I’m not shocked by much in football now and I’m never shocked by Utd getting beat. I’ve probably seen 99.99% of United’s games since the early 90s and I know as well as anybody that we’ve still a massive target on our back and teams full of pub players like Sheff Utd will always raise their game and make life difficult.
What I was shocked by tonight was the performance. The lack of effort. The errors. The body language. I couldn’t fathom it and I still can’t. How can a team who has been so good and so consistent work themselves to the top of the table and then deliver that heartless, gutless, lazy, insipid performance?
Let’s be under no illusions. This wasn’t a heroic backs-to-the-wall performance from Sheff Utd. They couldn’t fill their bench. They had a 38 year old fat lad at CB. There first XI is made up of Championship players at best...and yet we created nothing. We put them under no pressure. Our attitude stank from start to finish. I don’t think I have ever seen less effort or desire from a Manchester Utd team in a PL game.
For me, that was THE worst performance I can recall from us in the Premier League, taking into account quality of the opposition, our current run and the total lack of effort. Yes there have been heavier defeats, but have there been any more abject? I’m not sure.