Manchester United put in yet another dismal display as they lost to cross-town rivals Manchester City 0-3 in the Manchester derby on Sunday.
Goals from Erling Haaland either side of half-time and a second half strike from Phil Foden was enough for Pep Guardiola’s men to secure yet another victory in the derby.
VAR was yet another talking point and it would have been more of a contentious topic if the team had put up a fight. Instead they rolled over and allowed City to treat the game as a training ground routine.
A defeat against the defending champions is not necessarily a cause for concern but the manner of the defeat will rankle with fans around the world.
ETH letting the club down
Not one player tried to push the opposition on the backfoot but the biggest criticism should go to manager Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman is beginning to resemble Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho during their final campaigns and that is not a good sign.
The manager has hidden behind the excuses of injuries and off-field controversies but his team selection and flawed tactics continue to hamper the team.
He spoke of pragmatism ahead of the encounter, something that would have been a smart choice if the team looked cohesive out of possession and compact when they had the ball.
Instead all the players looked completely lost, almost like they were playing together for the first time while never even practicing together as a group.
Sofyan Amrabat looks like yet another wasted signing, like most of the manager’s previous acquisitions and he was once again substituted at half-time.
Everyone will be wondering why he selects the same personnel expecting a different result each time. His “tactical” changes before the game were also poor to say the least.
Playing Victor Lindelof for his height ahead of a proper functioning left-back was yet another bad call with the Swede struggling throughout the game.
While injuries are a concern, after over 75 games, the manager should be able to figure out his best XI. He also does not know what his Plan B will be and that is concerning to say the least.
He keeps taking off his most potent attacking outlet in the form of Rasmus Hojlund every game while his substitutions are not having the sort of impact they had last season.
ETH deserves criticism despite injuries
He has had one-and-half seasons to try and employ a discernible style of play while taking charge of transfers. There is hardly anything positive about the team at the moment.
It is safe to say the team has regressed beyond recognition while none of the new signings seem up to the standards required.
Fans inside the stadium also seem to be growing impatient with the manager. He might not be bulletproof anymore in the eyes of the fans.
United could, within a week, be knocked out of both the Carabao Cup with Newcastle United coming to Old Trafford, and the Champions League with a daunting trip to Copenhagen to come next weekend.
And that might spell doom for the manager. Tough times lie ahead of Ten Hag and United. Can they ride the storm? On current evidence, that does not look likely.