Amorim's 'storm' arrives after Forest condemn United to second loss on spin
Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood scores their side's third goal during the Premier League match at Old Trafford. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
Ruben Amorim saw Manchester United fall to their second defeat in a week as his new-look team’s defensive shortcomings were brutally exposed.
The hosts equalised early through Rasmus Hojland and, after trailing 3-1 following a second half collapse, were given hope by Bruno Fernandes scoring their second of the night.
But all the new Portuguese manager’s dire warnings about the size of the task he faces in restoring United to former glories were confirmed by this painful defeat.
Conceding twice to corners in defeat at Arsenal in midweek, United were guilty of the same crime here, with just 88 seconds on the clock.
Elliot Anderson’s right-wing cross landed on the six-yard line where Nikola Milenkovic shrugged aside Lisandro Martinez to power in an unstoppable header.
It was an appalling example of defending, with the United defender not even leaving the ground and Matthijs de Ligt unable to cover over in time.
United would go on to look susceptible at set-pieces, almost conceding to a subsequent free-kick and another corner, but, in attack at least, their response to falling behind was decent.
Alejandro Garnacho was inches away from setting up an equaliser for Hojlund, and a well-worked free-kick saw Fernandes pick out an unmarked Amad Diallo whose shot was blocked by Neco Williams before Fernandes’ follow-up header was tipped over by Matz Sels.
It was no surprise, therefore, when, on 17 minutes, United levelled after an intricate display of slick passing ended with Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte slipping Garnacho clean through on Sels.
The winger’s first touch was poor, but Sels’ block fell kindly for Hojlund who converted his third goal in the last three games into an open goal from eight yards.
Had Diogo Dalot placed a more accurate cross at his feet midway through the first half, Hojlund would probably have handed his team the lead.
Instead, a Forest team enjoying a strong first half to the season, remained dangerous. Murillo’s deep free-kick on 27 minutes was nodded on by Ryan Yates for Jota Silva to head against the United cross-bar.
And five minutes later, after Silva had won a corner with a deflected shot, Murillo should have restored Forest’s lead but missed the target completely from eight yards, from Silva’s pass.
Yet, United could have gone into the interval ahead. Five minutes before the break, Fernandes struck a stunning 25-yard free-kick which clipped the top of the Forest wall and rebounded to safety via the cross-bar.
If the half ended on a high, the second began as had the first, with United conceding inside the opening two minutes.
Fernandes and full debutant Leny Yoro suffered a breakdown in communication as they tried to play out of the back and gifted the ball to Callum Hudson-Odoi.
His pass allowed Morgan Gibbs-White to take aim from 20 yards and beat Andre Onana with a shot which the United keeper would really have expected to cover, even allowing for the gale-force conditions.
Forest were increasingly rampant, Chris Wood missing a good chance to score a third when he failed to connect with Ola Aina’s 50th minute cross.
But three minutes later, Gibbs-White crossed from the right and, as Wood connected with a far-post header which appeared an attempt to place the ball back across goal, Onana and Martinez both misjudged its flight as it crept into the opposite corner.
Again, United responded quickly, with Fernandes sending Amad Diallo clear then receiving a clever return pass from the youngster before scoring with an excellently-placed shot from the edge of the area.
Onana 5; Yoro 5 (Mazraoui 65, 5), de Ligt 5 (Maguire 65, 6), Martinez 4; Diallo 7, Mainoo 7, Ugarte 7 (Zirkzee 75, 5), Dalot 6; Fernandes 8 (Mount 75, 5), Hojlund 7, Garnacho 6 (Rashford 59, 5). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Malacia, Eriksen, Casemiro.
Sels 6; Aina 7, Milenkovic 7, Murillo 6, Williams 6; Anderson 7, Yates 7; Silva 7 (Morato 67, 5) Gibbs-White 8 (Dominguez 78, 5), Hudson-Odoi 7 (Awoniyi 90); Wood 7 (Elanga 78, 5). Substitutes (not used) Miguel, Toffolo, Ward-Prowse, Sosa, Boly.
Referee: D England 7 Ends
