United Beyond Manchester

Ruben Amorim has repeatedly said that the rebuild will take time. Today was a clear indication of how much work there is for the new manager to do. Manchester United fell 3-2 to a surging Nottingham Forest team in a match riddled with mistakes by the Reds.

Match Flow

Another match, another corner conceded by United. Nikola Milenkovic headed home for Nottingham Forest in the first two minutes of the match. The Serbian center-back overpowered Lisandro Martinez for an easy header, compounding the issues Ruben Amorim’s team had against Arsenal.

The Reds leveled through Rasmus Hojlund in the 18th minute. A slick pass from Manuel Ugarte put Alejandro Garnacho in on goal, whose effort was saved. A fortuitous rebound from the initial shot fell to Hojlund, who placed the ball past Sels.

After Hojlund’s goal, both sides hit the crossbar from set pieces. Forest went close via Jota Silva, as his header beat Onana but struck the bar. For United, a Bruno Fernandes free-kick hit the framework after deflecting off the wall.

The second half began like the first. A giveaway from Bruno Fernandes set Forest on a break, and Morgan Gibbs-White finished from outside the box. Andre Onana had a great chance to save it but failed to read the movement of the ball.

Chris Wood added a third for the visitors in the 54th minute. Wood found himself space at the back post and headed across Onana’s net. Despite having a great opportunity to keep it out, Lisandro Martinez watched the ball hit the post and bounce into the net.

Bruno Fernandes drew one back for Manchester United on the hour mark. Amad drove at the Forest defense and into the box before cutting back and finding Bruno, who lashed the ball home.

After the goal went in, the Reds were unable to find a late equalizer. Several players had opportunities to move the ball and create chances but opted to attempt wild efforts themselves, dooming United in the end.

Analysis

When the attack scores, the defense falters. The back line struggled today, as players were caught up the field in transition, opening up gaps for Forest’s attack.

United’s set-piece coach, Andreas Georgson, will have a lot on his mind this week. The team has struggled significantly with defending corners over the past few weeks. Players are losing track of their assignments, marking the wrong opponents, and are consistently beaten by those who want it more. Changes need to be made quickly, and a coaching adjustment may be considered if the problem persists.

On a positive note, Amad Diallo is quickly securing one of the wing-back spots. The 22-year-old has been phenomenal under Ruben Amorim and was again United’s most dangerous player. He created Bruno Fernandes’s goal by taking on defenders and looking for a teammate rather than trying to be the hero himself. Amad is taking his chance after being left out for so long.

What’s Next?

Manchester United travel to the Czech Republic to play Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday before visiting Manchester City next weekend in a battle of struggling sides.