Manchester United 2025/2026 Season

[hassan918]

Fernandes has no interest in Saudi switch​

Bruno Fernandes has no interest in moving to the Saudi Pro League at the end of the season, BBC Sport understands.

The Portugal midfielder rejected huge offers from Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad last summer in order to stay at Manchester United.

Sources close to the United skipper have completely rejected recent suggestions he is ready to quit Old Trafford after the World Cup next summer and accept a Saudi offer.

BBC Sport has been told that is not the case and Fernandes, whose United contract runs to 2027, with the option of an additional year, is only interested in playing in major European leagues.

As it stands, he is fully committed to United. The project under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a long-term one and sources say Fernandes is determined to put everything into helping United towards a better future, while also believing it is possible to secure a top-five finish that could earn a place in next season's Champions League.

The 31-year-old has been used in a deeper midfield role this season, with manager Ruben Amorim believing Fernandes can be more effective because he gets on the ball more often, although some argue it takes him away from the opposition goal where he is more dangerous.

He remains one of the most influential players in United's squad and in last month's win against Chelsea scored his 100th goal for the club on his 200th Premier League appearance. In total he has played 298 times and Amorim stressed his importance to his squad after the Chelsea game.

"He deserves all the praise," said Amorim.

"That guy deserves to be in the history of our club, not just for what he does but for what his team conquers."

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Saudi sport supremo's Man Utd 'takeover' post prompts questions

Manchester United sources have rejected claims made by Saudi sports supremo Turki Alalshikh that the club is in advanced negotiations over a sale to a new investor.

On Wednesday, Alalshikh, who has 7.2m followers on X,, external wrote on the social media platform: "The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor. I hope he's better than the previous owners."

Multiple sources close to United said the claim was untrue.

Alalshikh clarified in a second post on X, external on Thursday that he was not the 'new investor', adding "nor are they from my nation".

But unanswered questions remain.

The friendly plan

It has been anticipated there would be talks between United and the Saudi authorities in the coming weeks over the potential of playing at least one mid-season friendly to try to raise funds in the absence of European competition.

And while it is not certain whether United want to play a Saudi Pro-League club or a similarly placed European giant, such as AC Milan, head coach Ruben Amorim said last week: "We have to do it.

"We knew that when we missed Europe, we had to compensate [for] a lot of things, including our fans and the budget. So we are putting [it] all together to do that."

On Sunday, Alalshikh unveiled the latest Riyadh Season schedule - which did not include any football, though it is thought a game could be added - and said the brand value of the list of sporting events has now reached $3.2bn (£2.39bn).

The Saudi link to the Glazers

While there are no deals presently active, there is history between the Glazer family and Saudi Arabia.

In 2017, United agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the country's General Sports Authority (GSA).

When the contract was announced, , externalUnited said the aim was to help the GSA develop its football industry, as part of its 2030 Vision, to diversify its economy, and the club would be "lending its business and sporting expertise to clubs, sporting authorities and individuals in Saudi Arabia".

In 2008, United signed a lucrative five-year sponsorship deal with Saudi Telecom, which was extended by a further five years in 2013.

These deals gave rise to speculation about a Saudi buyout of the Glazer family but United sources repeatedly played down the rumours and no deal materialised.

Could it happen?

While Alalshikh's second post on X suggests there is no active Saudi bid for United, it is even not clear if such a purchase of the club could get through the Premier League's Owners and Directors' test.

Sheikh Jassim's attempt to buy the club never advanced far enough for the league to have to rule on it. However, as there was no competing Qatari owner, it could not have been ruled out on conflict of interest grounds.

That is not the case with Saudi Arabia, whose Public Investment Fund (PIF) has run Newcastle since 2021.

While the Saudi Pro-League has four clubs - Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli - that are run by PIF, it seems unlikely the Premier League would be willing to sanction multiple ownership by the same ultimate source, even if the individuals in charge of them were different.

Solid relationship

In his recent interview with The Times' new podcast, The Business, Ratcliffe explained how the operation at United worked.

