A youthful Manchester United side continued their erratic Premier League decline with a 1-0 defeat against Wolves on Sunday afternoon.
Ruben Amorim’s men failed to build on a memorable Europa League victory against Lyon, whimpering in the final third before succumbing to a 77th-minute Pablo Sarabia free-kick.
Staggeringly, this one-time perennial giant of English football has endured defeat in 15 league games this season, their worst capitulation since the 1989-90 campaign when Sir Alex Ferguson’s men lost 16 times.
Sitting 14th, United have earned nine points from their previous 10 outings, with victories against Ipswich and Leicester the only scalps in that period, both of whom will be playing Championship football next season.
The Old Trafford outfit has a week to lick their wounds before a return to Premier League duty, with one eye firmly fixated on a Bilbao semi-final on Thursday, 1 May.
Another domestic defeat for a misfiring Manchester United side
On a day when Harry Amass and Tyler Fredricson offered a glimpse of the value of entrusting youth in the North West, the dejected figure of a confidence-stricken Rasmus Hojlund was a notable takeaway.
The Dane came within inches of converting Alejandro Garnacho’s cross at the far post, but like much of his campaign, it was a case of so near yet so far.
Worryingly, he has registered one goal in his last 28 games, and sources close to the Theatre of Red have suggested officials are considering their options for the 22-year-old, with a loan move to Serie A an increasing possibility.
Despite holding a significant portion of possession while registering 12 attempts on goal, this was a bland fixture which resulted in just two shots on target for the 20-time English champions.
Truthfully, with Bruno Fernandes rested for an hour, a lack of creativity was notable despite the efforts of Manuel Ugarte and Christian Eriksen. The latter supplied a glimmer of hope with a first-half free-kick before Dan Bentley was on hand to deny him.
Chido Obi was introduced with 20 minutes remaining, and although his movement and attacking desire were promising, opportunities were limited, and he struggled to find any final third threat.
Bruno hooked a late opportunity wide, while Mason Mount could not capitalise on some encouraging moments in the final quarter, ensuring the Old Gold completed a first league double over the Reds since 1979-80.
Supporter anger was evident beside the director’s box, with banners highlighting frustration with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family accompanying straightforward messages about favouritism towards ‘tourists’.
Painfully, today’s defeat was the eighth at Old Trafford this season, the most in a league campaign since Sir Matt Busby’s group endured nine in 1962-63.
The world knows that Ruben’s eggs are in a Europa League basket. However, the nature of the domestic attacking troubles has caused concern for many, with a growing contingent visibly disenchanted with the lacklustre showings.
A testing trip to Bournemouth will supply a precarious starter before an inconceivably important first-leg tie against Athletic Bilbao. Can we expect a miraculous upturn in form anytime soon?
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