Manchester United were defeated 2-0 at West Ham on Saturday, with goals from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus piling pressure on under-fire manager Erik ten Hag.
West Ham’s late goals blew Ten Hag’s team away at the London Stadium, sentencing them to their eighth Premier League defeat of the season.
United, now in seventh position, with just one victory in seven games across all competitions.
They’ve lost three of their past four matches and haven’t scored in any of them since 1992.
It’s another stinging blow for Ten Hag, whose increasingly shaky grasp on his position will almost certainly be the first item Jim Ratcliffe addresses when he eventually completes his acquisition of 25% of the club.
As part of the arrangement with the American owners, Ratcliffe is expected to take over United’s football operations, and he will arrive at Old Trafford to find the club at one of its lowest ebbs in its storied history.
Ten Hag’s club was ousted from Europe after finishing bottom of their Champions League group, as well as falling out of the League Cup, in their second season.
Ten Hag thinks United will be able to “change the story” if important players return from injury.
However, United’s dismal capitulation against a squad blasted 5-1 by Liverpool’s reserves in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday highlighted the depths to which the club has plummeted under the embattled Dutchman.
After serving raw chicken to customers last month, the local government revealed this week that United’s food hygiene rating had been reduced from five to one.
The unlucky eaters aren’t the only ones associated with United who have had a bad vibe this season.
United have lost 13 games in all competitions this season, the most since 1930-31, when they finished bottom of the league.
Stopping their precipitous descent seems to be beyond Ten Hag’s capabilities at the moment.
In disorder, united
Willy Kambwala, 19, made his United debut in center defense in the absence of Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, and Raphael Varane.
West Ham were eager to put United’s inexperienced French youth to the test, with Emerson advancing for a low effort that pushed Andre Onana into a save.
Marcus Rashford was benched for the second time in a row after scoring only two league goals this season, but his absence did not help United’s lackluster attack.
Ten Hag’s men struggled to develop even a semblance of momentum as they failed to build on last weekend’s gutsy stalemate against Liverpool.
It took United more than 30 minutes to have a shot on goal, which was comfortably saved by Alphonse Areola.
Alejandro Garnacho, one of United’s three youths, lost a good chance to break the stalemate with a poor close-range effort straight at Areola.
Just returned from suspension, United captain Bruno Fernandes displayed his much-maligned recklessness once again, earning a card for swiping at Kudus.
With a wonderful tip-over to thwart Bowen’s header, Onana kept United in the game.
After 56 minutes, Rashford replaced the nondescript Rasmus Hojlund, prolonging the Danish striker’s poor rookie season.
When Fernandes launched a wayward attempt high into the bleachers, the dissatisfaction among United’s traveling supporters became louder.
Bowen made a wonderfully timed move to evade the offside trap before fumbling his shot past Onana for his 11th league goal this season, thanks to Lucas Paqueta’s brilliant chipped ball.
Six minutes later, United were in chaos, and Kudus delivered the knockout blow.
Kobbie Mainoo recklessly surrendered possession, and Kudus sprinted free to fire a low shot past Onana from the outside of the area, encapsulating their terrible performance.