Not since the 1989/90 season had Manchester United lost 16 games in a single league season. That was until this campaign, one that’s seen the Red Devils plummet towards the relegation places.
Ruben Amorim’s side are perhaps fortunate that the three relegated sides, Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich, were all so poor.
Indeed, after a bruising 4-3 loss at the hands of Brentford on Sunday afternoon, United now sit 15th in the league on 39 points, one point above Tottenham Hotspur who have been equally as bad.
It’s strange, therefore, that they could both meet in the Europa League final in Bilbao if all goes well on Thursday night when Amorim’s men face Athletic Club in their semi-final second leg.
It’s safe to say, despite their first-leg aggregate lead, they will need to be a lot better than they were this weekend when a certain Luke Shaw hardly covered himself in glory.
How Luke Shaw let Man United down vs Brentford
Signed as one of the most promising young players in English football back in June 2014 for £27m, it’s safe to say Shaw has been a brilliant signing.
Despite that horrific leg break and his recent injury troubles, by and large, Shaw has lived up to the hype of one of England’s best left-backs of his generation.
The trouble is, it looks as though his days at United are now coming to a sorry end courtesy of those fitness issues.
The fact of the matter is that the defender has endured a nightmare few years on the treatment table, missing 48 games for club and country through injury last season and sitting out 62 games for club and country this term.
He has only played eight times this term and his second start of 2024/25, which was against the Bees this weekend, may well have been his final one in United colours.
After all, the 29-year-old struggled big time as the left-sided centre-back, hauled off after 45 minutes having nearly scored two own goals in that first period. Shaw did, sadly, find the back of the net at the wrong end of the pitch, and it was a moment that rather typified his struggles during the Erik ten Hag and Amorim eras.
Minutes played
45
Touches
30
Accurate passes
19/24 (79%)
Key passes
0
Shots
0
Successful dribbles
0
Clearances
2
Tackles
1
Interceptions
0
Duels won
1/3
Evidently struggling with a lack of fitness, perhaps the current incumbent of the manager’s position at Old Trafford should not have started him.
The same could be said for Patrick Dorgu.
Patrick Dorgu's performance in numbers against Brentford
What a puzzling, topsy-turvy first few months to Dorgu’s career in the north west this has been.
Amorim’s first signing, brought in from Lecce in Serie A, as a flying wing-back he looked tailor-made for the manager’s new system at United.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
While the 20-year-old still has plenty of time to come good, in the short term, it’s certainly not looking good for the young Dane.
He’s been riddled with inconsistency, something that has been typified by a red card against Ipswich back in February, a lack of goal involvements – he has just one – and his withdrawal at half-time on Sunday.
Amorim admitted after the 3-0 win last Thursday that Dorgu was feeling fatigued and thus, it was perhaps strange to see him selected on the right-hand side of United’s attack a few days later.
Clearly still lacking a bit of fitness, just as Shaw was, it was no surprise that he only lasted 45 minutes against the Bees.
Manchester Evening news reporter, Samuel Luckhurst, was one to criticise his display, dishing out a 4/10 match rating and writing: ‘Defended dozily at the far post for Schade’s headed goal. Only started in the absence of a senior right winger.’
Minutes played
45
Touches
28
Accurate passes
12/16 (75%)
Key passes
0
Shots
0
Dribbles
0
Ground duels won
1/3
Aerial duels won
1/2
Clearances
2
Interceptions
0
Tackles
0
Defending dozily just about sums up United’s day as they were left to bemoan their tendency to hand over straightforward chances to Brentford.
Unsurprisingly, Dorgu left the field having had fewer touches (28) than goalkeeper Altay Bayindir (57) and Shaw (30), but more alarmingly, considering he was playing as a wing-back, he didn’t have a single shot, didn’t make a key pass and lost two of his five duels. He didn’t score an own goal like one of his teammates but it was a similarly haphazard and timid display.
With Amad now back and scoring, giving him a runout at the expense of the Denmark international on Thursday certainly seems like a viable solution here.
He'd be amazing with Amad: Man Utd battling to sign £63m "animal"
Man Utd could be targeting a perfect partner to Amad Diallo this summer
ByRobbie Walls