa on Boxing Day courtesy of a vibrant second half performance which contained six shots, four on target, and three goals, plus one ruled out for offside. Against Forest, they managed just one shot in the first 45 minutes, that being a tame effort by Aaron Wan-Bissaka from outside the area which carried an expected goals value of 0.4.
Ten Hag responded at the interval by replacing Kobbie Mainoo with Scott McTominay, United’s leading scorer in the Premier League this season (five), and it was another unlikely source who went closest early in the second half when Diogo Dalot struck the post from 20 yards. Mainoo’s removal, however, contributed to Forest having more freedom in midfield as the game went on.
It would be fascinating know the thoughts of Sir Dave Brailsford, who watched the game from the City Ground directors’ box next to Sir Alex Ferguson.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Dave Brailsford watch from the directors’ box (Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Brailsford will consult Ferguson as he undergoes his audit of United’s structure and personnel. In front of the pair was football director John Murtough, whose rift with Ferguson was detailed in The Athletic last week.
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Antony left the field to the sound of home fans singing “what a waste of money” and it was hard to challenge that statement given his performance, especially in comparison with the display mustered by the player he ushered out of United.
Anthony Elanga was sold to Forest for an initial £15million ($19.1m) in the summer and caught the public attention recently when it emerged he had more Premier League goals and assists (eight) than all of United’s forwards put together. Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund scored against Villa to edge United’s combined forces ahead (10), but Elanga’s display against his old team showed that money doesn’t necessarily buy improvements.
In the first half he skinned Wan-Bissaka and sent over a cross that Raphael Varane deflected into a dangerous area, and the former United academy player also played a part in Forest’s opening goal. Elanga slipped a cute pass to Gonzalo Montiel, who provided the assist. Rubbing salt into the wounds, there was another assist for Gibbs-White’s winner.
Antony challenges Morgan Gibbs-White (Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Elanga primarily operates on the opposite wing to Antony, but there are fans who feel he would do a better job than the player United spent £86million to sign. This was Antony’s 30th game in all competitions where he has failed to score, a run stretching back to the same fixture last season in April.
He shuffled off on this occasion holding his left hamstring in the 54th minute, to be replaced by Amad, who was making only his fourth Premier League appearance and his first since May 2021. Amad joined United in a deal worth £37million from Atalanta in 2020 and finally seemed set for a breakthrough campaign after a successful loan at Sunderland, only for injury in pre-season to limit his opportunities until now.
How do United glean more from Marcus Rashford?
Marcus Rashford started up front in place of Hojlund, whose illness denied him the chance to maintain momentum after breaking his Premier League duck on Boxing Day.
Rashford did not touch the ball in the box until his goal in the 78th minute, which was a nicely caressed side-foot into the far corner after Garnacho had won the ball high following Matt Turner’s poor clearance.
Besides that moment, it was a tough evening for Rashford. There were only 18 touches in the first half, when he was horribly peripheral and, although he was a willing runner, found chances very hard to come by. He tried to create himself but saw his backheel roll to safety rather than Bruno Fernandes, with the United captain on a different wavelength.
*touchmap shows the score at half-time
United desperately need to find a way of squeezing more out of the England forward, whose on-field body language rather betrays his mood.
It seemed at one point Rashford would join United’s extended injury list when falling awkwardly from a shove by Murillo when sprinting through. Rashford stayed down and waved in pain, but he was able to continue after receiving treatment on his groin.
It looked like he had salvaged a point but United conceding another breakaway goal sent Ten Hag to another damaging defeat.
Why are the same frailties rearing up again and again?
United were again susceptible to cutbacks. Both Forest goals came from that direction, with the second, scored by Gibbs-White, also at the end of the type of breakaway opposition teams have enjoyed against United.
United were pushing for a winner but that left Gibbs-White free at the edge of the box, with no holding midfielder on the pitch to guard against such an outcome.
Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane both dropped off to allow the shot, in a similar way to how Mohammed Kudus was given space to score for West Ham a week ago.
Varane also dropped for the first Forest goal, playing Montiel onside when Evans pushed up. That kind of decision was behind Ten Hag’s call to take Varane out of the team earlier this season. Sources say United’s manager felt Varane had become less proactive as a defender this season.
What did Ten Hag say?
“It’s clear, the result is very disappointing. I was also disappointed by the performance before half-time. We should have invested more. We created less before half-time, and we should invest more by quicker play and movement. We didn’t. The second half was better, but we lost the game by a goal. You saw the fight in the team and (at 1-1) we went for 2-1. We had our chances. The football was better. The players kept believing in a good result and kept going until the end but of course, when the result is (like) this, we are disappointed.
“The players, too, are not happy with this. But we have to do better.”
On the inconsistency: “We haven’t played with the same team (for a few games) in a row. We had to change again, today, because there was no Rasmus Hojlund. So every time we have to swap our team. That doesn’t help the routines in a team and, therefore, it explains why we are so inconsistent. We have had some issues, but mainly the injuries (explain the number of defeats this season). They hold back our progress.
“But we have a lot of players returning in January, so hopefully our levels will improve.”
Ten Hag watches his side struggle at Nottingham Forest (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
What next for United?
Monday, January 8: Wigan Athletic (A), FA Cup, 8:15pm GMT, 3:15pm ET
Last season’s beaten finalists begin their FA Cup challenge with a short trip to Wigan, who won this competition in 2013 but are now in the bottom half of League One — the third tier of English football.
Sunday, January 14: Tottenham Hotspur (H), Premier League, 4:30pm GMT, 11:30am ET
Back to top-flight business as United host Spurs, aiming to avenge their 2-0 defeat in August’s reverse fixture.
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(Top photo: Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images))
