Manchester United piled more miserly on themselves after losing 2-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day.
The scrappy game was decided by two key moments. Bruno Fernandes’s dismissal and a glaring schoolboy error from Andre Onana proved pivotal.
Ruben Amorim said after the game (via BBC Sport): “Again, set-pieces change the game a little bit to make it harder.
“In the first half, I think we controlled it. Sometimes, we controlled but Wolves made some transitions, but we were in control of the game.
“We had a little bit of a lack of aggression in the last third, but we were controlling the game.
“Then, we have the second half to do something more to change some things and then, the first player sent off was really hard for us.”
After three straight defeats, the Red Devils are trapped in a frustrating rut of form.
Amorim is spot on in pinpointing the two key incidents that shaped the outcome of the game.
However, his side was unconvincing in the first half.
Fernandes appears to be struggling once more with his form, while Rasmus Hojlund hardly made an impact.
The two wing-backs lack the required quality needed going forward.
Diogo Dalot was in acres of space on several occasions. Despite Wolves allowing him to cut inside freely, he failed to create any significant chances.
A more naturally attacking player would have been better suited to that role.
Amorim is now fully aware of the daunting task ahead.
His side will host Newcastle United before the turn of the year. They cannot afford to suffer another defeat.
Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .
