How long can Manchester United's decline continue? Premier League Hits and Misses

How long can Manchester United's decline continue?

“With bad results, it's really hard to sell an idea,” Ruben Amorim said. Sky Sports Before Manchester United's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle. “I was appointed because of this idea, and in these difficult moments if you change your mind, that is the end of any coach.” But clinging to this idea also brings problems.

Manchester United were a mess from the start against Newcastle. Some of this is due to players lacking confidence. The sad sight of Joshua Zirkzee being booed off the field before half-time was emblematic of a group of players who appear unhappy in their work.

But the system is supposed to make their job easier, not harder, and whatever your view of the quality of the team Amorim inherited, it's increasingly difficult to argue that that's not at least part of the problem. Many of them look uncomfortable in their roles.

Diogo Dalot was positioned high up the pitch for most of the game, and it was natural to have a left winger instead of the former right-back. When he got the ball, he could only shovel it inside instead of making any real play.

Noussair Mazraoui fared slightly better at the other end and Matthijs de Ligt does not want to be dragged into wide areas as happened with Alexander Isak. Lisandro Martinez is one of the few people said to be suiting this form and he could endure a miserable evening in red.

There is no doubt that Amorim would have preferred to take the job last summer or next summer rather than be immersed in a crowded fixture list and demand that problems be fixed quickly. But the hope was that he could move on and build for next season.

That remains the hope, but he certainly needs United to continue or risk starting the rebuilding process in a defensive position, where he was in doubt even before his first full season in charge. As he himself admits, there is an idea that must be sold to the players, to the public, and to his bosses.

Amorim does not need the cup. The off-season in Europe can make things simpler. There is no expectation of United Fire. Just a job. But a third consecutive defeat in the Premier League without scoring a goal is unacceptable even in this low period.
Adam Pat

Chelsea is really improving and falling behind!

It takes something special to get a 10/10 on Sky Sports Player ratings.

Well, Liam Delap is something special.

There were concerns before the match that the start of the match might be postponed due to the road being closed due to the army examining the possibility of an unexploded shell close to the ground. This device turned out to be safe, but Delap was on the verge of catching fire.

Delap's raucous show lit up Portman Road like a New Year's Eve fireworks display. It was simply unplayable.

A devastating one-man ball, weaving its way through the Chelsea defence, earning a penalty kick of his own which he of course dispatched before setting up for Omri Hutchinson to add further sting to the scoreline for Chelsea fans. It's one of them that they left in the summer.

When Ipswich were on their feet and defending their own penalty area under immense pressure from Chelsea, Delap's ability to drive the ball up the pitch was invaluable. Kieran McKenna gave him the standing ovation he deserved for his performance by knocking him out in stoppage time. A legend was truly born. Ipswich now has real hopes of survival with a player of such potential in their ranks.
Lewis Jones

Members of Chelsea's B team fail first-team test

Due to a busy festive schedule, Enzo Maresca made five changes to the side that was beaten by Fulham on Boxing Day.

Filip Jorgensen, Axel Disasi, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku were among those brought in by Maresca to avoid a second successive defeat.

Jorgensen found himself on the end of foul play with just 10 minutes on the clock when he was adjudged to have hit Liam Delap in the penalty area.

Despite a strong performance afterwards, Chelsea were chasing the game after the penalty. Disasi gifted Ipswich their second goal, five days after Christmas, with a languid back pass into the path of Delap who passed to Omari Hutchinson.

Joao Felix, who had his goal ruled out for offside, could not be relied upon to get the equalizer as he was sent off seconds after Ipswich's second goal. Christopher Nkunku struggled to replicate his form in cup competitions, missing a great chance to equalize and losing six direct duels up front.

Much has been said about Maresca's senior squad before the start of the season, but halfway through the season, it has already become clear who Maresca feels he can rely on. Defeat to Ipswich wasn't enough to change his mind.
WILLIAM PETTYBERRY

Villa fails but Watkins Stakes calls to start

Regardless of the late equalizer, Watkins staked his claim to the starting striker's role against Brighton.

The England international returned to Villa's starting line-up for the first time in three Premier League matches following John Doran's suspension and made it count.

He had scored more goals against Brighton than any other team before this match and took that tally to seven from the penalty spot in the first half.

Last season's Playmaker of the Season winner put those credentials to good use shortly after the start of the second half, with Rogers also helping out.

Celebrating his 29th birthday that day, Watkins received the perfect gift of potentially winning his starting place with this performance, but it would be slightly marred by late chances he was unable to convert.

Villa have two high-profile strikers competing for this role and they seem to get the best out of them when they are on the pitch.
Pat Rowe

Seagulls stall European bid under Horzler

Brighton's promising start under Fabian Horzler has faded and their hopes of qualifying for Europe will depend on turning draws into wins.

Their point at Aston Villa means they have failed to win any of their last seven league games for the first time since April 2022 under Graham Potter.

Fulham are the only team to have dropped more points (19) from winning positions this season than Brighton. Horzler's team is full of exciting young players, but their style, especially at home, was heavy-handed. Five draws at the Amex – nine in total – is not good enough for a team containing such talent.

Even more worrying is that Brighton's winless run has not come against any of the top teams. They failed to beat Aston Villa, Brentford, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Leicester, Fulham and Southampton.

After spending nearly £200m in the summer, pressure is mounting on Horzler to improve in the second half of the season. He should stop worrying about the officials' performance after receiving his fourth yellow card and focus on meeting expectations.
David Richardson