Thursday nights were Ruben Amorim’s savior at Manchester United last season, although there was no consolation in that slot this week, after the dismal home draw against relegation strugglers West Ham United.
A tepid and uninspiring display saw the hosts almost sleepwalk to that eventual 1-1 scoreline, despite taking the lead through Diogo Dalot in the second half, with the Red Devils almost displaying a refusal to put the match to bed.
Even with the return of Matheus Cunha reinstated in the forward line, it was particularly worrying to see how light United looked when it came to attacking options, particularly with Benjamin Sesko the only senior star currently sidelined in that department.
In defense too, the frustrating absence of previously ever-present Matthijs de Ligt also left Amorim scrambling to reorganize their defensive unit, with the surprise inclusion of 19-year-old Ayden Heaven seemingly backfiring.
Ayden Heaven’s game in numbers against West Ham
Arriving from Arsenal in January, the teenage sensation looked impressive in his few outings last season, with club legend Wayne Rooney suggesting it looked like he had been “there for years”, following his remarkable, if brief, impact.
Cruelly injured against Leicester City just a few games into his United run, Heaven has since remained on the periphery in 2025/26, his only start before Thursday coming in the debacle at Grimsby.
As was the case on that rainy night at Blundell Park, the England junior international had a rabbit in the headlights during his performance against the Hammers, notably receiving an early yellow for a reckless challenge on Jarrod Bowen.
Unstable in a new role at the heart of the backline, in the absence of De Ligt, Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro on the bench, the youngster was somewhat battered against the experienced Callum Wilson, failing to win a single duel, according to Sofascore.
Indeed, the imposing defender was unable to complete a single tackle or interception, while recording a low passing accuracy rate of 67% from just 17 touches, before being rightly taken off at the break.
His age is such that the £1 million signing should certainly not be written off as it is unlikely to be the end of his United career.
On the contrary, attention should focus more on Amorim, with the Portuguese replacements also due to be scrutinized.
Man Utd replacement appears to be on borrowed time
As three-time winner Roy Keane suggested after the match, the hosts were almost trying to see the match out as if they were champions, sending the ball over without believing they would need a second goal to win the match.
This approach perhaps stems from Amorim’s second-half changes, with Joshua Zirkzee and the aforementioned Cunha both withdrawn for midfielders Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte.
The decision to remove goalscorer Dalot also raised eyebrows, not least because the Portuguese defender had actually appeared ensconced in that unorthodox left-back berth.
The move was made even more bizarre given the criticism Amorim had leveled at his replacement, Patrick Dorgu, ahead of the weekend at Selhurst Park, highlighting the “anxiety” that has characterized the Dane’s play of late.
Such woes were evident even in the 21-year-old’s appearance, a display which epitomized the decline United tend to suffer once changes are made mid-match.
|
West Ham cameo of Dorgu |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistical |
Save |
|
Minutes |
22 |
|
Keys |
28 |
|
Success accuracy |
93% |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Successful crossings |
1/3 |
|
Successful dribbles |
2/3 |
|
Total duels won |
3/5 |
|
Tackles |
0 |
|
Lost possession |
6 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore |
|
Indeed, Dorgu wasted a promising late opening after producing a wayward cross that eluded everyone in red, having lost the ball six times in just 28 touches during his 22-minute outing.
Likewise, there were audible groans from the Old Trafford crowd at one point as the former Lecce starlet opted to let the ball go out of play for a throw-in in his own half, rather than trying to keep the game alive.
It could be a case of nitpicking, but nothing seems to be going well for the left foot at the moment, with content creator Liam Canning reckoning he’s “miles away from the standard” required to succeed at Man Utd, suggesting the attacking talent is “far from it”.
With Amorim now approaching a period where his team will decline further following the loss of Mbeumo, Amad and Noussair Mazraoui at next week’s AFCON, there will be greater reliance on Dorgu and other peripheral figures.
From the evidence of Thursday and this year in general, United’s number 13 showed few signs that he was up to the challenge.
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This Man Utd ace struggled in 1-1 home draw against West Ham
