Farewell to 2023 for United fans.
9 - Manchester United have lost as many as nine of their first 20 league games in a season for the first time since 1989-90; it's as many defeats as they suffered in the whole of 2022-23. Crisis. #NFOMUN pic.twitter.com/R3fucCNeBs
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2023
21 - Manchester United have lost 21 games in all competitions in 2023 - only in 1930 (28), 1972 (25) and 1921 (24) have they ever lost more in a calendar year. Defeatist. #NFOMUN pic.twitter.com/zVd15K4MRm
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2023
Ben Fisher was at the City Ground to report on a famous Forest win.
Should you be in the UK/Ireland and be able to view this, this counterattack and goal sums up the whole day for both Forest and United.
"Morgan Gibbs-White with a RUTHLESS finish!" 💥
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 30, 2023
Forest are back in front! 🌳 pic.twitter.com/IjGLZD0fOO
Full-time: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Manchester United
A famous home win over United, a first for Forest since Clough times. Nuno has presided over a revival of two wins in two matches, and his appointment looks inspired. All credit to his team, who scored two fine goals, and Matt Turner, the goalkeeper who redeemed himself. As for Manchester United, we’ve all seen that movie before. They will need far more than marginal gains. They were awful. Again.
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90+10 min: A final chance for United? Diallo plays the ball inside and Eriksen can only swipe it wide….That’s it. Matt Turner falls to the floor in relief and so does Morgan Gibbs-White.
90+8 min: Forest try to eat up time, but concede a second ball. Garnacho fights for the ball and concedes a foul. He can very hotheaded.
90+7 min: Diallo has looked useful, and cuts in and shoots. Turner saves well again. Just don’t ask him to kick it.
90+6 min: Forest setting up camp in their area. Gibbs-White appears to have hurt his shoulder. Bruno Fernandes is shaking his head in the style we have become accustomed to.
90+5 min: United corner…Eriksen takes. Lots of pushing and shoving. Fernandes gets the ball to the back post, it comes off a load of players and Turner – again – makes a fine save.
90+3 min: A collision between Evans and Gibbs-White leads the Forest player to hit the ground. Sir Dave and Sir Alex don’t look too amused in the stand.
90+2 min: Garnacho overcooks a ball played to Reguillon as Ten Hag tells his players to calm down. The weather has taken a turn for the worse.
90 min: United sub: Reguillon on for Wan-Bissaka. There will be 10 minutes added on. From who knows when?
89 min: United are awarded a corner. It should have been Forest’s ball. Eriksen wafts it straight to the grateful, relieved Turner.
88 min: Mangala booked for a tactical foul almost immediately.
87 min: Forest subs: Aina, Danilo and Elanga off. Boly, Toffolo and Mangala on.
86 min: A delay as Stockley Park gets confused over who should be booked. Garnacho is booked, McTominay’s is rescinded. Or something. It’s not clear.
84 min: Huge cheers as Turner sits on the ball after United try and find their way back again. Forest, with a former United winger in Elanga, are far more dangerous on the counter.
Goal! Nottingham Forest 2-1 Manchester United (Gibbs-White, 82)
Garnacho, from distance, forces a save from Turner…well done, it was a fine save. Forest get the ball clear, and go all the way back, and Gibbs-White comes on to Elanga’s ball and smashes past Onana. Turner’s redemption came quickly.
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80 min: Huge credit to Garnacho, too. He’s a canny lads, knows all the tricks, knows a dodgy keeper when he sees it. Matt Turner may live to regret that his manager is an ex-goalie.
79 min: If ever the phrase “get it launched” was appropriate then Matt Turner’s folly wa it. Meanwhile, a Forest sub: Dominguez, the scorer, off, and Hudson-Odoi on.
Goal! Nottingham Forest 1-1 Manchester United (Rashford, 78)
Oh, Matt Turner! He next tries to kick clear. Straight to Garnacho, over to Rashford, first time, and goal. Oh Matt Turner, that was a gift.
