Manchester United’s Struggles Exposed in Shocking Loss to Nottingham Forest
MANCHESTER, England — Forget Arsenal. The real story here is the mountain Ruben Amorim has to climb at Manchester United. If anyone thought the loss to Arsenal at the Emirates was a tough pill to swallow, this 3-2 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest was a full-blown reality check. Forest, a team that was playing in the EFL Championship just two years ago, walked into Old Trafford and left with their first win there in 30 years. Let that sink in.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe didn’t mince words when he called United “mediocre,” but after this performance, “mediocre” might be putting it kindly. The defending on display was nothing short of disastrous, and the cracks in the squad are becoming impossible to ignore. Amorim himself admitted, “We already knew [it would be tough].”
Amorim’s Uphill Battle
Amorim, who has been in charge for just three weeks, is already feeling the heat. “It will be a long journey, but we want to win because this is a massive club,” he said. “You feel it, when you lose one game it’s really hard for everybody. I can understand that. I can feel it in the stadium after the first goal.”
But understanding the pressure and fixing the problems are two very different things. Amorim has spent much of his time so far talking about tactics and formations, but as this game showed, even the best-laid plans can’t compensate for basic errors. And boy, were there errors.
Defensive Calamities
The first mistake came almost immediately, just 90 seconds in. Lisandro Martínez failed to challenge Nikola Milenkovic, who headed Elliot Anderson’s corner past André Onana. It was the third goal United had conceded from a set piece in just four days, following two against Arsenal midweek.
After Rasmus Højlund equalized, the second half began with more blunders. Less than two minutes in, Bruno Fernandes attempted a flick to Leny Yoro, who was making his full competitive debut. The pass was intercepted, and the ball eventually found its way to Morgan Gibbs-White. His speculative shot somehow slipped past Onana, a mistake reminiscent of the goalkeeper’s worst moments last season.
And then came the third goal, arguably the worst of the lot. Kobbie Mainoo and Diogo Dalot were outmuscled on the edge of their own area. Yoro was then outjumped by Chris Wood, whose looping header somehow found its way into the net as Onana, Martínez, and Matthijs de Ligt stood frozen, looking at each other in disbelief. Wood, celebrating his 33rd birthday, couldn’t have asked for a better gift.
What’s Next for United?
Fernandes managed to pull one back, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Amorim from suffering back-to-back top-flight defeats for only the second time in his managerial career. The last time this happened was in August 2022. Earlier this week, Amorim warned that “a storm is coming,” and after this performance, it’s clear the storm is far from over.
United now face a grueling schedule. They have a UEFA Europa League tie against FC Viktoria Plzen on Thursday, followed by Amorim’s first Manchester derby against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium just three days later. And it doesn’t get any easier after that, with games against Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Arsenal all looming before the end of January.
By the Numbers
- United are currently 13th in the Premier League table.
- They have just 19 points after 15 games, their lowest tally at this stage since the 1986-87 season.
- Forest’s win marked their first victory at Old Trafford in 30 years.
Amorim is trying to lift United out of one of their lowest points in modern history, but as Forest showed, the task is monumental. The problems are glaring, and the solutions won’t come overnight. For now, United fans can only hope that the storm doesn’t turn into a full-blown hurricane.
Originally Written by: Rob Dawson
