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While the camera was heading for Ruben Amorim, two thirds of the path through this 1-0 defeat against Tottenham, the Manchester United manager could be seen in the outdoor canoe looking at the insensitive lawn.
It was an eighth defeat in 12 Premier League games for the Red Devils, the early goal of James Maddison proving the difference and leaving the team of Amorim, which is still languishing in 15th place.
It had been presented as a battle of the two anthts of the so-called “ Big Six ”, a confrontation of two of the most inconsistent teams in the league, sitting the 14th and 15th before the match.
And of course, there were unsightly moments strewn throughout the competition while the players were inexplicably falling on each other in the midfield and the ball bounced bodies. Very few was pretty on the eyes, especially visitors. Tottenham’s sorry season is now well documented, but at least they found coherence against United, who lost for them during the three meetings.
During the week, Ange Postcoglou could accommodate five of his injured players, his opposite number was the victim of the really rotten luck. Amad Diallo – The brilliant light in a dark season – is absent for the rest of the campaign with damage to the ankle ligament, while Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainooo and Toby Collyer have all made injuries leaving Amorim with a shortage of midfielder options.
The united head coach has had no other choice but to give Casemiro a first appearance in the championship since the beginning of the year, despite the fact that he was not one of his plans in the future. The Brazilian was reserved in the first half and found Lucas Bergvall, 19, simply too mobile to tighten in the midfield.
More illustrative of this sudden crisis of injuries was a glance on the united bench, where Victor Lindelof was joined by eight teenagers with a combined total of zero appearances for the first team. It was a list of substitutes that looked like a program for the Cup of under 18 FA.
“Children [have] Less responsibilities, less weight on their shoulders, “said Amorim, trying to convince himself, more than anyone, that it could actually prove a good thing.
A new excuse (injuries) or not, it was a stubbornly familiar failure that cost United, that of the missed chances.
Three Golden Ones had a previously starred game early on. The Rasmus Hojlund and Diogo Dalot otherwise anonymous, then the permanent refreshment of Alejandro Garnacho all pleased the objective of the Spurs. A combination of Guglielmo Vicario and Ben Davies avoided the danger.
At the start of the game, there was already decent chances to return to Haut United, given their history this quarter. And very soon, it was when André Onana made his last mistake in order, by relying the effort of Bergvall, just on the path of Maddison to type at home.
Chances of waste had brought Amorim’s men into this position, and that duly kept them there. Vicario saved Garnacho twice more.
At the other end, United played such a risky game when they tried to hand over, their defensive positioning so poor that gaping holes were left open for agile attackers from Tottenham.
Postcoglou continued to stack new players on the field in the second half. For Amorim, only Chido Obi, 17, left the bench. Man to make room: Casemiro, whose performance is summed up in United more widely. Simply not in the races. Again.