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76 min: Matt Turner almost kicks the ball back into his own net by kicking with an impossible spin, the type Tiger Woods might use on the greens of Augusta from the fringe. He is protected by his defenders as he jumps to claim.
75 min: Williams’ first act is to be pushed over by an over-eager Garnacho.
74 min: Forest change: the excellent Montiel for Neco Williams, full-back for full-back.
72 min: United have ball-players in Eriksen and Fernandes. They haven’t seen much of the ball; Fernandes plays a nice pass out left, and Dalot tries to find Eriksen. They’re still awful, anyway. In every department.
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70 min: Final call for debut albums, with Randy Gatley in Canada’s diverse selection: “Still taking debut album submissions? How about Crazy Rhythms by the Feelies, Extractions by Dif Juz, Paid in Full by Eric B & Rakim, and to keep things vaguely on topic, the first Tindersticks and the first Stone Roses.”
Dif Juz?
69 min: United seem to have woken up. Forest looking to sit back and counter?
67 min: Chance for Garnacho from a corner. He takes to the air…and….maybe he will only ever score one acrobatic volley but at least he can say he’s done it. Or will it be like Roberto Carlos and free-kicks? Always attempting the same thing, and never recreating it.
66 min: William in Germany nominates Elvis Costello’s My Aim Is True: “Yes, the phenomenal Elvis Costello debut album. It’s such a good debut album that it seems too mature to even *be* a debut album.”
The backing band is not the Attractions but the band who became Huey Lewis & The News.
65 min: Much credit must go to Danilo for his part in that goal. No credit need to be offered to United’s dreadful defending.
Goal! Nottingham Forest 1-0 Manchester United (Dominguez, 64)
It had been coming. The ball goes into the area, Varane and Evans fail to read it and Dominguez just has to pass the ball into the net. A deserved Forest goal.
Updated
61 min: Marcus Rashford is down, and looks in pain. He looks to jar his knee, and has his hands over his eyes. He’s at least sat up. And gets up, only to leave the field very slowly.
60 min: Forest are again over-elaborate on the set piece. Get it launched, lads!
59 min: Another booking as Varane legs up Elanga. The Frenchman was having to make up for his own mistake there.
57 min: Aggro aggro. Gibbs-White smashes into McTominay and Evans. He’s booked. Correctly so. He got a bit excited. Dalot is booked for dissent. A VAR red card inquiry lets off the Forest man to loud applause.
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55 min: Hello! Dalot gets the ball 30 yards out after a slick United passing move – Diallo involved – and it smashes back out off the post. Antony, by the way, looked to have an injury.
54 min: Another United change: Amad Diallo comes on for Antony.
Reminder: Diallo cost United a deal around 40m euros. He has talent but…is yet to show it.
53 min: All Forest, and Wan-Bissaka lucky not to concede a penalty as he slides in. United get some respite as Garnacho escapes before Niakite comes across.
51 min: McTominay comes back to clear up danger. Forest are the better team here, and by some way. United are just…United, the bad United. The ball is hacked clear by Eriksen as Forest build up a head of steam.
50 min: Forest fans call for a penalty as Evans steps across and Gibbs-White comes across him. No, never. Though can you say never with penalties these days?
48 min: Marcus Rashford is having one. Having received the ball with his back to goal he swings a heel at it. Aimless, useless, what was the point?
47 min: Richard Hirst: “Good to know there are so many aged (prog) rockers in the world. I give you Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company ft J Joplin.”
Paul Griffin: “Dre’s, er, pharmacologically extravagant The Chronic, John Grant’s sumptuously maudlin Queen of Denmark, Jonsi from Sigur Ros’s astonishing Go. BTW whatever happened to thingy Knowles out of Destiny’s Child? Trying to remember has got me feeling crazy right now.”
Francis Mead: “Debut albums: The Doors. Led Zeppelin. Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jimi Hendrix. Not very original, but hard to deny.”
