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Manchester United’s performance in the league table was unusually pleasant for about 25 minutes. This is not something that could often be said during Ruben Amorim’s reign, but he would certainly have decided to remain that way for the remainder of the season. They were fifth, level on points with Chelsea, on course for a return to the Champions League, if hardly playing like a team among the European elite.
And then they managed to concede the lead to a bottom three team at Old Trafford. Amorim described himself as “disappointed and angry”. He was not alone. The boos welcomed the final whistle. United are eighth, with a winless return from their last five games and their habit of slipping back from winning positions means they are missing opportunities to move up the table. A one-point return from home matches against 10-man Everton and relegation-threatened West Ham is unsatisfactory. So, also a record of only one second half win this season. “We need to be better in the second half,” Amorim said. And maybe even in the first part.
So the happiest of Portuguese managers was Nuno Espirito Santo. “I think it’s fair that we got a draw,” he said. crushing defeat from liverpool“We wanted to show a response,” captain Jarrod Bowen said, and they did, The traveling Hammers sang the name of a famous predecessor with a goal from a defensive midfielder in Soungoutou Magassa, The late Billy Bonds.
It stems from a corner and while United have begun to build a reputation as set-piece specialists in attack, they are not in defence. But Nuno deserves credit for his role in the leveller. West Ham substitute Andy Irving had just come on when he fired the ball into a corner. United allowed Bowen to finish it – “I’m 5ft 9in or something like that, so not the tallest,” said the England international – and his header took a brilliant goal-line clearance from Noussair Mazraoui. This kept parity for almost a second, as summer signing Magasa scored his first goal for West Ham.
“The game is 83 minutes long [old] And we need to close the game and not concede goals,” Amorim said. The changes made by the two Portuguese managers played their part. Amorim tried to be defensive, eliminating two of his front three. It didn’t work; In fact in Manuel Ugarte’s last 40 minutes on the pitch, spread over three games, they have conceded four goals. They broke down immediately after Uruguay’s entry and were left with too few attackers on the pitch to score a winner.
Nor was it Amorim’s only questionable choice. Without the injured Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Haven made his first league start of the season, drawing an early caution for plowing through Bowen, cutting a nervous figure and being replaced by Lenny Yarrow at half-time.
If United’s defenders dominated, it turned into a tale of three United right-backs, none of whom really occupied the role that Amorim has ended up at Old Trafford. Mazraoui was pressed into service through the middle, attempting valiantly to keep the lead from Diogo Dalot, who was rebranded as a wing-back and switched to the left, which gave United the lead. Meanwhile, a player who cost United £50million put in a stellar performance. Sadly for them, that player was Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who they sold for £15 million.
He marked his return to Old Trafford by clearing the line to deny Joshua Zirkzee, who met Amad Diallo’s cross with his thigh. Seconds later, Bruno Fernandes flicked a half-volley wide of the post. Wan-Bissaka also made a brilliant slide challenge on Matheus Cunha in his own box; His name was sung by the visiting Hammers, perhaps as never before at Old Trafford, during his time with United.
Meanwhile, Dalot has become a scapegoat for the sections supporting the joint. When Casemiro’s shot was deflected in, the left wing-back held on with intent from the penalty spot. He turned to finish, his shot saved by Wan-Bissaka. Seven years after joining, it was the first late Premier League goal at Old Trafford. “It’s a goal but we draw so it doesn’t matter,” said Amorim, in no mood to celebrate.
A problem for United was that only Fernandes, Amad and Brian Mbuemo provided much in the way of urgency and Alphonse Areola had to deal with the Cameroonian’s curling shot. Fernandes then fired a couple of well-placed and long-range balls from a corner.
But Zirkzee was ineffective; After his first league goal in 364 days on Sunday, perhaps it was too soon for another. Upon his return to the team after two games out, Cunha achieved little. United started slowly, as they often do, allowing West Ham to settle into the game. This team performs very poorly for 90 minutes, as they get very few goals from forwards and finding it very difficult to go two goals up.
Sane Lammens remained calm for most of the match before United crumbled and broke down. “The game was under control,” Amorim said. “We knew it. Let’s defend away from the box.” But, he felt, “losing other balls” led to a loss of control and then points. United are still just two points off fourth place. But even from the 14th, only three.