He now owns nearly 30% of the club after completing his part-purchase last year. Although they have an input, the Glazer family are letting Ratcliffe make all the major decisions.

"We're local, and they're the other side of the pond," he said.

"That's a long way away to try and manage a football club as big and as complex as Manchester United. We're here with feet on the ground.

"They come to the board meetings. We sit down and we talk about things."

Asked what would happen if the Glazers told him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe replied: "It absolutely wouldn't happen because it's just a good working relationship."

The Ratcliffe investment does include a 'drag-on clause' - in place from August 2025 - that means the 72-year-old would have to sell if the Glazers accepted an offer in excess of the $33 a share he paid for the club.

Ratcliffe referred to the clause when he spoke at a news conference in 2024, saying: "I don't think we're going to be taking the legal agreements out of the bottom drawer."

In the latest set of financial accounts, released last month, it states there are additional restrictions in place to February 2027, including buying another club and paying dividends between the two parties. However, one of three stated exceptions is if they are 'in connection with a change of control transaction'.

Yet Ratcliffe's words do not suggest there are issues in his relationship with the Glazer family that would be so serious as they are negotiating behind his back. Quite the reverse, in fact.

It all brings us back to Alalshikh's initial post and subsequent denials. We might be waiting a long time for those answers.

BBC

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Saudi sport supremo's Man Utd 'takeover' post prompts questions

Manchester United sources have rejected claims made by Saudi sports supremo Turki Alalshikh that the club is in advanced negotiations over a sale to a new investor.

On Wednesday, Alalshikh, who has 7.2m followers on X,, external wrote on the social media platform: "The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor. I hope he's better than the previous owners."

Multiple sources close to United said the claim was untrue.

Alalshikh clarified in a second post on X, external on Thursday that he was not the 'new investor', adding "nor are they from my nation".

But unanswered questions remain.

The friendly plan

It has been anticipated there would be talks between United and the Saudi authorities in the coming weeks over the potential of playing at least one mid-season friendly to try to raise funds in the absence of European competition.

And while it is not certain whether United want to play a Saudi Pro-League club or a similarly placed European giant, such as AC Milan, head coach Ruben Amorim said last week: "We have to do it.

"We knew that when we missed Europe, we had to compensate [for] a lot of things, including our fans and the budget. So we are putting [it] all together to do that."

On Sunday, Alalshikh unveiled the latest Riyadh Season schedule - which did not include any football, though it is thought a game could be added - and said the brand value of the list of sporting events has now reached $3.2bn (£2.39bn).

The Saudi link to the Glazers

While there are no deals presently active, there is history between the Glazer family and Saudi Arabia.

In 2017, United agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the country's General Sports Authority (GSA).

When the contract was announced, , externalUnited said the aim was to help the GSA develop its football industry, as part of its 2030 Vision, to diversify its economy, and the club would be "lending its business and sporting expertise to clubs, sporting authorities and individuals in Saudi Arabia".

In 2008, United signed a lucrative five-year sponsorship deal with Saudi Telecom, which was extended by a further five years in 2013.

These deals gave rise to speculation about a Saudi buyout of the Glazer family but United sources repeatedly played down the rumours and no deal materialised.

Could it happen?

While Alalshikh's second post on X suggests there is no active Saudi bid for United, it is even not clear if such a purchase of the club could get through the Premier League's Owners and Directors' test.

Sheikh Jassim's attempt to buy the club never advanced far enough for the league to have to rule on it. However, as there was no competing Qatari owner, it could not have been ruled out on conflict of interest grounds.

That is not the case with Saudi Arabia, whose Public Investment Fund (PIF) has run Newcastle since 2021.

While the Saudi Pro-League has four clubs - Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli - that are run by PIF, it seems unlikely the Premier League would be willing to sanction multiple ownership by the same ultimate source, even if the individuals in charge of them were different.

Solid relationship

In his recent interview with The Times' new podcast, The Business, Ratcliffe explained how the operation at United worked.