Robert Tyler: “Best debut albums you say? The Cars. Still a repeat listen (I don’t like to recall how many) years after I first bought it. Definitely better than this match. Even better than the burger and tasty beer that’s helping me watch this match.
46 min: As I am swamped by talk of debut albums, we have a football game on, and Manchester United have made a change. Scott McTominay is on for Kobbie Mainoo.
Jeff K gets in touch: “The Velvet Underground and Nico has to be up there as one of the great debut albums, and ahead of Patti Smith’s Horses. What do you think?”
Yes, agree, though I actually prefer Doug Yule-era Velvets to Cale-era. America’s greatest ever band, whatever.
Charles Antaki gets in touch: “I bow to Kári Tulinius for the nomination of Björk and Lauren Hill. But George Harrison? Agreed, we learnt something about him, but I’m not sure that it was much to his credit. Wonderful musicianship and all, and he was due some recognition, but I for one just can’t bear his whiny, adenoidal vocals, and I suspect that anyone who was unwary enough to buy All Things Must Pass will have found that three quarters of it was fairly dismal going. There. I’ve got that off my chest after 30 years.”
I tend to agree on that album, though love the first side. Apple Jam? Nah, you’re alright.
Jeremy Boyce gets in touch: “Which of them would be more likely to win them the match ? Lord Ferg of teacups, or Sir Dave of marginal gains ? As it goes, not much sign of the marginal gains recently, some scatter-gun transfer policy on the bike front and no trophies to show for a lot of dosh spent, sounds familiar?”
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Joe Pearson gets in touch: “How interesting that Kári Tulinius mentions debut albums. In a bit of MBM Synchronicity, I am currently listening to Deep Track’s countdown of Top Fifty debut albums. We’re in the 30s right now, and some of the choices so far have been odd. I mean, I like Rush, but their debut was meh at best. If you want an all-time debut album, may I point you to ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’? You’re welcome!”
Good choice, though I prefer Larks Tongues in Aspic and Red. Great debut albums? Wire - Pink Flag, Television – Marquee Moon, Suede – Suede, Patti Smith – Horses.
Half-time: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Manchester United
Cold turkey, constipated, and whatever such metaphors. Nuno will be the happier of the managers; his team have looked organised. Erik Ten Hag’s United have followed the same pattern of much of their away form this year: disjointed, clueless, waiting for something to happen without doing anything to inspire it.
Updated
45 min: Onana takes the ball out of his area and blams it into Chris Wood’s chops. There’s only a minute added. United’s wingers have changed wing. Bit late in this half?
44 min: Forest keep forcing corners. Will they get in in the mixer? This time Gibbs-White does just that, after a shoving session is called to a halt. Onana looks panicky but then punches well clear. Credit to him for that.
42 min: Forest free-kick, taken short, and lofted to Murillo, who lets the ball go out. Frankly dreadful football but of a piece with what’s been a post Christmas stinker. Like the first bin day after new year.
40 min: Antony looks pained by his lack of involvement. In truth, all of United’s forwards have been Nuno-ed. He always was a decent organiser of a defence.
37 min: Rashford appears, at last, and tries to release the similarly anonymous Antony. Zero timed by zero: turns out it equals zero.
35 min: Marcus Rashford is away….as in, he’s done the square root of nothing and United could do with someone filling in for him.
Updated
33 min: Clash between Danilo and Mainoo, and the United youngster took a sore one in trying to win the ball.
32 min: Elanga finds space in United’s box, and sets up Danilo, and the shot is lofted high. That was a good position wasted.
29 min: Montiel, a player of pedigree, is doing a number on Argentine compatriot Alejandro Garnacho. Perhaps it may come time to switch wings.
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28 min: Up in the stands, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Dave Brailsford are sat together.
27 min: Jonny Evans forced to clear up a mess made by Onana’s poor play with his feet. From the corner, the ball falls to Danilo, but the venomous strike comes off Wan-Bissaka’s rippling thighs.
