Manchester United lost against Everton in the Premier League on Monday night.
The Red Devils played most of the match with one more player since Idrissa Gueye was sent off in the first half for Everton, surprisingly, for fighting with teammate Michael Keane.
The stage was set for Ruben Amorim and his team to deliver another position result this season.
Although the Red Devils were missing the injured attacking duo Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, they still had the likes of Joshua Zirkzee, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes as their creative and attacking options.
Everton scored through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the first half and then defended brilliantly to protect their lead.
David Moyes beat Man United for the first time in his career and the defeat raised more questions about Amorim, his team and their credentials.
Ruben Amorim voiced his concern after Man United defeat
Following the match, Amorim talked about his biggest fear after a concerning loss for him team.
He said, as reported by Fabrizio Romano:
“I feel afraid of returning to this feeling of last season, that is my biggest fear.
“We need to work together and we need to be better.”
The Red Devils were unbeaten in five Premier League matches going into the match against Everton.
It looked like Amorim and his team has gained momentum and a win would have taken them closer to the top four of the Premier League.
However, the problems remain the same. The lack of creativity in the team, their poor finishing, their midfield losing focus in crucial moments and their defense showing immaturity are all crucial issues that Amorim need to address.
The Portuguese manager added:
“We didn’t play well. We didn’t understand and we were going with the flow of the game. That is my biggest concern.
“These five weeks everyone was praising our evolution and I am always saying same things, we are NOT near.
“I am really frustrated with the way we played the game, at home and understanding what happened this weekend with the other clubs, looking at the table and felling everything. And the way we presented from the first minute is really frustrating”.
While recent progress under Amorim looked like one step forward, the setback against Everton looks like two steps backwards.
The Man United boss will be hoping to get active in the January transfer window to address the issues facing his squad and to add more quality ahead of the second half of the season.