He now owns nearly 30% of the club after completing his part-purchase last year. Although they have an input, the Glazer family are letting Ratcliffe make all the major decisions.

"We're local, and they're the other side of the pond," he said.

"That's a long way away to try and manage a football club as big and as complex as Manchester United. We're here with feet on the ground.

"They come to the board meetings. We sit down and we talk about things."

Asked what would happen if the Glazers told him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe replied: "It absolutely wouldn't happen because it's just a good working relationship."

The Ratcliffe investment does include a 'drag-on clause' - in place from August 2025 - that means the 72-year-old would have to sell if the Glazers accepted an offer in excess of the $33 a share he paid for the club.

Ratcliffe referred to the clause when he spoke at a news conference in 2024, saying: "I don't think we're going to be taking the legal agreements out of the bottom drawer."

In the latest set of financial accounts, released last month, it states there are additional restrictions in place to February 2027, including buying another club and paying dividends between the two parties. However, one of three stated exceptions is if they are 'in connection with a change of control transaction'.

Yet Ratcliffe's words do not suggest there are issues in his relationship with the Glazer family that would be so serious as they are negotiating behind his back. Quite the reverse, in fact.

It all brings us back to Alalshikh's initial post and subsequent denials. We might be waiting a long time for those answers.

BBC

We Can Smell The Title

 

[Obaidd]

How’s the prep looking like for Anfield visit?
I was surprised to see Casemiro still starting for Brazil. Seems like the national team setup (led by Ancelotti) still trusts him. Wonder when Utd fans start showering love on this guy.

Anyways Utd surely have enough quality on the pitch to beat Liv but we know how the gates can open too if Liv press on. Neutrals really looking forward to this clash.

 

[KingKhanWC]

How’s the prep looking like for Anfield visit?
I was surprised to see Casemiro still starting for Brazil. Seems like the national team setup (led by Ancelotti) still trusts him. Wonder when Utd fans start showering love on this guy.

Anyways Utd surely have enough quality on the pitch to beat Liv but we know how the gates can open too if Liv press on. Neutrals really looking forward to this clash.

If Casemiro and Fernandes both start for Utd, Liverpool will run riot at Anfiled. Utd need younger, fitter and stronger players who can run all 90 mins with high energy to stop LFC on Sunday.

On the plus side for Utd their attack can cause a lot of problems for LFC and will likely score a goal. It should be a high scoring match.

 

[KingKhanWC]

A good watch to warm the appetite for Sunday

 

[Obaidd]

If Casemiro and Fernandes both start for Utd, Liverpool will run riot at Anfiled. Utd need younger, fitter and stronger players who can run all 90 mins with high energy to stop LFC on Sunday.

On the plus side for Utd their attack can cause a lot of problems for LFC and will likely score a goal. It should be a high scoring match.

Utd don’t respect their players or managers post Ferguson. They remember them when they leave and perform somewhere else.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Well Boys. A fantastic Performance. Specially the first half hour is the best I've seen us play for a long time. We could have easily been 3 - 0 up in the first half hour. Second half we were dogged and worked hard as a team. Amorim finally getting a tune with his philosophy. Hopefully we continue to improve.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

A good watch to warm the appetite for Sunday

Hang on a minute @KingKhanWC . No point hiding Now. You come on our thread champing at the bit and throwing in subtle wind up clips. But surely now you must come out of the hide out to face the music Buddy

 

[DeadlyVenom]

That's the type of win that can ignite a season.

Nice to see Harry as the hero too. He's went through a hell of a lot and came out the other side with his integrity.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

If Casemiro and Fernandes both start for Utd, Liverpool will run riot at Anfiled. Utd need younger, fitter and stronger players who can run all 90 mins with high energy to stop LFC on Sunday.

On the plus side for Utd their attack can cause a lot of problems for LFC and will likely score a goal. It should be a high scoring match.

