By 90min | Created at 2024-10-29 21:33:03 | Updated at 2024-11-05 13:51:16
1 week ago
Andre Onana took a philosophical view of Manchester United's malaise ahead of his team's trip to West Ham United's London Stadium on Sunday.
"It will come," the goalkeeper confidently insisted. "Everything in life is temporary. It will come - if not today, it will be tomorrow."
Victory emphatically did not arrive on Sunday afternoon, as United slumped to a damaging 2-1 loss despite dominating large swathes of an oddly tepid contest.
Erik ten Hag's side started brightly, striking the woodwork through Alejandro Garnacho within the opening two minutes. But not for the first time this season, United failed to make the most of their chances, firing off eight shots without finding the back of the net before the interval.
Casemiro belatedly beat West Ham's 39-year-old goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to equalise in the 81st minute, but United's goal tally stands at a pitiful eight in nine league games.
Fewest goals scored in the Premier League so far this season
6 — Southampton [squad value: £283m]
6 — Crystal Palace [squad value: £438m
8 — Man Utd [squad value: £855m]#MUFC HAVE to be getting more out of their forward line. 😡 pic.twitter.com/9U8F6P6uDi
Some charitable fans argued that the Dutch coach cannot be held accountable for his players' poor finishing.
Ten Hag 100% has his faults. But today, it’s in these players who are getting paid millions and can’t score a goal 6 yards in front of them.
They let us down, massively.
Not everyone was so forgiving.
Ten Hag has lost the “worst manager in the league derby”.
— Jordy (@jordyinit) October 27, 2024West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui can take credit for dramatically revamping his listless side with a triple half-time substitution. But the fidgety Spanish coach also needs to thank the officials for West Ham's win.
In the closing stages of a level contest, Matthijs de Ligt came into contact with Danny Ings inside United's penalty area. As the Premier League's official Match Centre X account explained, the on-pitch official saw no foul but VAR deemed there to be "sufficient contact on Ings' lower leg".
To say that mass outrage ensued online would be a gross understatement.
That is the worst penalty decision I have ever seen. No hyperbole. Actually the worst one ever.
— Kees van Hemmen (@HemmenKees) October 27, 2024It’s genuinely disgraceful how that’s been given as a penalty. Destroying your own league.
— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) October 27, 2024Awful refereeing. Nothing clear and obvious. Wrong use of VAR to award that penalty. Didn't see West Ham players appealing.
But MU had so many chances in the first half. And if you don't take them...
MUFC's nightmare season continues. Safe trip home everyone.
Even those without any Manchester United affiliation acknowledged that the decision was questionable at best.
I mean I want Man U to lose…. BUT how the hell is that given as a penalty?!?! So so so soft. Prem REFs and VAR refs are the worst. Just the worst 🤣🤣🤣🤣
— Nick 🇨🇦 (@Nick28T) October 27, 2024🚨 Alan Shearer on West Ham's penalty:
"Awful decision. That's a terrible decision whether you like Man Utd or not, and I don't understand why Michael Oliver got involved." pic.twitter.com/xSGq8rQVY8
Thanks to this controversial refereeing - and a chronic inability to put the ball ion the back of the net - United find themselves with just 11 points from the first nine games of the season, slumped in 14th place.
Erik ten Hag will likely lose his job at some point for a consistent pattern of underperformance.
You know who wont lose their jobs for poor and inconsistent decisions? The referees.
