Another week, another heartbreak. Manchester United’s Premier League misery continued as they stumbled to a 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest yes, again.
That’s a league double for Forest, and it came courtesy of a ruthless counter from a familiar face: Anthony Elanga. The former Red Devil sprinted nearly the length of the pitch to haunt his old club. Ironic? Cruel? Typical? Maybe all three.
But what’s more damning than the scoreline is what we witnessed on the pitch or rather, what we didn’t witness: attacking quality, cohesion, or even a clear threat.
It was toothless, predictable, and downright uninspired in the final third. Ruben Amorim, in his brutally honest post-match comments, didn’t sugarcoat it either: “We had a lack of quality in the final third.”
You think?
Diogo Dalot came closest in the first half with a header off the bar, but the fact that Harry Maguire yes, the centre-back – was United’s biggest goal threat speaks volumes.
Thrown on as an emergency striker in the dying minutes, Maguire had two chances to snatch a point, including one in stoppage time that was heroically cleared off the line by Forest’s Murillo. Imagine that Maguire, bought for his defending, is now being relied on to rescue results up top.
Amorim tried to justify the move: “Inside the box you are not a defender but a striker.” Fair. Maguire is a beast in the air, and against a deep Forest block with six at the back, physicality was always going to be key.
But still over £100 million spent on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, and neither looked like scoring. Hojlund came on at half-time for Ugarte but failed to make an impact. Zirkzee was anonymous. The sharpness just isn’t there. The hunger? Missing.
Elanga, meanwhile, showed exactly what United are missing speed, directness, and composure. His goal came from a Forest clearance. One moment he’s in his own half, the next he’s sliding it past the keeper. That’s the kind of ruthless counter-attacking football United used to be feared for. Now they’re on the receiving end of it.
And Amorim knows the clock is ticking. “We have to get it right, fast,” he said. There’s no grace period at this level, especially not at a club of United’s stature. The fans aren’t just impatient – they’re desperate. We’ve been sold project after project, only to watch it crumble under pressure.
Look, Amorim’s got ideas, no doubt. But ideas need execution. And this squad, despite all the money poured into it, looks disjointed and oddly uninspired. He’s under pressure and he knows it.
There’s still time, technically. But the Premier League doesn’t wait. And right now, Manchester United sitting in 13th – look like a team searching for answers in all the wrong places.
One thing is certain: if Maguire remains your most dangerous striker, something is deeply broken.
We demand better. We deserve better. Let’s hope Amorim can deliver before the dream turns into another nightmare season.
Glory Glory Man United? Not today.
