7 December 2024
Man Utd 2 Nott’m Forest 3
Ruben Amorim suffered his first defeat as Man Utd manager in midweek as they travelled to North London to face Arsenal. He was hoping to get his side back to winning ways as they welcomed Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford, who did not have a great record here. It seemed the perfect fixture for the Red Devils to get the new era back on track.
Forest started well, putting some pressure on the hosts, eventually winning an early corner. As the ball was whipped in from Anderson, Milenkovic rose at the near post to head home. The defending from Amorim’s side was just woeful. Martinez looked about three feet tall as the defender outjumped him to score. Old Trafford fell silent.
The hosts tried to find a way back into the game as Fernandes broke through the middle. He played it out wide to Garnacho but his cross was just behind the advancing Hojlund. Neither side were looking solid at the back and even at this early stage you felt their best form of defence was attack. This was turning into end-to-end stuff, a great watch for the neutral.
Fernandes slotted Garnacho in once again. His first touch was a bit heavy, which gave Sels the chance to come out and get a block in to deny the Argentine. Sadly for Forest, the loose ball broke to Hojlund, who had the simple task of slotting into an unguarded goal. It had taken just over a quarter of an hour but United had managed to get themselves back on level terms.
Man Utd kept on getting themselves into trouble with loose passes from defence. One such situation led to Wood being bundled over in the middle of the park. The resulting free kick was lifted into the box, where Jota Silva had a free header, only to see his effort come crashing back off the crossbar. So close to giving the visitors the lead once again.
As the rain poured down in Manchester, both sides were looking to get forward whenever possible. Jota Silva was in confident mood and tried his luck this time from outside the penalty area. De Ligt slid in, with the ball deflecting off him, looping just over the bar. Onana was beaten so there was much relief to see the shot go out for a corner.
At this stage, Forest looked like they were going to score every time they came forward. As the hosts failed to clear their lines, the ball dropped to Murillo just outside the six yard box. He tried to pass it first time into the bottom corner but it missed the target by the narrowest of margins. The Man Utd keeper was just a spectator as he watched it go wide.
Hojlund then won a free kick in a dangerous position. Fernandes stepped up to take it, his shot had Sels scrambling across his goal. He managed to get the slightest of fingertip touches to it to send it crashing against the crossbar and back into play. It was a superb effort from the Man Utd skipper, only topped by the save to deny him.
After the interval Fernandes then gave the ball away in his own half, Hudson-Odoi laid it into the path of Gibbs-White. He only had one thing on his mind as he shifted it onto his right foot and fired off a shot at goal. It seemed to be heading straight towards Onana, who somehow missed it, giving Nottingham Forest the lead once again.
Andre Onana is the present that keeps on giving. His flamboyant style usually leads to entertainment. This was a shocking error and you just wonder what was going through his mind. He just watched the ball go past him like it was a venomous snake or spider, wanting to remain still so it would not be threatened by his presence. It certainly worked.
This seemed to jog the memory of the Nottingham Forest team that this Man Utd side were as frail as a flood defence made out of paper if you attack them. They continued to pile forward and should have scored another when the ball dropped to Wood on the back post. He could not adjust his feet quickly enough and his shot went the wrong side of the post.
Ugarte was then dispossessed on the edge of the Forest box. Espirito Santo’s side countered with pace and once again the Red Devils looked all over the shop. As a cross picked out Wood at the back post, his looping header left his head and ventured into the comedy zone. Onana watched it go over his head, making no effort to stop it, while Martinez on the back post followed suit.
It was baffling why the Argentine defender watched it go past him into the goal, making no attempt to keep it out at all. Many looked at the appointment of Amorim as manager as the answer to Man Utd’s problems, it certainly isn’t. If he is to stand any hope of success, he needs to cull this squad massively, there are too many players who are simply not good enough.
With just under half an hour remaining, Amad was causing all sorts of problems for Forest down the right flank. He picked out Fernandes in the box with a pass and the midfielder drilled his shot into the bottom corner to ignite this Old Trafford crowd once again. There was plenty of time to turn this game around and get the victory they were craving.
The hosts kept the pressure on Forest and almost scored again when Dalot’s cross found Amad on the back post. He scuffed his shot wide of the target, a big chance wasted. Moments later Rashford struck a volley from the edge of the box but it took a deflection and went wide of the goal. Amorim’s side were well and truly knocking on the door now.
Nottingham Forest managed to hold on for the win and a big three points. It took them up to fifth in the table as they inflicted Ruben Amorim’s first defeat at Old Trafford. If the Portuguese manager ever needed clarity on the size of the job he has undertaken, this was a rude awakening in front of their own fans. It was the visitors first victory here in 30 years.
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