It's hard to begin with this one but I suppose we start with the significance of this now 17th loss of the season, 9th at Old Trafford and having the double done over us by West Ham for the first time in 18 years.
Ruben Amorim sees his side go down yet again after a memorable night in Europe just days earlier. This loss means that it is now seven league games without a win and another Thursday-Sunday contrast in performance and result.
The United boss fielded a surprisingly strong side from the off as all of Bruno, Ugarte, Hojlund and Yoro were in the XI three days after that win over Bilbao. This was seen as an unnecessary risk yet it did at least boost the confidence levels of us all as surely this would be a side good enough to finally get us a win domestically?
Not only were we wrong with that but also incorrect with the performance we saw. This was one of those where we didn't turn up at a time when it is needed more than ever so as to build some momentum heading into what is perhaps the biggest and most important match we've had at the club in a long time.
At no point was there any urgency from the players as they all looked like they played the entire 90 minutes on Thursday and appeared completely flat. It's understandable for those who did but for the others, it makes no sense for them to be as bad as they were.
There is very little to talk about in terms of football quality from United as we did next to nothing other than the odd half chance and Hojlund missing a sitter. What's new? To be fair to him though, the goalkeeper did make a good save yet you would expect your striker to score.
A couple of headers from set-pieces and another good stop by Alphonse Areola in goal is pretty much all United did in this utter diabolical performance.
West Ham were obviously coming into this one much fresher than United and with very little injury concerns. They showed their quality as they were far superior by doing the bare minimum.
They weren't unplayable but they had a plan, stuck to it and ended up winning the game comfortably and deservedly.
A piece of poor defending from the home team allowed the Hammers to get a relatively simple goal after some good play down the left flank. A cross was fired across the face of goal by Mohammed Kudus and found Thomas Soucek who was never going to miss from 6-yards out.
All of the back line have to be looked at with Shaw and Amass being the main culprits.
Graham Potter's players didn't truly pepper United's goal (which saw Bayindir in place of Onana) but after that 26th minute opener, just before the hour mark, Jarrod Bowen makes it 2-0 after more pathetic defending. Ex-Red Aaron Wan-Bissaka looked like prime Cafu with the way he was playing (which was always going to happen) as he got the assist for his captain.
Two relatively easy goals for West Ham and two disgraceful goals to concede from United.
Amorim obviously had to make changes but where they were the game changers on Thursday, it was a complete 180 today as no one did anything of note.
United fall to defeat and just put unnecessary pressure onto themselves as well as unnecessary anxiety into us all ahead of that final which they HAVE to win. Have to.
On top of it all and as ever with United, we pick up an injury to a key player. Yoro seemed to have suffered a foot injury of sorts that didn't look good as he went down with no one around him. He was also quite deflated when having to come off just after the restart as he had his head in his hands.
It appears that he will be OUT of the final although he was seen limping out of Old Trafford with a protective boot.
But this is an example of where I believe Amorim got it wrong. He needn't have played such a strong side. It was unnecessary due to things like this. We do want to win the game but if it came at the risk of a player or players getting injured, why do it?
The game management from him and his players was also not good enough as they did nothing to suggest they were going to get back into this game.
There was that lack of leadership again which in a match like this, is needed more than ever.
Where the manager will also be disappointed is with players like Mount, Shaw and Mainoo. Those three have a slim chance of starting the final yet did nothing to perhaps make the boss think twice about not selecting them. You would think that they would use this game as an audition for that one.
Perhaps they don't want to play the final?
That would make this performance make more sense.
An absolutely terrible performance all round from everyone involved.
Ratings
Bayindir - 5
Mazraoui - 6
Yoro - 6
Shaw - shite
Amad - 5.5
Bruno - shite
Ugarte - 5.5
Amass - 5
Mount - shite
Mainoo - shite
Hojlund - shite
Maguire - 6
Lindelof - shite
Garnacho - 6
Dorgu - 6
Eriksen - 6
Ruben Amorim - shite
Final Thoughts
This was the first game in a while where I felt that the manager got it wrong. In previous matches, I've felt that he was picking a team and tactics that were on point but those players let him down by not executing them well enough.
Today though, I didn't agree with as strong a lineup as he pickd but felt that it should win. Not only did they lose, they didn't perform and he lost a player through injury. Mazraoui was a risk which was stated by Amorim himself yet played the entire game. Bruno and Hojlund played the whole match for no reason as well.
His subs were questionable as why would you risk another player in Maguire who again, Amorim himself said is an injury concern when you have others to play instead? I'm not sure why Shaw and Mount came off as well. I know that they're two injury prone players but after having been back for so long surely they could play most of the game if not all of it?
Even if they couldn't they've been missing for so long what difference would it have made had they gotten injured due to being on the pitch for so long? I'd rather that than someone more important being out like a Bruno or Mazraoui.
Despite this though, whoever he selects should be doing much better than that.
This type of performance now makes me worried about that final, a final that I was feeling relatively confident about after Thursday.
These players and this club man. It will be the death of us all.
That Europa League is a must.
Ruben Amorim sees his Man Utd suffer 17th defeat of the Premier League season after 2-0 loss to West Ham | Ruben Amorim: | Image via Manchester United official X (@ManUtd)