Five things noticed as Manchester United fell to a 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest during a lively Premier League encounter on Tuesday evening.
Rúben Amorim chose to start Joshua Zirkzee as the striker as Manchester United lined up to face Nottingham Forest in their return to Premier League competition following a 16-day international break.
The tie started with Bruno Fernandes ripping off an early effort, but it was Anthony Elanga who opened the scoring for the home side, running the length of the pitch and finishing beyond André Onana just five minutes into the fixture.
Although United started to grow into the tie as the first half unfolded, they failed to find the back of the net, and Manuel Ugarte made was as Rasmus Højlund was sent on as the striker for the second half.
United continued to try to push for a goal, but Forest were just as equal in their defending. Amorim’s men failed time after time to land any real threat towards Matz Sels’ goal as the game entered its final ten minutes.
Despite United pressuring Forest’s goal, with Mason Mount coming close. Still, Nuno Espírito Santo’s men ultimately saw out yet another Premier League victory at The City Ground as Amorim’s men left with nothing on the night with thanks to a stunning block on the line from Murillo in stoppage time.
#1 – Amorim’s big mistake was in defence
Just moments into the tie, it is evident that Amorim had tasked Leny Yoro with playing on the right of the back three, with Noussair Mazraoui on the left—although it was immediately apparent that the players should be on opposite sides.
Elanga’s goal came from Mazraoui’s side, and with one of Yoro’s best skills being his anticipation, you cannot help but feel United would have had a better chance of not conceding the Frenchman on the left-hand side, where he has played so well this campaign.
Amorim then chose to switch the pair in the second half, with Mazraoui looking immediately more comfortable on the right. Right at the end of the tie, Yoro made a fantastic challenge on Elanga as he bore down on goal and showed Amorim exactly why he should have been on the left to start with.
#2 – Much better on the ball
Aside from going a goal down early on, United looked so much better with the ball at their feet and made many slick passes, clearly having worked on understanding where each other is during training this week.
With Patrick Dorgu back in the team, United looked much more balanced, with Casemiro dictating well in the middle of the park despite questions about the player earlier this season.
In the second half, United looked a little more shoddy on the ball as time went on due to the urgency of needing another goal, but overall, it is a positive to take from the fixture despite the loss.
#3 – United making it too easy for Forest
In United’s last few fixtures, Fernandes was heavily involved for the Reds with respect to their goals, but with Forest sticking Ryan Yates right on top of the captain, this made it too easy for the home side to nulify United.
Despite Fernandes playing further up field, the only time he was able to see real action in the first half was when he dropped deeper or took shots from outside the area, with United not showing much threat otherwise.
Across the second 45 minutes, Fernandes dropped deeper and had more of the ball at his feet, but ultimately, he could not influence the game, and United failed to threaten Sels.
#4 – Garnacho had an abysmal display
After two weeks without a game, many would have hoped that Alejandro Garnacho would be rested, sharp, and ready to kick on after the praise for his performances before the international break.
Read More: Player Rating – Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United (Premier League)
However, this was not the case – the winger was abysmal. He had multiple shots on goal that were blocked or flew well high and wide, and it felt as if he has completely lost a yard of pace while on the counter attack.
With many hoping that Højlund will return to the XI against Manchester City on the weekend, Garnacho has put himself forward as the most likely candidate to be dropped.
#5 – Positive signs, but not the start Amorim wanted
Before the game, Amorim said he felt that his players had more confidence in training, and despite the loss, this makes sense – they looked much better on the ball.
However, the side still lacked threat in the final third, and despite not collapsing completely after the early Forest goal, they left much to be desired with respect to fighting their way back into the game.
Amorim will be leaving Nottingham with some positives to take, but ultimately, with United’s seven-game unbeaten run coming to an end, it is far from the start Amorim wanted ahead of a busy schedule in the coming weeks.
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