26 min: United attempt to thread a move together before Eriksen – of all people – just blams the ball at the knee of Marcus Rashford, and there’s nothing he can do to control that.
23 min: Neither Erik Ten Hag nor Nuno are giving much away on the sidelines. Not much being created out there.
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22 min: Bit of United pressure, though Forest are holding their defensive line well enough.
19 min: Kári Tulinius gets in touch: “Every once in a while a musician whose creativity was subsumed within a band steps out with a brilliant solo album that shows them in a new light. Think Björk’s Debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and All Things Must Pass by George Harrison. Raphaël Varane’s move to Manchester has been a bit like that. In the well-functioning defenses of France and Real Madrid, his brilliance was easy to miss. But in United, watching as he reads the game and makes crucial interventions with the minimum of fuss is his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.”
Elanga is penalised for pushing over Jonny Evans in the chase down a channel. Evans is regaled as a “Leicester reject.” He did OK for Leicester, right?
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18 min: Damian Clarke gets in touch: “Ah, Elm Park in the 80s. £2 entry for under 15s, and a couple of pints in The Foresters after, 75p for the under 15s. Happy days.”
17 min: Bruno Fernandes is putting himself about. I guess that’s what they call ‘leading the press’. Forest are struggling to get the ball clear down their left-hand channel.
16 min: United slow it down. They’ve been slowish and attack and hurried in defence. Not a good combination. Forest have been similar, too.
14 min: Ball escapes to Fernandes, Garnacho is the target and Montiel just does enough to distract him.
12 min: Almost an own-goal! Varane misreads a cross from a speeding Elanga and throws himself at it. Onana is all at sea but the ball doesn’t angle towards the goal. United looking wobbly.
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11 min: United scrabble away Gibbs-White’s rather looping kick, both Murillo and Danilo failing to make much contact,
10 min: Montiel’s cross is knocked behind. United are ropey at set pieces. What can Forest find from a corner?
8 min: Midfield is full of zip but little in the way of creativity. Two very scratchy teams out there today.
7 min: Chris Wood, full of confidence, granted loads of space, dips a shot wide.
6 min: Matt Turner looks a tad discomfited by the ball being played back to him.
4 min: Great noise from the fans of the Tricky Trees. The City Ground is a fine place to watch football, and remember how things once were. Forest almost get in a mess, Matt Turner’s pass almost going straight to Bruno Fernandes. Dalot claims a corner, and doesn’t get one when he should.
2 min: The corner is taken short and Gibbs-White aims for the back post and Anthony Elanga. But the ball goes out.
1 min: And away they go in the 100th league meeting between two storied clubs. Forest have the first attack, with Gibbs-White setting up Dominguez, who fires wide, via a deflection.
Eric Petersen gets in touch: “Happy New Year from Pittsburgh! Jeff Sax says “chaos”, I say “transition” (not that I think you’re wrong at all, mate; po-tay-to, po-tah-to). What’s most crucial to me is Manchester United’s utter lack of a proper football operations apparatus in their club structure right now, which goes back through the majority of the Sir Alex reign. We’re talking about a couple of decades of organizational inertia that the Ratcliffe folks have to arrest here.
“Moving forward, the job of manager will be within that construct, rather than over and above it all like a fiefdom. It will be a fundamentally different job than the one Erik ten Hag was hired to do. This will go one of two ways: either Ten Hag will thrive because he’ll be free from a lot of organizational baloney and can better focus on just managing the squad, or he’ll chafe at the loss of influence and find that the new normal isn’t to his liking. I think he’ll get the courtesy of a chance seeing as he’s the incumbent, but I also think he’ll be on a short leash.”
The teams are out, Mull of Kintyre is playing as both clubs seek to put a happy cap on 2023.
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Andreas Klopp gets in touch: “I’m expecting another magic hat-trick from Chris Wood, a striker who has just discovered his inner Ronaldinho.”
Erik Ten Hag on Antony selection: “ He will have a good feeling. It is a good opportunity for him to show that we have coached a lot and trained a lot about runs in behind, and we expect that from all but especially the front line.”
