RUBEN AMORIM reckons his side are the “worst Manchester United team in history” – and he might be right.
The Red Devils slumped to a woeful 3-1 defeat to Brighton yesterday to leave them 13th in the table.
It was United’s fifth defeat and third at home in just eight games.
Winning at Old Trafford is proving a huge problem and in 12 league matches, they have been beaten six times in front of their own fans.
The horror run matched an unwanted club record set 131 years ago for most home league games lost after 12 outings.
Back then in the 1893/94 season, United went by the name of Newton Heath.
In their green and gold shirts, they ended up losing seven at home that year and got relegated.
United were known as Newton Heath when they were founded in 1878 by the carriage and wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway depot.
They were re-branded as Manchester United in 1902 after the club ran into debts and changed ownership.
This season is set to go down in history for all the wrong reasons and the defeat to Brighton set more shocking records.
It was the Seagulls’ third straight win at Old Trafford to hand United their tenth Premier League loss in 22 games this season.
It it the earliest they have hit double figures for defeats since 1989/90.
Yankuba Minteh got the scoring underway for Brighton after just five minutes and it was the fifth time in a row they conceded the first goal at Old Trafford, their joint-longest ever run.
These damming stats come after a woeful December that saw United lose three consecutive domestic games at home for the first time since 1979.
And Amorim’s men suffered defeat on six occasions last month in all competitions, which was the most amount of losses in a single month since September 1930.
United were last relegated at the end of the 1973/74 campaign and despite Amorim claiming going down is a “possibility”, they sit ten points above the drop zone.
Man Utd ratings vs Brighton
By Ken Lawrence
ANDRE ONANA 4 – No chance with either of the Seagulls’ first two goals. But an awful howler to gift them their third.
MATTHIJS DE LIGT 5 – Certainly doesn’t look like he likes players running at him as Kaoru Mitoma constantly did. Looked unsure of himself throughout.
HARRY MAGUIRE 6 – The one member of United’s three-man central defence who looked like he knew what he was doing. Beginning to believe in himself again.
LENY YORO 5 – The £52M youngster is still settling into the Premier League to be fair to him. But he is certainly taking his time about it.
NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI 4 – Has been one of the few consistent successes of Ruben Amorim’s tactical revolution. Yet he had a real shocker this time around.
MANUEL UGARTE 5 – Supposedly “tired” in the 3 – 1 win over Southampton the midfielder looked brighter here. Yet he still doesn’t look that switched-on
KOBBIE MAINOO 4 – Where is last season’s Kobbie? Looks nothing like the buzzing homegrown midfielder who burst on the scene last season.
DIOGO DALOT 5 – Did his duties as a left wing-back to the best of his abilities. Another United player, however, who looked nothing like sharp enough.
AMAD DIALLO 7 – Thursday night’s 12-minute treble hero on a high again – unlike, again, so many team-mates. Sometimes his footwork is just dazzling.
BRUNO FERNANDES 6 – Ultra-cool from the spot but that goal didn’t do much to raise his performance level. Had one of those days where nothing really clicked.
JOSHUA ZIRKZEE 5 – “Won” the penalty after being brought down although Carlos Baleba’s challenge would have looked good in a wrestling ring. There’s a footballer in there somewhere…
SUBS
ALEJANDRO GARNACHO (for Mainoo 64) 5 – Struggled to make an impact in a team that was being taken apart.
TOBY COLLYER (for Ugarte 64) 5 – Plenty of youthful commitment but still too inexperienced to lift a side as poor as Amorim’s.
ANTONY (for Mazraoui 84) 4 – Talk about a last throw of the dice by Amorim???
RASMUS HOIJLUND (for Zirkzee 84) 4: Given a thankless task in the closing moments of another depressing display.
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