Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info. Harry Maguire wasn't wrong when he pointed out, "Obviously, we can't be starting games like that at Old Trafford. The last time they scored a first-half goal from open play at home was Rasmus Hojlund against Nottingham Forest on December 7. They still lost. The only goal in the opening 45 minutes since then is Bruno Fernandes' penalty against Brighton.
That was the only shot on target for United that day, in another game they lost. Old Trafford lost its aura a long time ago. The Theatre of Dreams is only helping opposition players and supporters sleep soundly at night. United are finding it hard to play in front of their own fans, and there probably isn't a team in the land who would be worried about facing Ruben Amorim's team in M16 at the moment. The only games they've won at home recently have required late interventions, and the opposition - in the Foxes, Rangers and Southampton - have hardly been elite.
Far from it. Those three wins sandwich five defeats in the last eight games at home. Amorim himself has spoken regularly about the anxiousness and nerves his team and the supporters are feeling at home. There is certainly a disconnect at the moment between supporters and players. There was frustration in the stands in the first half against Leicester at the slow pace of play and then boos at half-time when they went in behind. Maguire identified it as a loss of confidence playing in front of a crowd, and that can be a particularly acute problem at Old Trafford, where gates of 74, add to the tension.
This is a crowd raised on exciting, attacking football as well. At the moment what they are seeing is risk-averse. It is also easy for the opposition to defend against. In a way, that is the inverse problem encountered by Erik ten Hag, whose United side were far too open and easy to attack against.
Either way the end result is the same, and that is a disappointing record at Old Trafford. United have lost 16 games at home since the start of last season and conceded three on 11 occasions.
