Fewer touches than Lammens & 100% duels lost: Man Utd flop must be dropped
da dobrowin： Manchester United’s draw against West Ham United yesterday once again highlighted the struggles faced by the side during Ruben Amorim’s tenure at Old Trafford.
da brdice： Diogo Dalot’s strike looked as though the Red Devils would secure all three points for the second time in a week, but their inability to defend set pieces ultimately cost them all three points.
Soungoutou Magassa’s effort was enough to secure the visitors a point, with Amorim left frustrated by his side’s lack of killer instinct to put the game to bed in the second half.
The result leaves United in eighth place in the Premier League, just two points off fourth, but the season could already look a whole lot different had the side managed to once again hold on for the win.
Numerous players failed to deliver during the meeting at Old Trafford, which could see the manager make some needed changes ahead of their next outing over the weekend.
United’s poor performers against West Ham last night
During the draw against Nuno Espírito Santo’s side, Luke Shaw was once again handed a start in the Premier League, now taking his run of starts to 14 in a row.
However, it was yet another performance to forget for the Englishman, with the centre-back struggling to deal with the threat posed by opposition forward Jarrod Bowen.
Shaw was dribbled past twice, lost 75% of the ground duels he entered, whilst also committing three fouls – showcasing his inability to stop his compatriot from impressing.
At the other end of the pitch, Bryan Mbeumo also struggled to continue his fine recent form in the Premier League, as the Cameroonian once again failed to find the back of the net.
Like Shaw, he struggled in his duels against the Hammers at Old Trafford, as seen by his measly tally of 100% aerials lost out of the five battles in which he entered.
He also failed to complete any of the crosses he attempted, whilst only placing one of his shots on target, subsequently being unable to provide the added threat needed in attacking areas.
The Man Utd star who needs to be dropped after West Ham
After failing to win for an eighth time in the league this campaign, Amorim will certainly need to find a winning formula quickly if he is to be a success as United manager.
He’s massively come under fire over recent months for his lack of success in the role, no doubt down to his reluctance to move away from his 3-4-2-1 system in key moments.
At 1-1 last night, he had the opportunity to bring Kobbie Mainoo onto the pitch in an attempt to secure victory, but it was his conservative substitutions which led to the draw.
The 40-year-old simply laughed in his post-match interview when one journalist suggested that the Englishman should have been brought on to push for the win.
Such a move wasn’t the only questionable decision made by Amorim last night, with the manager deciding to utilise Ayden Heaven at centre-back alongside Shaw and Noussair Mazraoui.
The youngster was handed his first league start of the campaign, but it was a decision that massively backfired, given his struggles at the Theatre of Dreams last night.
He featured for 45 minutes during the contest, before being replaced at the break after picking up a yellow card for a rash tackle on Bowen during the closing stages of the half.
The 19-year-old lost 100% of the duels he entered, whether that being on the ground or in the air, whilst committing two separate fouls, which no doubt led to his booking.
Heaven was also only able to complete a measly tally of six passes out of a possible ten, with none of his long balls being completed – showcasing his struggles in possession.
His struggles were compounded by his lack of involvement during the first half, only achieving a tally of 17 touches of the ball – with goalkeeper Senne Lammens having more, as seen by his tally of 29.
Senne Lammens – stats against West Ham
Statistics
Tally
Minutes played
90
Touches
29
Goals prevented
0.06
Passes completed
23
Pass accuracy
79%
Saves
1
High claims
1
Recoveries made
8
Stats via FotMob
After such a performance, the manager must surely look to more senior options to fill the void, when his Red Devils side face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night.
Leny Yoro was brought on to replace the Englishman at the break, with the manager needing to select the Frenchman next time around to help the side return to winning ways.
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