At some point during Key Stage 3 science, amid the excitement of somehow being given the responsibility of using a Bunsen burner, you learn about variables and constants when conducting experiments.
Factors that can change are called variables, and believe it or not, the constants are, well, constant.
At Manchester United, Ruben Amorim’s experiment is off to a shaky start. Now five matches into his reign at Old Trafford, the record reads two wins, one draw, and two defeats.
Different variables have been changed in terms of their opponent, the conditions, and most significantly team selection, with Leny Yoro the 20th player to start a Premier League match under Amorim in just four games.
But one thing, above all, remains a constant, and it is one that will only continue to wreak havoc on this ongoing experiment – much like the kid who definitely shouldn’t have been trusted with an open flame – and that is the fact absolutely no team fears playing Manchester United whatsoever.
Amorim said as much on Friday, and his point was proved on Saturday, when Nottingham Forest won at Old Trafford for the first time in 30 years.
“We are a massive club but we are not a massive team. We know it, so there is no problem to say it,” Amorim had said, with refreshing honestly, and on Saturday evening his defence were whatever the opposite of massive is. Tiny? Light? Fluffy? Take your pick.
Light, or even lite, seems best, for this is a sorry version of what previous United defences have been, but tiny is also appropriate, as just 91 seconds in they certainly weren’t tall enough when Nikola Milenkovic rose to nod Forest ahead, making for the third straight goal United have conceded from a corner.
From there, United worked their way back into the match, but then Andre Onana wasn’t nimble enough when getting caught out by the swerve of Morgan Gibbs-White’s shot for Forest’s second.
It went down as massive mistake, but it felt nothing on the third, a basic lapse in concentration and communication when Chris Wood’s header looped over Onana and neither United’s goalkeeper nor defender Lisandro Martinez thought to get a touch on the ball before it bounced into the net.
In the end, Martinez took his own frustration out on the net, heading it as he should have done the ball, and after Bruno Fernandes reduced the deficit to make it 3-2, Amorim had seen enough defensively to know a change was needed at the back to boost their own chances in attack.
Two changes, in fact, with Harry Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui replacing Matthijs de Ligt and Yoro, but while it steadied the foundations as Forest welcomed the pressure, it did little to change the outcome of the match.
The defeat leaves United 13th in the Premier League table and no closer to finding out what their best starting XI is.
It means the experiment will have to continue, but it won’t get any easier, not only because it is a hurting Manchester City next in the league on Sunday – after a trip to Czech club Viktoria Plzen on Thursday – but because all clubs now utterly relish the prospect of playing United, with the arrival of Amorim to take Erik ten Hag’s place not changing that one iota.
It is a hangover of the Sir Alex Ferguson era to love beating Manchester United, and rival fans still relish in this club losing despite the fact it has been more than a decade since they were the dominant side, but still it is a relatively new sensation for clubs to actually enjoy playing Manchester United, almost expecting to win at Old Trafford and coming away disappointed when they don’t.
Forest, now up to fifth having already won at Anfield as well, are the latest to show no fear, and that will be an ongoing problem for Amorim, who has so much to sift through from what he has seen since taking charge.
“This is a long journey,” Amorim said. “We are in the start of something so big that we pay attention to every detail. We already know it’s a big job so we have to continue.”
Right now there are very few winners among the United squad. Fernandes has markedly improved since Ten Hag left, but behind him the double pivot is no closer to being finalised.
Manuel Ugarte arguably solidified his chances of a regular place, with a particularly bright first-half display against Forest, but Kobbie Mainoo was not as effective, meaning it may not be the end of Casemiro’s or Christian Eriksen’s chances there.
Quite who should be Fernandes’ No 10 partner in crime on the left isn’t clear, either – on this occasion Alejandro Garnacho started and Marcus Rashford came on – nor will Maguire feel as though he is destined for the bench.
With Maguire watching on, United conceded three questionable goals against Forest, and one thing we know about the England centre-back is that he will not roll over when it comes to challenging for a starting spot – especially as, currently, Mazraoui should be the only sure-fire starter.
Competition across the pitch abounds, therefore, but as much as that is needed it is also the conflicting case that such changes are proving unsettling.
Given their position, though, Amorim could find he has all season to experiment in the league, providing there is a steelier focus and a greater consistency with regards to team selection in the cups.
Sitting so low, this is the lowest United have been after 15 games in Premier League history, means they are best off forgetting the league – providing they don’t creep closer to the drop zone, which is altogether unlikely – and accepting this competition is their chance to keep trying out new things.
The Europa League, meanwhile, is winnable, and offers a Champions League place, meaning the former is the only way of United getting into the latter. In that regard, they face a rival in Tottenham, adding an extra layer of intrigue to Europe’s second-tier tournament, where the favourites are now two clubs lingering in the Premier League’s bottom half.
from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/Gh3NDCX
Post a Comment