Manchester United slump as Aston Villa win proves to be another false dawn

LONDON – Manchester United came crashing back to earth with a meek 2-1 Premier League away defeat at Nottingham Forest that their manager Erik ten Hag called “unnecessary” on Dec 30, four days after a stunning comeback to beat Aston Villa 3-2 ignited hopes of better days to come.

The inconsistency that has plagued United's season continued at the City Ground as they lost their ninth Premier League game out of 20 to remain seventh in the table.

United have lost 14 games in all competitions this season, their most defeats by the turn of the year since 1930-31, after suffering their first loss at Forest in 29 years.

“Manchester United are so inconsistent,” ex-Liverpool star and pundit Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports. “They are horrible to watch. They have no real appetite, desire, it looks like they are playing under duress. There’s not enough ambition or desire.”

Former United defender Gary Neville agreed, saying: “There’s no pattern of play. I’m struggling to see what they are trying to do...

“United are back to what they are – inconsistent and awful... It’s so poor from United, especially considering how good they were at Villa, it was exhilarating. They’re a yo-yo team.”

The numbers are bleak. United have lost nine of their opening 20 league games in a season for the first time since 1989-90, as many as they suffered for the entire last season in manager ten Hag's debut campaign.

They finished 2023 with 21 defeats in all competitions, an unwanted figure they have surpassed only three times in their illustrious history.

“We were overperforming last year, this year so far we are underperforming, we have to do better, we have to step up and I have to lead the process,” said ten Hag, whose team won the League Cup and finished third in the league last season.

He accused his players of lacking energy and motivation during an awful first-half display in which they mustered just one shot.

It got even worse for the United boss after the interval, as Nicolas Dominguez put Forest ahead.

Marcus Rashford equalised with just his third goal this term, but Morgan Gibbs-White’s late strike handed United a fourth defeat in their last six games in all competitions.

“It’s disappointing. The loss was unnecessary. We lost it in the first half. We weren’t energised enough or invested enough,” ten Hag said.

“We should invest more in the first half. In the second we were better. In the first half we should have created some moments and we didn’t.

“We know these results are below our standards. The players are not happy with this but we have to do better.”

United, out of Europe and the League Cup, have racked up 31 points, nine adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal who were scheduled to meet Fulham on New Year’s Eve. Only the bottom two sides Burnley and Sheffield United have scored fewer league goals than the Red Devils’ tally of 22.

“The ranking doesn’t lie but you have seen we went head-to-head with Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa,” ten Hag said.

Their latest loss kept the heat on the Dutchman after the Ineos group acquired a 25 per cent stake in United. Dave Brailsford, Ineos' director of sport and now a United director, watched the game at Forest.

Asked to explain United’s abysmal form, the manager blamed the injuries that have denied him key players at various points in the campaign.

“The injuries. Also some issues but mainly the injuries hold us back in the process. In January we have a lot of players returning so then our levels can be higher,” he said.

“We had to change again, so every time we have to swop our team. That doesn’t help or support the routines of the team and it explains why you are so inconsistent.

“We had nine different partnerships in the back. It doesn’t matter as well, the fans don’t want to hear this, they want to see us winning and that is what we have to serve them.” REUTERS, AFP