RUBEN AMORIM told his players they cannot forget about the Prem as their D-day in Bilbao looms.
Yet that’s all anyone connected with Manchester United wants to do now – as their domestic campaign goes from bad to worse.
GettyTomas Soucek tapped home from close range for West Ham’s first[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialJarrod Bowen was amongst the goals again to double their lead[/caption]
GettyLeny Yoro was close to tears as he trudged off injured[/caption]
Here they slumped to a ninth home defeat of the season – and a 17th in total.
Last time they lost this many was the year they were relegated from the top flight – 51 years ago.
At least that won’t happen this season but they can count themselves lucky the bottom three have been so far off it.
Otherwise it would have been a very uncomfortable end to the season for Ruben Amorim’s men who have yet to reach the 40 point mark.
With games against Champions chasing Chelsea and Aston Villa still to come, it could easily get worse too.
The prospect of finishing 17th – just one place above the drop zone – is now very real.
And to think they could still end up in the Champions League themselves if they can beat fellow strugglers Tottenham in Spain on May 21.
Goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen saw Graham Potter’s men secure a rare away day triumph – and leap-frog their opponents in the table.
This was a painfully familiar story for United fans – they have seen this movie so many times in the Prem this season.
Amorim made six changes and kept his fingers crossed there would be no injuries – although that didn’t work either as key defender Leny Yoro hobbled off early in the second half.
By then United were already behind. They had begun brightly enough with skipper Bruno Fernandes firing a couple of shots over the bar.
On his return to the starting line-up, Amad was looking lively enough and plucked ball out of the sky, cut in and saw his shot saved by Alphonse Areola.
However the visitors went ahead as former United defender Aaron Wan Bissaka slipped a pass through to Mohammed Kudus who got a low cross in from the left hand side.
Soucek cleverly backheeled the ball home and although it took a deflection off young defender Harry Amass as it made its way in, he will definitely be claiming it.
It means United have now conceded the first goal in 22 of their 36 Prem matches this season – they really are making life hard for themselves.
They could have been level before the break as Manuel Ugarte chipped a clever ball forward but Rasmus Hojlund could not control it and the chance was gone.
After the break, some comical defending from United saw Kudus escape down the left again.
This time his cross found James Ward Prowse whose shot was straight at deputy keeper Altay Bayindir.
Amorim had warned before the match of the importance of keeping his players fit with just 10 days to go before the final.
So the sight of Leny Yoro – who has been a key part of their Europa League campaign – holding his foot in obvious pain was the last thing he wanted to see.
The French defender, 19, went off shaking his head and with his shirt pulled over his head – and that will be a big worry for the Red Devils.
He did not make his debut until December after suffering a foot injury in pre-season but has won the fans over in recent months.
With Luke Shaw also going off, United had to re-organise at the back and they were wide open as the visitors doubled their lead just before the hour.
Ugarte was robbed near the halfway line but then unforgivably made no effort to win it back as Kudus saw his shot blocked but it fell into the path of Wan Bissaka.
The ex-United man squared it for Jarrod Bowen to score a simple tap in and surely put the game beyond the home side.
A breakaway saw Amad roll a pass to Hojlund but Areola got out quickly to close him down.
And from the resulting corner, sub Harry Maguire planted a free header wide of the post before seeing another one saved by Areola.
Hojlund was denied by the visitors again when a Fernandes free-kick dropped kindly for him in the area but it was clearly not going to be their day.
But how often have we said that this season? Far too often.
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