Conor Galaska gets in touch: “You asked: ‘Didn’t Tim Robinson used to open the batting for Notts?’ I can’t hear his name without thinking of the hilarious Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave.”
Jeff Sax gets in touch: “After reading that article by Jamie Jackson, I am convinced the chaos will increase at United.”
Didn’t Tim Robinson used to open the batting for Notts? Anyway, that team news: United without Hojlund, who broke his duck against Aston Villa but is out with ilness – a lot of it about in the wider world. Antony comes in, suggesting Alejandro Garnacho goes back to the left. Nicolas Dominguez and Ryan Yates come in for Forest; out go Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ibrahim Sangare. It’s 4-2-3-1 v 4-2-3-1, with Chris Wood leading the Forest line and Rashford for United. One of them is in riproaring form.
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The teams
Nottm Forest: Turner, Montiel, Niakhate, Murillo, Aina, Danilo, Yates, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Elanga, Wood. Subs: Tavares, Worrall, Mangala, Williams, Kouyate, Hudson-Odoi, Toffolo, Vlachodimos, Boly.
Man Utd: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Dalot, Mainoo, Eriksen, Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho, Rashford. Subs: Bayindir, Reguilon, Diallo, Pellistri, van de Beek, McTominay, Gore, Mejbri, Kambwala.
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
The boss makes one change for our final test of 2023 👊
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 30, 2023
🔄 @Antony00 replaces Rasmus Hojlund, who misses out through illness.#MUFC || #NFOMUN
Your Reds to take on @ManUtd 👊
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) December 30, 2023
A stat from Sky Sports that belies Forest’s record as a former bogey team: “Nottingham Forest have lost their last 11 meetings with Manchester United in all competitions, including each of the last four at home by an aggregate score of 17-1.”
Last time out.
Erik ten Hag’s job is safe – for now.
I’m focused on the game[s] so far, so I said: ‘No, in this moment I don’t want to have distractions.’ But in the coming days, weeks, there will be time for this, and then I’ll know more.
But I think it’s a good thing, it’s very positive. We are really looking forward to working together. Ineos wants to work with me, in this structure and I want to work with them. The schedule is so condensed so I didn’t have the time so far to speak with them but it will come.
“We always want to win, it doesn’t matter who is [the leader], we are appointed here to win, so in this area, we need a winning culture no matter who is in the lead, no matter who is the owner. But of course, the owners can inspire you.
Jamie Jackson considers the ‘new’ Manchester United.
On one side is Ratcliffe and his key lieutenants, Sir Dave Brailsford (Ineos director of sport) and Jean Claude Blanc (Ineos Sport CEO), both of whom will take seats on the football board when the deal is ratified, as expected, by the Premier League in a minimum of six weeks’ time.
On the other is the American family led by Joel Glazer, the de facto head of its collective ownership, who runs United on a day-to-day basis from his Florida headquarters.
Ratcliffe may control football operations but how clear are the demarcations of where these end and the commercial operations begin? If the manager wants, say, £100m for a new central midfielder, what use is Ratcliffe’s team sanctioning this if the Glazers then say no?
Preamble
It was a Christmas period of change for both clubs, with Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal going through at United and Forest getting in Nuno as a new manager. Both clubs were rewarded with 3-2 wins for their new regimes and then Forest followed that up by beating Newcastle 3-1, a huge win. United remain English football’s great soap opera, not so much an enigma as reliably unreliable. In the olden days, Forest were something of a bogey team for United, give or take an 8-1 or the 1992 League Cup final. Forest remained relatively strong at home, even when Steve Cooper was on his last legs, while United are better away from home though that also takes into account a dreadful home record. Something’s got to give here, and when that’s the case, it’s usually United. It was a Nuno Wolves team that clipped the wings of a flying Ole Gunnar Solskjær team with an FA Cup win in 2019.
Kick-off at 5.30pm UK time. Join me.
