More anguish as dismal Red Devils collapse again

This absurd afternoon ended with Bruno Fernandes reproaching the away end for booing both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the players that had bothered to go over. That was a landmark moment.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

Watford King (28), Sarr (44), Joao Pedro (90+2), Dennis (90+6) 4

Manchester United Van de Beek (50), Maguire (sent off 69) 1

It is not an exaggeration to describe this as the worst performance of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. The scale of ineptitude was simply remarkable. It also puts United in as bad a position as they’ve been in that time, seventh in the league after 12 games, but with just four points from the last seven and that despite the highest wage bill in football.

The contrast between that and Watford should of course mean the story is as much about Claudio Ranieri’s brilliantly enthusiastic team, but it is difficult not to even put that down to how bad United were.

Everyone was awful bar David De Gea and substitute Donny van de Beek, who of course scored to even make one of the positives look bad for Solskjaer given how he has left him out. Cristiano Ronaldo was meanwhile just missing chances. Harry Maguire was sent off after two bookings in seven minutes, and the most ludicrous of second yellow cards. The centre-half, like his team, just played himself into trouble.