It’s the afternoon after the night before, and despite having ample time to reflect on another abject evening under Old Trafford lights, the Manchester United faithful remain weary.
Gazing at the Premier League table, an eighth-place standing within two points of Champions League football represents an altogether different dynamic from the 15th-place finish of last season.
Nonetheless, surrendering another winning position against West Ham, a fourth from 14 league fixtures this campaign, only adds to the ongoing debate regarding Ruben Amorim’s suitability.
Regardless of the side of the fence you stand on, both players and the coaching staff need to be held accountable during moments of adversity.
Still, the former Sporting chief invited unnecessary pressure with questionable substitutions on Thursday evening and must shoulder most of the blame for the resulting capitulation.
Is frustration a necessary chapter during this Manchester United rebuild?
I often pose this question to friends and colleagues who seem unable or unwilling to process the inevitable setbacks this team will face.
As a lifelong supporter since the ’80s, I’ve mainly been fortunate to enjoy the golden years under the most excellent tactician ever to do it. Still, I was also present during Pete Molyneux’s famous gesture.
Many either choose to forget that period or are simply unaware, but the frustration endured between 1986 and 1990 was hideous, particularly as the side fell from 2nd to 11th in 12 months.
Now, I’m not trying to say that Amorim is the second coming of Sir Alex Ferguson; what I am stating is that all rebuilds, good and bad, will endure setbacks and often feel like one step forward, two steps back.
None of the above allows Ruben a free pass, though, and he should rightfully be held accountable for his errors.
Replacing Ayden Heaven with Leny Yoro made sense, as the former had a yellow card and appeared slightly nervous with his distribution.
But substituting Matheus Cunha and Joshua Zirkzee for Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte when holding a dominant position felt worrying from the moment the fourth official confirmed it.
Although Mount can offer plenty of forward-thinking possession, an underconfident Ugarte presented the Hammers with ample onus to push forward for an equaliser.
Ultimately, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were poor on the evening, and despite being granted a late rally, they will feel fortunate to have travelled south with a point.
It goes without saying that revisionism in the aftermath of anything other than a United win is relatively standard.
Although a surfeit of overpaid pundits and social superstars will attempt to convince you the Reds were second best, that was not the case.
| Match statistics via SofaScore | Manchester United | West Ham |
| Possession | 65% | 35% |
| Passes | 547 | 297 |
| Shots | 17 | 11 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 1 | 3 |
| Big chances | 3 | 1 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.80 | 0.79 |
Inconsistency is a frustrating habit to endure as Manchester United’s chief.
“It’s frustrating, it’s angry, that’s it,” Ruben stated on Thursday evening.
When pressed by some members of the media room about inconsistency at the club, the 40-year-old added, “It’s not going backwards.
“The results are going backwards. We had some moments. That can happen.
“You were talking about when we had that run, that team was really perfect, and saying we are not that far from being in the perfect moment. We are really inconsistent.
“But if you look at the goal, 83 minutes, we have a long ball, we have everything under control, and we need to do better.”
Again, this is not a written support of a superb evening. It took Bruno Fernandes and his side the better part of 20 minutes to begin attacking with confidence.
When they did, the 20-time English champions were comfortable and secure, commanding possession, dominating exchanges and enjoying transitions.
But there is a soft centre to this group, and the league is aware of it. Is this Amorim’s fault? I don’t believe so.
We choose to overlook that he inherited a 12th-placed side midseason, lacking confidence and devoid of belief after a forgettable period under Erik ten Hag.
Nonetheless, the easiest solution is to begin calling for a change in the hot seat, again, to bring in the latest continental name, again, and rinse and repeat the process tirelessly.
Our Portuguese leader is not without fault. He is passionate and wears his heart on his sleeve. Additionally, his ‘learning-on-the-job’ has caused more than a couple of issues.
But I will reiterate the importance of focusing on the here and now, rather than continually drawing on last season.
Victory away to an utterly poor Wolves side on Monday evening could lift this United team into fourth position and within a handful of points of second place.
If you were offered that at the start of the campaign, you would have given an arm for it. What we are witnessing is anything but perfect, but how could it be anything other?
Let us know your thoughts about Manchester United and Ruben Amorim in the comments or across our social channels.
Photo by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com.
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