By the full-time whistle, there was barely a soul left in the lower portion of the away end; a feeling all too familiar for fans of the once mighty Manchester United, following an astonishing 13th defeat of the season. That, would you believe, is more than the entirety of last season. But Erik Ten Hag’s pain – and, blimey, has he felt some pain in the last four months – was David Moyes’ gain two days before Christmas Day as West Ham ascended into the top six against a Man Utd side seemingly forever descending into a cesspit of doom this season.
Ten Hag’s side can simply have no complaints. None at all. The visitors were the fresher side on paper after a week off, but were uninspiring and ineffective throughout. A point to prove? Apparently not.
