There are, no doubt, countless philosophers, scholars, or authors one could quote to capture the current state of Manchester United. Yet, after watching the Manchester derby on Sunday, the voice that came to mind was Rachel Green from Friends.
“It’s like there’s rock bottom, 50 feet of crap, then me,” Rachel once mused. This morning, plenty of Manchester United fans might have felt the same. Another routine derby defeat to Manchester City, Chelsea looming on Saturday, and the gnawing sense that the nadir is still to come. Or worse, that this is simply the long, merciless slide into the abyss for a club that used to start most matches halfway to victory before a ball had even been kicked.
Drab on the pitch, kamikaze on the touchline
Despite flashes of promise this season, including moments in Sunday’s defeat, Manchester United continue to leak cheap goals for one simple reason – they are locked into a formation that simply does not suit them.
This should not give the players a free pass, for even with a system as ill-fitting as trying to thread a needle with a javelin, they should perform at a higher level. But it is Ruben Amorim’s reckless fixation on his 3-4-2-1 formation that continues to set his team up for weekly embarrassment.
The league stats back up his need to consider a change, with just 31 points from 31 Premier League games, no consecutive wins since taking charge, and half of his paltry eight victories coming against teams now relegated or, in Burnley’s case this season, newly promoted.
Yet Amorim has now doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled down in defence of his tactics, essentially saying ‘back me or sack me’ in Sunday’s post-match press conference. A few months into his tenure, this position seemed almost noble, now it looks rather ridiculous given how it feels as if he could be as successful by dictating positional play based on multiple coin tosses.
Old Trafford, from fortress to fiasco
In happier times, the club could always look forward to the safety of a home fixture after a chastening away defeat. But as the air of invincibility has slowly faded since their last title, so too has the fear opponents once felt entering the Theatre of Dreams, no longer expecting a drubbing.
It adds to the sense of melancholy swirling around the club. With Chelsea visiting this week, fans are acutely aware that their team could be trampled over once again, further corroding their status as one of the Premier League elite.
Is it time to embrace mediocrity as reality?
With all the talk of players not suiting the system, chronic problems from boardroom to pitch, and growing fan unrest, what is the best course of action for the club and its supporters?
Perhaps it is time to face up to the fact that Manchester United are exactly where they should be right now. The occasional big win only conjures the brief illusion of a return to form. But with each spirit-puncturing defeat comes the reminder that, despite their great history, they are currently an average Premier League club, no closer to a grand resurrection than when Erik ten Hag was ushered out the door.
Maybe with this realisation, fans can sit back and view their team through a new lens, removing the shackles of expectation that weigh them down as much as the club itself.
