Manchester United’s Defensive Struggles Exposed in Heartbreaking Loss to Nottingham Forest
**Manchester Roari:** Manchester United suffered a frustrating 2-3 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Sunday morning WIB. The Red Devils found themselves trailing early and struggled to recover despite pulling level in the first half
Nikola Milenkovic stunned the home crowd with an early opener for Nottingham in the second minute. United responded quickly when Rasmus Hojlund slotted home to equalize in the 18th minute.
Thesee-saw battle continued into the second half, as Morgan Gibbs-White put Forest back in front in the 47th minute. Chris Wood extended that lead to 3-1 in the 54th minute before Bruno Fernandes offered a lifeline with a goal in the 61st minute.
Despiraite a furious late push for an equaliser, United’s efforts were in vain.
One particular moment in the closing stages raised eyebrows.
United goalkeeper Andre Onana appeared to be deliberately delaying a free kick in a bid to run down the clock.
After Mason Mount was fouled centrally, Onana elected to take the free-kick himself, yet placed the ball outside the designated area.
Referee Darren England reprimanded Onana, instructing him to reposition the ball. Onana miscalculated, creeping the ball forward.
This Onana free kick situation summarised this squads collective IQ 😭 #MUFC
— MUFC Scoop (@MUFCScoop) December 7, 2024
Despite warnings from the referee and a plea from defender Noussair Mazraoui, Onana persisted.
Eventually, Under pressure, Onana surrendered placing the ball correctly only to concede. According to the rules, the ball must be placed within the outlined area,
The loss leaves Manchester United languishing in 13th place with 19 points from 15 matches.
Forest’s victory propelled them to fifth place with 25 pointsresp
What specific defensive weaknesses were evident in Manchester United’s loss to Nottingham Forest?
## Manchester United’s Defensive Woes Laid Bare in Nottingham Forest Loss
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Joining us today is former Manchester United defender, Gary Neville, to discuss the Red Devils’ shocking 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford. Gary, a tough day at the office for your former club, wasn’t it?
**Gary Neville:** It certainly was, [Host’s name]. That was a really disappointing display from Manchester United. Conceding so early, again, really set the tone for the match. [[1](https://www.si.com/soccer/three-takeaways-nottingham-forest-stuns-manchester-united-old-trafford)]
**Host:** Absolutely. Nottingham Forest seemed to have a spring in their step from the first whistle. What did you make of their performance?
**Gary Neville:** You have to give credit to Nottingham Forest; they were well-organized and took their chances. Milenkovic’s early goal clearly rattled United, and they never really recovered from that initial setback. The fact that they even managed to pull level in the first half shows a degree of resilience, but the defensive vulnerabilities were there for all to see.
**Host:** Speaking of those vulnerabilities, is this a recurring theme or just a bad day at the office?
**Gary Neville:** This is becoming a worrying trend, [Host’s name]. We saw glimpses of this against Burnley as well. There’s a lack of solidity at the back, and individual errors are costing them dearly. Until they address these defensive issues, Manchester United will continue to struggle, regardless of how well their attack performs.
**Host:** Thanks for your insights, Gary. It seems like Erik ten Hag has a lot to work on with his squad. We’ll be keeping a close eye on their progress.
**Gary Neville:** It’s a pivotal point in the season for Manchester United. They need to find solutions quickly if they want to challenge for trophies this year.
