Manchester United slumped to another disappointing result on Tuesday, falling 1-0 to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Former United player Anthony Elanga struck early, scoring in the fifth minute with a solo effort that proved enough to condemn Ruben Amorim’s side to their latest setback.
The defeat leaves United languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table, with the Portuguese manager having won just six of his 19 league games since taking charge. The club now faces the real prospect of their first bottom-half finish since the 1989-90 season, highlighting the depth of their current crisis.
Amorim was frank in his post-match assessment, telling TNT Sports: “We controlled the game, but we already knew this team can score goals out of nothing. We had a lot of shots on goal, we pushed the opponent to the last third, but in the last third we had a lack of quality.” He added pointedly that his team “helped them to win three points.”
Despite the concerning results, Amorim maintains that progress is being made: “I see it in the game. I don’t lie to myself, everyone can say whatever they want to say, but we need to win games.”
United now face a challenging week ahead with the Manchester derby against City on Sunday, followed by a Europa League semi-final first leg against Lyon next Thursday. The European competition represents their only remaining chance for silverware this season after their FA Cup elimination last month.
The ongoing struggles raise questions about United’s recruitment strategy and the club’s direction under both Amorim and the INEOS ownership group. With key players underperforming and injuries continuing to plague the squad, United’s rebuild appears to be a longer-term project than many supporters had hoped.