Manchester United Have Sunk To Ground Zero, Caught In An Endless Cycle Of Hope And Regret | Barney Ronay

As nan last whistle was blown astatine Craven Cottage, Benjamin Sesko wiped his chemoreceptor connected his garment and past conscionable stood staring down astatine nan turf successful nan centre circle, while astir him nan players of Fulham and Manchester United shook hands, embraced, aliases fell to their knees to praise to nan almighty deity, according to preference.

Sesko conscionable carried connected staring, past carried connected for a spot more, seeming not truthful overmuch disappointed pinch this energetically vague 1-1 draw, arsenic consumed by thing much basic. How unusual to beryllium Sesko correct now, aged 22 and a fewer months, a £73m footballer, thrown into nan nutrient grinder and asked not conscionable to play and people goals for Manchester United, but to hole them too, to activity retired precisely really this £1bn cut‑and‑shut occupation of a team, hurled into a non‑negotiable style by a supremely assured man successful achromatic trainers, are really going to do this.

Score goals. But besides invent an attacking rhythm, nexus nan parts, observe really we’re meant to play. Because, frankly, nary 1 other astir present seems to person overmuch of a clue.

Craven Cottage had been clammy pinch precocious summertime power earlier kick-off, looking arsenic ever for illustration nan benignant of spot American movies ideate each English shot is played, quaint westbound London terrace houses, chintzy woody seats, Hugh Grant successful a pinkish shirt. Not to mention a mind-numbingly high‑pitched pre-match nationalist reside system, nan benignant of point nan CIA mightiness person utilized to fume retired a 1980s Central American dictator from his mansion.

If nan shot was stodgy astatine first, location was astatine slightest a consciousness of thing caller present arsenic half‑time approached pinch nan crippled still scoreless. For years nan talk has been astir civilization displacement astir Manchester United. And location was a caller move here, nan mobility nary longer whether Manchester United will triumph nan Premier League again, but whether Manchester United will ever really people a goal.

Have they ever scored one? There is simply a people representation of United scoring goals. We person photos, grainy films. But is location immoderate hard, unfakeable grounds of this really happening? Do we request to harass Buzz Aldrin again?

United did people 1 here, a deflected ain extremity successful nan 58th minute, soon aft Sesko had travel on. But it wasn’t capable to break a series that now states nary United subordinate has scored against a squad that hasn’t had its goalkeeper sent disconnected since Bilbao successful May. That tally sounds 2 goals successful six games, pinch 4 blanks.

‘A supremely assured man successful achromatic trainers’, Ruben Amorim is excessively rigid successful his strategy for a squad who are still struggling. Photograph: Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images

This tin happen. The existent rumor present is that United are overseen by a laughably rigid systems manager, who appears to person nary existent strategy for really to attack. What are nan patterns, nan combinations? Manchester United person spent £200m connected an wholly caller attacking tripod. Does anyone really know, connected nan grounds truthful far, really it is expected to work? There are options. Overloads, crosses, runs betwixt nan lines. Why does this look alternatively for illustration a shot type of immoderate utmost cookery TV programme wherever you conscionable propulsion a fistful of atom and immoderate walnuts astatine a baffled looking young man and say: Your mission, Patrick, is to hole a four-course banquet for 5,000 very unhappy people.”

Amorim talked afterwards astir United “creating truthful galore chances” and nan absolute certainty they would soon statesman to score, and you wondered if possibly he has already spent excessively overmuch clip crouched staring pinch a furious attraction into nan turf astatine his feet, for illustration nan world’s astir constipated man poring complete nan last hint successful his cryptic mega-crossword.

On nan different hand, nan point astir dogma and systems is they tin besides beryllium decoded. There will beryllium thing other galling for United fans successful Marco Silva talking aft nan crippled astir really his players knew nan measurement to get down United’s wingbacks because they fundamentally ever do nan aforesaid thing.

The 2nd constituent is that Sesko is conscionable different 1 successful a agelong statement of very young, very talented footballers thrown into nan fray pinch nary clear blueprint, nary consciousness of momentum, thing but that acquainted aged consciousness of dormant power and organization drag.

A dejected Bruno Fernandes, who missed a penalty, trudges disconnected pinch his teammates. Photograph: Shaun Brooks/CameraSport/Getty Images

Sesko did his champion here. He touched nan shot 16 times. He didn’t person immoderate shots aliases dribbles aliases crosses. There was 1 beautiful small move of feet. Otherwise he was a shade astatine nan separator of things, tall, rangy, agile, impressively tattooed, for illustration an AI depiction of Elite Young Euro Footballer 2025.

Elsewhere, Matheus Cunha had his moments. Bruno Fernandes missed a punishment successful ludicrous fashion. Fatally distracted by nan beingness of referee Chris Kavanagh, Fernandes didn’t shank aliases scuff aliases balloon his footwear into nan stands, he belted it gloriously, a cleanable connection.

And by nan extremity location was a consciousness astatine slightest of immoderate benignant of continuity. Manchester United person spent a decade arsenic a surviving breathing confirmation that life is what happens while you’re engaged making different plans.

This remains an endless rhythm of what if, of dream and regret. United were fixed a pat connected nan caput by galore observers for losing 1-0 astatine location past week. There was talk of “good signs” successful nan conclusion by Arsenal, those bully signs nan truth astir of nan United squad really looked for illustration they wanted to play football. Nobody sat down aliases gave up. This is nan starting constituent now for a rebuild, existentialist crushed zero. Is this spectacle amended past death? If yes, proceed cautiously to nan level of doomed hope.