‘Flaky and unpredictable’ - National media slam Manchester United after Nottingham Forest defeat

Manchester United suffered their ninth Premier League defeat of the season as Erik ten Hag’s side came unstuck against Nottingham Forest.

There had been reasons for optimism heading into the game at the City Ground, following United’s spirited comeback victory over Aston Villa on Boxing Day. That festive cheer proved to be short-lived as Erik ten Hag’s side headed into the New Year with a 2-1 defeat to Forest.

New Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo recorded a win over Newcastle in his first game in charge and carried that confidence into the contrast with United. Nicolas Dominguez opened the scoring for the home side, shortly after the hour mark, before a mistake from goalkeeper Matt Turner allowed Marcus Rashford to slot in an equaliser, a little over 10 minutes later.

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United’s reprieve only lasted a matter of moments as former winger Anthony Elanga found Morgan Gibbs-White on the edge of the box, who successfully curled the ball beyond Andre Onana. It was a result that pushed Forest five points clear of the relegation zone, while leaving United nine points short of a top-four spot.

Here’s what the national media made of United’s latest setback in the Premier League:

Ben Fisher from The Guardian wrote: “Seconds after Morgan Gibbs-White curled in Nottingham Forest’s fantastic winning goal with 82 minutes gone, he celebrated by soaking up the adulation from the Trent End and putting his index fingers to his ears.

“It is a tactic Erik ten Hag may need to employ to shut out the never-ending noise surrounding his position and this flaky and unpredictable Manchester United side. The volume