New Season, Same Strife Between The Sticks For Manchester United | Jonathan Wilson

New seasons are ne'er caller starts, not entirely. The sun whitethorn person been sparkling and nan somesthesia successful nan mid‑20s. There whitethorn person been caller kits connected nan transportation and caller flags successful nan stands. There whitethorn person been an obsessive attraction connected nan caller signings. There may, among location fans, possibly particularly those refreshed successful nan caller marquee down nan Stretford End, person been a giddy anticipation that this play couldn’t beryllium arsenic bad arsenic past for Manchester United. But the roots of a crippled tally deep, stretching backmost into nan mulch of nan past. This was a crippled shaped by events past December.

Arsenal are bully astatine group pieces; United are susceptible to inswinging deliveries. In December past twelvemonth Arsenal hit United 2-0 astatine nan Emirates Stadium, some goals nan consequence of corners. United had André Onana successful extremity for that one, but Tottenham had taken announcement of nan susceptibility to balls arced into nan goalmouth, nan measurement United struggled to protect their keeper.

Two weeks later, Spurs played United successful nan Carabao Cup. Altay Bayindir was successful extremity for that 1 and endured nan indignity of being beaten nonstop from a area by Son Heung-min.

United don’t for illustration inswingers and Bayindir really doesn’t for illustration inswingers. Declan Rice is bully astatine taking inswingers. And truthful location was a definite inevitability to what happened aft 13 minutes. United had looked vaguely threatening. Arsenal had been rattled capable to perpetrate 4 fouls successful that period. Then Arsenal won a area from their left.

Rice whipped it in, Bayindir flapped and would person scored an own-goal had Riccardo Calafiori not nodded nan shot complete nan statement from nan goal-line.

Altay Bayindir makes a vain effort to punch Declan Rice’s area clear. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

United, perhaps, could constituent to nan measurement William Saliba, having grappled pinch Mason Mount, bumped into him conscionable arsenic nan shot arrived, and perhaps, fixed nan new directives to referees to ace down connected holding, a foul could person been given. But past location were half a twelve incidents that could person been penalised 1 measurement aliases nan different successful nan container from that 1 corner; immoderate refereeing determination successful specified circumstances could not but consciousness arbitrary.

Fundamentally, pinch much decisive goalkeeping location wouldn’t person been an issue. David Raya’s assertive punch to clear an inswinging free-kick from Bruno Fernandes early successful nan 2nd half, cuffing Matthijs de Ligt retired of nan way, showed nan measurement to do it.

Maybe nan affinity was ne'er wholly apt. Maybe building from nan foundations up doesn’t needfully mean getting nan defence right.

Maybe arsenic shot progressively becomes astir contented accumulation location is immoderate benignant of commercialized logic successful prioritising nan goalscorers and nan creators, nan players who will look bully clipped up or, to proceed nan metaphor, nan spire, nan ornamentation connected nan roof. But connected nan different hand, it doesn’t overmuch matter if you’ve spent £200m connected forwards if you’re going to concede goals for illustration that. Particularly if you don’t past really people yourself.

Ruben Amorim could soon find himself nether pressure. Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters

There were affirmative signs from some Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha but nan astir incisive United player, yet again, was Amad Diallo, who came disconnected nan chair to play astatine correct wing-back 10 minutes into nan 2nd half. United, perhaps, would see themselves unfortunate. Patrick Dorgu deed nan station and Raya had to make 7 saves, much than immoderate different goalkeeper connected nan opening weekend. But only his reflex extremity down to his near to support retired a Cunha effort from a constrictive perspective was a prevention that he would not needfully beryllium expected to make.

To constituent retired that United drew this fixture past play and that they’re truthful doing worse this play is connected 1 level meaningless.

But arsenic this is simply a head whose triumph percent is 37.2%, nan worst successful half a period – and if United neglect to triumph astatine Fulham adjacent week, he will driblet beneath some Frank O’Farrell and Wilf McGuinness to person nan worst triumph percent of immoderate United head since Herbert Bamlett, who was sacked successful 1931. Context matters.

There was plentifulness of mitigation connected Sunday afternoon. The person you zoom successful nan much excuses tin beryllium found: a goalkeeping error, new players settling in, a mates of close-run things. But it won’t return galore much bad results for religion successful Amorim to wane. When shape has been truthful bad, it’s only earthy to catastrophise: if they don’t triumph astatine Craven Cottage, nan adjacent location match, against newly-promoted Burnley, takes connected a ghastly aspect: not simply a game they should win, but a crippled they person to win.

This play is not discrete from nan last. New signings, a resetting of nan table, caller hope, cannot erase nan footfalls that echo successful nan memory. Poor results are a problem not only successful themselves but for nan effect they person connected games to come: clip coming and clip past are some possibly coming successful clip future.