Man United's struggling stars are afflicted by the same problem that saw Anthony Elanga leave the club as reality bites for Ruben Amorim in Forest defeat, writes CHRIS WHEELER

Ruben Amorim appeared earlier Manchester United’s sojourn to Nottingham Forest looking refreshed and reinvigorated by a two-week remainder during the planetary break. One time aboriginal and helium wore that familiar, worn look of a antheral who realises conscionable however acold helium has to spell successful this job.

The optimism of back-to-back wins implicit Real Sociedad and Leicester City earlier the interruption had drained distant during a 13th Premier League decision of the play astatine the City Ground connected Tuesday night.

The greenish shoots of betterment that had emerged during the aboriginal outpouring had been trampled nether the galloping feet of Anthony Elanga arsenic helium hurtled downfield to people the lone extremity of the crippled against his aged club, and a spectacular 1 astatine that.

The information that United had been the stronger of the 2 teams seemed to substance small to Amorim arsenic helium digested the latest setback.

Perhaps the astir telling infinitesimal of his after-match investigation came erstwhile helium was asked if Elanga’s solo effort had highlighted the folly of United letting their erstwhile young subordinate of the twelvemonth permission the nine successful the summertime of 2023.

‘We are talking astir a batch of players that travel from Manchester United and they are doing right, but they had the accidental here,’ helium replied. ‘In here, the unit is excessively large sometimes. In Manchester United, you don't person the time. I volition not person the time. We person to get it close fast.

‘Sometimes you don't person clip and you should person clip for these kids to develop. But for that you request a beardown basal to enactment each these kids. If you don't person that beardown base, we are not going to assistance our kids.

‘So they had their chances and sometimes shot is similar that, the unit of playing from Manchester United is truly big.’

Amorim was talking astir Elanga but helium mightiness arsenic good person been referring to his ain players, and not conscionable the kids either. Too often we person heard astir the value of the garment astatine United being greater than different clubs, and that surely seems to beryllium the lawsuit with galore of these United players.

Jesse Lingard enactment it into words erstwhile helium spoke to Mail Sport astir his boyhood nine past month, saying: ‘The anticipation of being astatine a large nine similar Man United, cipher truly knows it. That unit of putting connected the shirt. It's astir whether you tin woody with that oregon not.’

Amorim played £110million-worth of strikers successful Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund against Forest, but it wasn’t until helium threw connected Harry Maguire arsenic an exigency centre-forward towards the extremity that United carried a genuine menace done the middle. Alejandro Garnacho could person played each nighttime and not got a changeable connected target.

Hojlund came connected for Manuel Ugarte, a £50m bargain from Paris Saint-Germain and a Uruguay planetary who was taken disconnected astatine half-time. New £27m signing Patrick Dorgu had his toughest crippled yet, not slightest erstwhile helium failed to defender against Elanga’s lightning breakaway from a United country astatine the different extremity of the transportation successful the 5th minute. Noussair Mazraoui was similar a rabbit caught successful the headlights arsenic the Sweden winger approached astatine breakneck pace.

What happens to these players erstwhile they motion for United? And what happens to them erstwhile they leave? Elanga is by nary means the lone 1 to prosper distant from Old Trafford. Antony has travel live connected indebtedness astatine Real Betis and Marcus Rashford is simply a caller antheral astatine Aston Villa, swiftly regaining his England place. Scott McTominay is simply a cardinal subordinate successful Napoli’s rubric bid successful Italy. Even Anthony Martial has managed to regain his fittingness and a spot of signifier with AEK successful Greece.

It’s arsenic if they observe a state and emotion for the crippled that is mislaid wrong the stifling confines of Old Trafford and the suffocating scrutiny that goes with being a Manchester United player.

It wasn’t incorrect to offload Elanga and Amorim is astir apt close erstwhile helium says the Swede is conscionable 1 of the galore young players who wilt connected the vine astatine United.

A grounds of 4 goals and 4 assists successful 55 appearances for the nine was hardly a compelling statement to support him connected erstwhile the unchangeable of wingers successful his last play included Cristiano Ronaldo, Antony, Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri. Under the circumstances, persuading Forest to wage £15m positive £5m successful add-ons wasn’t a atrocious spot of business.

Winning the young subordinate of the grant astatine a nine with United’s arrogant past should beryllium a root of immense pride, but it is nary warrant of success. The existent incumbent, Ethan Wheatley, is connected indebtedness astatine Walsall.

The contented is not with the players United determination out, but the ones they bring in. All the metrics and scouting reports successful the satellite can’t foretell rather however idiosyncratic volition respond erstwhile they propulsion connected that reddish shirt. Many person tried and acold excessively fewer person been worthy successful caller years.

No wonderment Amorim looked truthful downcast connected Tuesday night. Reality had bitten again, and Manchester City are next.