Both Casimero Fernandez started and we were running Riot on your circus backline in the first half

 

[KingKhanWC]

Both Casimero Fernandez started and we were running Riot on your circus backline in the first half

I wouldnt go as far as running riot. Utd scored with their first attack of the match, then after battled very hard throughout. Liverpool should have scored 5/6 with the amount of shots at goal but were misfiring like a an ford escort. This is football, it can happen but Slot hasnt done anything in the 2 week break to sort out the defence.

Big win for Utd, prob the biggest day of your season. Utd wont be winning any silverware but top 6 is on now. Well played and enjoy the victory for all Utd fans.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

I wouldnt go as far as running riot. Utd scored with their first attack of the match, then after battled very hard throughout. Liverpool should have scored 5/6 with the amount of shots at goal but were misfiring like a an ford escort. This is football, it can happen but Slot hasnt done anything in the 2 week break to sort out the defence.

Big win for Utd, prob the biggest day of your season. Utd wont be winning any silverware but top 6 is on now. Well played and enjoy the victory for all Utd fans.

First half hour we could have been 3 up lol.

 

[The_KING]

What a win!

Yes, we did ride our luck at times, but you need a bit of luck if you want to win at Anfield.

Still, I won't get carried away with this win, as this team is more than capable of losing next week at home to Brighton. I will enjoy this win and take it one match at a time.

 

[The_KING]

I know it is early but the goalkeeper has made a difference already.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

I have not agreed to leave Man Utd - Fernandes

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes says he will not discuss his future with anyone until after next year's World Cup.

The 31-year-old will make his 300th appearance for United on Saturday, as the club attempt to end a run of three successive home defeats by Brighton.

It is an achievement made more remarkable by the fact that Fernandes has missed just 17 games since his £47m move from Sporting in January 2020 - and only three of those were because of injury or illness.

The Portuguese rejected a huge offer from Al-Hilal in the summer, then dismissed subsequent interest elsewhere from the Saudi Pro League and Europe.

Fernandes knows the rumours about his future won't go away.

Sources close to him have previously told BBC Sport he has no wish to move to Saudi Arabia next summer either, with major European clubs outside the Premier League holding more interest.

It is understood Fernandes' contract - which expires in 2027 with the option of an additional year - includes a clause that would allow him to join a club outside England for £56.68m (€65m) provided it is triggered early enough.

However, Fernandes is not interested in talking about it just yet.

"As I've always said, I feel good here. I want to achieve my dreams still," he said.

"I can't talk for the club. I've seen a lot of people talking that I had an agreement to go already next season. If the club has done that agreement, it wasn't made with me. I haven't spoken with anyone.

"My agent also knows how I work. If he wants to talk to me, it will be after the World Cup. Until then, I won't speak to anyone."

Fernandes spoke to a lot of people when Al-Hilal's interest first became public during United's post-season trip to Asia.

Conversations with chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox, plus head coach Ruben Amorim, Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo – who plays in Saudi Arabia - and his family all took place independently.

Everyone accepted the money being talked about, even for one of the Premier League's highest earners, was eye-watering. The fee, expected to be in excess of £100m, would have been a club record sale.

But no-one was pushing Fernandes out. In fact, Amorim was saying quite the opposite.

"He said to me 'No, we want more players to help you to become a better team. If we bring some people and lose you, we're still going to lose something'," Fernandes said of his manager.

His wife Ana was blunt.

"My family feels very well here," Fernandes said. "My kids love to go to school. They love the way they live here, even with the weather.

"Everyone is settled. We say sometimes the house we have here, it feels more like home than the one we have in Portugal.

"The first thing she said was: 'Have you achieved everything you wanted to achieve at the club?' She knows I haven't.

"When I talk about not fulfilling my dreams at the club, it comes a lot from what she said to me."

Man Utd: Bruno Fernandes on future at club, team-mates and putting team first

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes says he will not discuss his future with anyone until after the World Cup.

www.bbc.com

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Another excellent performance so far. Players are clearly in sink with Amorims formation and Philosophy. Credit to Sir Jim for backing Amorim.

