For about 25 minutes, the league table had an unusually pleasing look for Manchester United. It isn\u2019t something that could be said often in Ruben Amorim\u2019s reign but they would surely have settled for it staying that way for the rest of the season. They were fifth, level on points with Chelsea, on course for a return to the Champions League, if scarcely playing like a team who belonged among the European elite.<\/p>\n
And then they contrived to lose a lead at Old Trafford to a team in the bottom three. Ruben Amorim pronounced himself \u201cfrustrated and angry\u201d. He was not alone. Boos greeted the final whistle. United are eighth, a return of one win from their last five games and their habit of drawing from winning positions meaning are eighth, missing opportunities to be rather higher in the table. A return of one point from home matches against 10-man Everton and relegation-threatened West Ham is unsatisfactory. So, too, a record of only winning one second half this season. \u201cWe need to be better in the second halves,\u201d said Amorim. And perhaps in the first halves, too.<\/p>\n
So the happier of the Portuguese managers was Nuno Espirito Santo. \u201cI think it is well deserved we got the draw,\u201d he said. He drew a response to the tame defeat to Liverpool. \u201cWe wanted to show a reaction,\u201d said captain Jarrod Bowen, and they did. A goal from a defensive midfielder, in Soungoutou Magassa, had the travelling Hammers singing the name of a celebrated predecessor, in the late Billy Bonds.<\/p>\n
Diogo Dalot scored Manchester United\u2019s opening goal (Getty Images)It stemmed from a corner and while United have started to forge a reputation as set-piece specialists in attack, they are not in defence. But Nuno merits credit for his part in the leveller. The West Ham substitute Andy Irving had barely come on when he whipped in a corner. United allowed Bowen to meet it \u2013 \u201cI’m 5ft 9in or something like that, so not the tallest,\u201d said the England international \u2013 and his header drew a terrific goal-line clearance from Noussair Mazraoui. It preserved parity for about a second as the summer signing Magassa followed up to score his first goal for West Ham.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe game is 83 minutes [old] and we need to close the game and not suffer a goal,\u201d said Amorim. The changes two Portuguese managers made played their part. Amorim had tried to go on the defensive, taking off two of his front three. It did not work; indeed in Manuel Ugarte\u2019s last 40 minutes on the pitch, spread across three games, they have conceded four goals. They were breached soon after the Uruguayan\u2019s entrance and were left with too few attackers on the pitch to then get a winner. <\/p>\n
Nor was it Amorim\u2019s only questionable choice. Without the injured Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Heaven made his first league start of the season, collected an early caution for ploughing through Bowen, cut a nervous figure and was replaced by Leny Yoro at half-time.<\/p>\n
West Ham players celebrate their late goal at Old Trafford (Getty Images)If United defenders had a prominence, it turned into a tale of three United right-backs, none of whom actually occupied a role Amorim has abolished at Old Trafford. Mazraoui, pressed into service in the middle, had tried valiantly to preserve the lead Diogo Dalot, rebranded as a wing-back and switched to the left had given United. Meanwhile, a player who cost United \u00a350m had a brilliant game. Sadly for them, that player was Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who they sold for \u00a315m. <\/p>\n
He marked his return to Old Trafford by clearing off the line to deny Joshua Zirkzee, who had met Amad Diallo\u2019s cross with his thigh. Seconds later, Bruno Fernandes flicked the outside of the post with a half-volley. Wan-Bissaka also made a brilliant slide challenge on Matheus Cunha in his own box; his name was sung by the visiting Hammers, perhaps more than it ever was at Old Trafford in his time with United.<\/p>\n
Dalot, meanwhile, has become a scapegoat for sections of the United support. When Casemiro\u2019s shot was deflected, the left wing-back was lingering with intent by the penalty spot. He swivelled to finish, his shot just evading Wan-Bissaka. It was a belated first Premier League goal at Old Trafford, seven years after joining. \u201cIt’s a goal but we draw so that doesn’t matter,\u201d said Amorim, in no mood to celebrate it.<\/p>\n
Man United were frustrated by West Ham\u2019s late equaliser (Getty Images)A problem for United was that only Fernandes, Amad and Bryan Mbeumo supplied much by the way of urgency and Alphonse Areola had to tip over the Cameroonian\u2019s curling shot. It followed a well-worked, and long-range, one-two with Fernandes from a corner.<\/p>\n
But Zirkzee was ineffective; after a first league goal in 364 days on Sunday, maybe it was too soon for another. Cunha accomplished little on his return to the team after two games out. United began sluggishly, as they often do, allowing West Ham to settle into the game. This team perform too rarely for 90 minutes, just as they get too few goals from forwards and find it too hard to go two up.<\/p>\n
Senne Lammens was nevertheless untroubled for much of the match before United creaked and cracked. \u201cThe game was in control,\u201d said Amorim. \u201cWe knew it. Let’s defend far from the box.\u201d But, he felt, \u201closing second balls\u201d brought a loss of control, and then of points. United are still only two points from fourth place. But also only three from 14th.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For about 25 minutes, the league table had an unusually pleasing look for Manchester United. It isn\u2019t something that could be said often in Ruben Amorim\u2019s reign but they would surely have settled for it staying that way for the rest of the season. They were fifth, level on points with Chelsea, on course for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n