Man Utd no longer has any excuses

Bruno Fernandes could not pull MU forward.

A Man City still in the process of rebuilding was still able to crush its arch-rival. For Manchester United, this defeat was not just a number on the scoreboard, but a reflection of the disintegration and loss of direction in the entire system under Ruben Amorim.

Old Manchester United script

The Manchester derby always carries with it hostility, pride and the desire to prove. But at the Etihad this time, the balance is tilted towards the blue side of Manchester.

It is worth mentioning that this is not the most complete Man City under Pep Guardiola, but a team in the process of rebuilding, missing many key players. However, they are still capable of dominating the game, creating distance and extinguishing the fragile hope of Manchester United.

The familiar faces continue to cause nightmares. Phil Foden and Erling Haaland - the duo who opened the scoring in a 6-3 derby in 2022 - are the final nail in the coffin. Foden's last seven derby goals have come in three years, while Haaland took his tally to eight with a second-half double. With City missing the stars who once made up the symphony, these two names take on the role of an entire choir.

In this match, Man United started the game not badly, even had a few combinations that made Guardiola slightly worry. But everything just stopped at the "danger" level.

Before they could create a real chance, the "Red Devils" collapsed when Bruno Fernandes stood by and watched Foden rush in to head in Jeremy Doku's cross. Once again, the problem of tactical discipline and concentration in midfield made Man United pay the price.

MU losing to Man City is not something new.

Ruben Amorim struggled on the sidelines, waving his arms and screaming, but the image only added to his helplessness. His personnel decisions felt patchwork: Luke Shaw played centre-back despite not being his forte; Fernandes was forced into the No. 6 role while lacking defensive skills; Benjamin Sesko struggled to find his first goal; Patrick Dorgu was miles offside but still raised his hand to celebrate with a high five. The whole team exuded imbalance and lack of direction.

Even more serious is the position in goal. If Man City has Gianluigi Donnarumma - a stopper enough to block the Etihad floodlights - Man United have three "second goalkeepers".

Tom Heaton is just a spiritual leader. Altay Bayindir is small in the face-off with Haaland. Senne Lammens is repeatedly panned by the camera because of... the curiosity of the audience. Amorim does not have a real number one goalkeeper, and that is the biggest difference.

Manchester United go backwards

This defeat also brings back a haunting series. This is the seventh time Guardiola has led Man City to score at least three goals against Man United.

The home fans sang out mockingly at Amorim: “They will never win again, they are crying at the Stretford End, Ruben Amorim…” Then the songs “Old Trafford is falling down” and the Poznan dance performance made the red audience’s hearts ache. The roof of the Etihad South Stand leaked into the away fans’ area as a bitter metaphor: Man United was leaking from the inside.

MU still has not escaped the crisis.

Worse still, United went into the game higher than City in the table – a rare feat for almost five years. But that hope was quickly dashed. When Haaland scored his second, it was all over. The Etihad erupted in the Poznan dance, and the away side began to empty. Even the most loyal fans wanted nothing more to see.

The statistics reveal a harsh reality. After six hours of Premier League play this season, Man United have scored just one goal from open play. The defence has conceded three goals because of unmarked midfielders. The £200m-plus attack has yet to make a difference. Meanwhile, Man City - an "incomplete" team - were still sharp enough to settle the game with two individual moments.

Amorim will have to testify, there will be more justifications, but the essence remains the same: Man United are falling behind, even compared to themselves last season. Last year, they drew with Arsenal, beat Fulham and Man City. This year, all is just nostalgia.

A derby defeat can sometimes be forgiven if it signals a new beginning. But this defeat was different: it showed a "Red Devils" who were exhausted, lacking in character, lacking in strategy and lacking in belief. What was scariest for the fans was not the defeat, but the feeling of numbness: they were no longer surprised, nor angry. There was only helplessness, as the derby once again exposed the harsh truth.

Source: https://znews.vn/man-utd-khong-con-ly-do-de-bien-minh-post1585334.html