His signings have been excellent. Couple of more windows and we are firmly be back!

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Good run for Amorim and Man U

Big difference a few weeks makes, everyone was convinced he'd be sacked during the next International break but there's not a chance that happens now

 

[aboveandbeyond]

I've been consistently Pro Amorim even in the sticky Period. He is bringing in players who fit the Profile required at UTD. And they look the real deal. Another Transfer window or so, UTD could be a real force to be reckon with.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

So far so good. Every game theres aspects of improvement.

The One game a week is bairing fruit for UTD. Alot of work is getting done in training regarding tactics and Philosophy.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Ho dear. I jinxed it

 

[ads101]

I think the signings have been good. And I think there are good players in the squad. But I’m still not convinced with the manager. I still think it’s a case where a team is performing despite their manager not because of him.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Man Utd's Sesko out for a month with knee injury

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko is set to miss about a month with the knee injury he sustained at Tottenham Hotspur just before the international break.

Sesko, who joined United from RB Leipzig for £74m in August, was hurt during the 2-2 draw on 8 November and failed to finish the match after coming on as a second-half substitute.

Head coach Ruben Amorim said afterwards he did not know if it was a serious problem, though club sources have played down fears the Slovenia forward suffered a major injury.

However, the 22-year-old was ruled out of Slovenia's World Cup qualifiers and it is now expected he will miss about four weeks, though the precise length of his absence is still to be determined.

Amorim is set to offer an update on the situation this week at a news conference before Monday's Premier League game with Everton at Old Trafford (20:00 GMT).

That is likely to mean a short overlap with the departure of fellow forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in Morocco on 21 December.

United, along with the rest of the Premier League clubs, are not expected to have to release players at the earliest available opportunity. They have a home game against Bournemouth on 15 December.

Sesko has scored two goals in 12 matches since he joined United.

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Ten-man Everton held on for a rare and quite amazing Old Trafford victory after Idrissa Gueye was sent off for hitting team-mate Michael Keane after just 13 minutes against Manchester United.

In quite incredible scenes, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had to hold Gueye back as he took exception to a few choice words from Keane as Everton defended a set-piece near their own area.

Gueye got near enough to slap Keane on the cheek. The action triggered a red card from referee Tony Harrington and more choice words from Keane, who angrily gestured for Gueye to get off the pitch.

It was an incident reminiscent of when Lee Bowyer and Kieran Dyer had to be separated as they were sent off for fighting with each other during their Newcastle days.

Gueye's red card was part of a calamitous opening for the visitors, who also lost skipper Seamus Coleman to injury just 10 minutes into his first league start of the season.

Staggeringly, against a United side who knew victory would take them fifth in the table and on a ground where they have won once since August 1992, Everton then went in front when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall surged to the edge of the area, then sent a curling effort past goalkeeper Senne Lammens into the top corner.

Predictably, United swarmed all over their opponents looking for a way back into the contest but the equaliser would not come as Everton became the first away team to win a Premier League game at Old Trafford despite having a man sent off.

It was also a night of glory for former United boss David Moyes, who won at this stadium as an opposition manager in the Premier League for the first time.

 

[Obaidd]

Last month’s manager of the month, just lost to 10 men Everton at home. Amorim should stay till end of season but man this guy has taken Utd backwards.

 

[Technics 1210]

Everton now above Liverpool!

What an awesome season and we're not even half way there yet!

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Truly shambolic Performance. Disjointed, lethargic, void of ideas. Really xxssed off.

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

That was a shocking result and performance against a team that had 10 men for 80 mins

He played 5 at the back for a full half even though they were a man down, only changed it at half time, so strange

Palace away next, which isn't an easy game

 

[ads101]

Telling people the manager is awful. His tactics are poor, his substitutions are awful and he doesn’t adapt to the situation. That Europa league final was shocking, I’ve never seen such a stubborn unadaptable manager. Even ange played against his regular tactics in order to accommodate that most of his first team players were injured. And still Amorim lost and made subs far too late.

