Manchester United: Ruben Amorim's biggest problem remains clear - and it's not the injury crisis | OneFootball

All-too-familiar failing comes back to haunt the depleted Red Devils once again in Tottenham defeat

As the camera panned to Ruben Amorim two thirds of the way through this 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, the Manchester United manager could be seen sat in the away dugout staring at the turf, unmoved.

It had been billed as a battle of the two laughing stocks of the so-called ‘Big Six’, a clash of two of the league’s most inconsistent teams, sitting 14th and 15th respectively heading into the game.

And sure enough, there were unsightly moments dotted throughout the contest as players inexplicably fell over each other in midfield and the ball bounced off bodies. Very little of it was pretty on the eye, particularly from the visitors. Tottenham’s sorry season is by now well-documented, but at least they have found consistency when facing United, who have lost to them in all three meetings.

In the week Ange Postecoglou could welcome back five of his injured players, his opposite number fell victim to truly rotten luck. Amad Diallo — the shining light in a dim season — is out for the rest of the campaign with ankle ligament damage, while Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo and Toby Collyer all picked up injuries leaving Amorim with a dearth of midfield options.

The United head coach was left with little choice but to hand Casemiro a first league appearance since the turn of the year, despite making it clear that he is not part of his plans going forward. The Brazilian was booked in the first half and found 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall simply too mobile to shackle in midfield.

More illustrative of this sudden injury crisis was a glance at the United bench, where Victor Lindelof was joined by eight teenagers with a combined total of zero appearances for the first team. It was a list of substitutes that resembled a lineup for the Under-18 FA Youth Cup.

“Kids [have] less responsibility, less weight on their shoulders,” said Amorim, trying to convince himself, more than anyone, that this could in fact prove a good thing.

A new excuse (injuries) or not, it was a stubbornly familiar failing that cost United, that of missed chances.

Three golden ones early on saw a previously staid match burst into life. The otherwise anonymous Rasmus Hojlund and Diogo Dalot and then the perennially misfiring Alejandro Garnacho all rained shots on the Spurs goal. A combination of Guglielmo Vicario and Ben Davies averted the danger.

As early in the game as it was, there already felt decent odds of that coming back to haunt United, given their track record this term. And very soon it did when Andre Onana made his latest mistake in goal, parrying Bergvall’s effort back out, right into the path of Maddison to tap home.

Wasteful chances had got Amorim’s men into this position, and it duly kept them there. Vicario saved twice more from Garnacho.

At the other end, United played such a risky game as they tried to get back into it, their defensive positioning so poor that gaping holes were left open for Tottenham’s nimble attackers to break into.

Postecoglou kept piling new players onto the pitch in the second half. For Amorim, only 17-year-old Chido Obi made it off the bench. The man to make way: Casemiro, whose performance summed up United more broadly. Just not at the races. Again.