Manchester United are repeating David Moyes calamity but the consequences will be far worse

"As I said, the minute they play a proper team this is what is going to happen. Half-decent teams are scoring goals against them; proper teams will batter them."

Those were the words that escaped Gary Neville's lips on the gantry as Mohamed Salah celebrated his second and Liverpool's fourth goal in their 5-0 win at Old Trafford back in October. It was the second time in eight days that Manchester United had conceded four goals in a game, following their 4-2 drubbing at Leicester City just over a week earlier, and there was still another 45 minutes left to play.

Salah, of course, sealed his hat-trick five minutes into the second half to complete the demolition job, condemning United to their joint-worst Premier League home defeat and one of the darkest days in their history. Since that harrowing afternoon, United have conceded four goals in a game on two further occasions, the latest coming in Sunday's derby defeat to Manchester City.

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After being competitive and sprightly in the first half, United crumbled in the second. Riyad Mahrez was gifted the freedom of Manchester to net his first of the afternoon, before adding a second late on to grab City's fourth.

The question is: will Sunday's 4-1 hammering be the last of United's heavy defeats this season? With a trip to Anfield to come and Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur due Old Trafford visits before the season is out, there's every chance it won't be.

In a season that was supposed to have seen United return towards the top step of English football's podium, the club has experienced that many embarrassing afternoons that their end-of-season highlights package risks being ignored by those who