There is no improvement. He literally took his team to a relegation fight and then brought them back to mid table. They were already mid table side before he took over.

The only thing is the signings. Guys like mbeumo, cunha are actual quality players. Which is why Utd are doing better this season. People are just giving false praise to this manager when he doesn’t deserve it. As I said before stuff like Maguire going up to score a last minute winner isn’t a tactic, it’s desperation when the original tactics don’t work. These individual moments are just bailing the manager out.

He is completely unadaptable and United are faced with a choice. Throw hundreds of millions more and maybe with a complete team in the style he plays he might be competitive but a massive risk. Or cut short now.

I’m usually open to giving managers chances. But what I see from Amorim is truly shocking. I’ve never seen a less adaptable manager and so stubborn.

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Telling people the manager is awful. His tactics are poor, his substitutions are awful and he doesn’t adapt to the situation. That Europa league final was shocking, I’ve never seen such a stubborn unadaptable manager. Even ange played against his regular tactics in order to accommodate that most of his first team players were injured. And still Amorim lost and made subs far too late.

There is no improvement. He literally took his team to a relegation fight and then brought them back to mid table. They were already mid table side before he took over.

The only thing is the signings. Guys like mbeumo, cunha are actual quality players. Which is why Utd are doing better this season. People are just giving false praise to this manager when he doesn’t deserve it. As I said before stuff like Maguire going up to score a last minute winner isn’t a tactic, it’s desperation when the original tactics don’t work. These individual moments are just bailing the manager out.

He is completely unadaptable and United are faced with a choice. Throw hundreds of millions more and maybe with a complete team in the style he plays he might be competitive but a massive risk. Or cut short now.

I’m usually open to giving managers chances. But what I see from Amorim is truly shocking. I’ve never seen a less adaptable manager and so stubborn.

Agreed plus having 1 game each week has helped a bit, imagine adding in Europe during the week and Man U would not be much better than last season

 

[ads101]

Agreed plus having 1 game each week has helped a bit, imagine adding in Europe during the week and Man U would not be much better than last season

I agree. He even has that to his benefit. Doesn’t even need to worry about carabao either thanks to Grimsby.

Any other manager in any other club would have been sacked after finishing 15th after nearly a full season and not much injuries. Let alone Man United with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of players. And really it was more like 17th, spurs were a bit unlucky with an unreal amount of injuries, and not too bad a goal difference compared to United. I think even half the injuries spurs would have finished above United easy. And wolves finished same points, who rescued their team from relegation. Amorim actually had a bit of a head start with ten hag.

That Europa league bottle job by him also cost man united European football, money and made it harder to attract singings. And it was completely on the manager, we all saw when he made those substitutions and brought Garnacho on they were actually threatening. Way to late.

Instead he was rewarded with hundreds of millions of pounds of signings. Usually managers have to show something to earn faith in terms of financial backing. But Amorim did so badly, I think the board felt they had to back him financially if they were to keep him, as United couldn’t finish 17th again. That is a ridiculous situation to put a team like man united in.

Fans feel like they have to give managers time now. Perhaps because they were too hasty getting rid of managers in the past. Though I don’t think Mourinho or Moyes for example were great fits for man United. But there are standards, a club as large as man United shouldn’t be sinking this low.

Not to mention this manager had absolute appalling mentality last season . Calling his team terrible all the time, so defeatist. Took his team to the bottom of the table, calls them terrible nearly every press conference and gets praised for his honesty. Actually insane. I’ve never seen a manager get a free pass like that.

 

[BouncerGuy]

'I hope my players fight each other' - Amorim's Man Utd 'nowhere near'

Everton's last visit to Old Trafford triggered Ruben Amorim's infamous 'the storm is coming statement' even though his Manchester United side won 4-0.

Twelve months on, their visit brought more words of caution from Amorim about his side's evolution that proved equally perceptive.

