Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will feel he has reached the point of no return with his limp strikeforce after another embarrassing defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Such was his lack of faith in £110m pair Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, the United boss deployed Kobbie Mainoo as his No 9 against Crystal Palace.
The result, on their own patch where stage fright has reached pandemic levels, was no different.
It was somewhat of a Harry Redknapp move – play a holding midfielder up front to tell the chairman he needs to sign a striker – though, after effectively sacrificing the result against Palace, the message to the owners was received loud and clear.
The options are thin on the ground, with very little money to spend after another profligate summer in the transfer market, but anything is better than this lot.
“We are trying everything to improve the team without doing [the transfer] mistakes of the past,” Amorim said.
“And trying to balance the urgency of the moment, we know all of the aspects of our club in the moment but we are trying everything.
“When the window closes we will see the players, I’m focused on improving the team as a group, we need to win more games and we will try to do that, this season is like that.
“Kobbie gave us connections and they found it hard to find the player to press. The idea worked in that moment but when you don’t win the game you can’t have any taste of good things – we will have that tomorrow.”
A good night’s sleep will change that perspective.
Mainoo started brightly as United chased a fourth successive win in all competitions, hitting the post early on as Palace were put under plenty of pressure.
Whatever curse has been placed on Old Trafford, however, will soon need a witch doctor’s touch, as United nervously retreated into their shell and never really looked like breaching Dean Henderson’s goal.
Palace should have been in front by the interval, passing up several chances to break the deadlock while keeping at bay with remarkable ease.
But whereas in the past teams would be made to pay for their wastefulness against the great sides of yore, the visitors never looked troubled.
Hojlund and Zirkzee both entered the fray in the second half, but the misfiring pair are not the rescue act anybody wants, with United waving the white flag, slipping to a seventh loss in their first 13 league home matches this season, their joint-most at this stage of a league campaign, along with 1893-94.
After his double against United, Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored more goals (6) in his last five games than Hojlund and Zirkzee have combined all season, across 43 league appearances.
Mathys Tel is waiting by the phone, The i Paper has been told, with a loan move from Bayern Munich United’s most realistic chance of bolstering their forward options before the deadline closes.
He will fit in well around Old Trafford. The 19-year-old is yet to score a goal all season.
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