Man Utd analysis: Season on the brink of collapse

Over the past five weeks, a season that has been delicately placed for weeks has now suddenly lurched downwards to the point where United are staring into the abyss.

While seventh in the Premier League is not catastrophic, if results against Manchester City and Arsenal go to form, they could be firmly in the bottom half of the table by the time they entertain Fulham on 1 February, where the 1958 Group of supporters plan a mass demonstration against the ownership.

The backdrop could hardly be worse for any new manager and does not offer the same immediate uplift opportunity Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enjoyed when he replaced Jose Mourinho in 2018.

It also means United face a 40-game season, their lowest since before the First World War. This is hardly going to help the financial situation Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pledged to improve, but has now added to substantially twice by sacking managers he backed at the end of the previous season - and to the tune of more than £200m.

There was not even consolation today in the form of youth.

Teenage forward Shea Lacey is predicted to hit the heights in his career. However, he will not remember his Old Trafford debut fondly.

Already booked after being introduced as a substitute with half an hour remaining, Lacey reacted to a decision going against him by bouncing the ball down in disgust and the dismissal left him almost in tears as he left the field.