From a United perspective, the jaw-dropping clash between Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane can be forgotten beyond the knowledge it left them facing 10 men for 77 minutes.

What followed backed up Amorim's pre-game view his side is "far from perfection".

For 77 minutes the United head coach watched his players toil.

He watched young defenders Patrick Dorgu and Leny Yoro needlessly give the ball away under no pressure as the home side were building attacking momentum.

He watched Amad Diallo take the wrong option as he tried to cause a nuisance, first as a number 10 replacement for Matheus Cunha - who was badly missed due to the injury that initially forced him to forgo switching on Altrincham's Christmas lights on Saturday evening.

He watched as the normally reliable Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes failed to execute correctly as chances went begging.

He watched as Joshua Zirkzee, given his first start of the season, and Kobbie Mainoo, given an extended run as a second-half replacement for Casemiro, failed to press their claims for more game time as is being demanded to maintain their respective World Cup hopes.

He also watched as goalkeeper Senne Lammens made a questionable attempt to save Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's first-half effort that ultimately proved decisive.

Zirkzee did force Jordan Pickford into a full length save with a header near the end.

But there was nothing more.

As Amorim said on Friday, what had been a five-match unbeaten run could quickly turn into a three-game one without a win with a trip to Crystal Palace to follow on Sunday.

"I know which point we are in," he said. "I have that feeling during this run. I always talk about that.

"We are not there, not even near the point we should be to fight for the best positions in the league.

"We have a lot to do and we need to be perfect to win games. We were not perfect today."

It is worth recapping United's last three games.

At both Nottingham Forest and Tottenham, they led. If they had maintained the advantage, United would have been second in the 'as it stands' table. On both occasions, they failed the test and actually needed late equalisers to salvage anything after falling behind.

This time round, completing the Premier League match round, United knew a win would take them fifth. If they had matched last season's result, it would have lifted them to fourth.

Let's repeat. For 77 minutes, with that prize at stake, they played against 10 men, at home. And lost.

It was the first time Manchester United have lost a Premier League match at Old Trafford after seeing the opposition pick up a red card, winning 36 and drawing 10 of the previous 46.

"Old Trafford was there saying 'we are all here to give a big step up' and I felt that we were not ready," he said.

"Again, these five weeks, when everyone is praising our evolution, I'm always saying the same things. We are not even near what we're supposed to be in this club."

The big question, a year to the day since his first game, a 1-1 draw at an Ipswich side that got relegated, is 'how far away are they?'

This is a United side with no European distractions such as the one Palace have less than three days before the Selhurst Park encounter.

The club spent £250m in the summer trying to lift a group of players that had plunged to an unthinkable 15th last season.

As they sit 10th in the table, in the middle of a group of four clubs that includes Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool, just three points off the top four, where are United headed as they go into a run of fixtures that offers huge scope to collect points?

When they finished eighth under Erik ten Hag, it was regarded as unacceptable.

"Frustration, disappointment," was Amorim's response when asked to sum up what he had just seen.

"They were the better team. We deserved to lose.

"Twenty minutes in the game, red card for the opponent. We need to win this game no matter what."

Amorim even agreed with David Moyes in saying he felt the Gueye-Keane spat showed a welcome sign of desire. It is a sight he wants to see from his own team - without the red card of course.

"Fighting is not a bad thing," he said. "Fighting doesn't mean that they don't like each other.

"Fighting is that you lose the ball and 'I will fight you because we will suffer a goal'.

"I hope my players, when they lose the ball, fight each other."

So, after the steps forward - and manager of the month award - in October, November has seen regression.

We still don't really know what this Manchester United team is. It feels like Amorim thinks the same way.

What he cannot allow is the backward steps to take them right back to the meat of last season, when every game felt like a defeat waiting to happen. When he left for games worried about what he was about to witness.

"I feel afraid of returning of this feeling of last season," he said. "That is my biggest concern.

"We need to work together. We are going to work together. The players are trying but we need to be better."

BBC