Manchester United were stunned at Old Trafford in humiliating 3-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday in the Premier League round of 22.
Amorim’s side were hoping to mark Law’s death aged 84 by producing the kind of entertaining display that was the hallmark of the United star’s teams.
Instead, they were handed a sixth defeat in 11 league games since Amorim arrived from Sporting Lisbon to replace the sacked Erik ten Hag.
United are in the 13th place and although they are 10 points above the relegation zone, they are far from certain to avoid being dragged into the survival fight on the evidence of this wretched display.
United conceded inside the first five minutes through a beautiful ball over the top from Baleba which sends Mitoma in behind, squares the ball across to Gambia’s Yankuba Minteh for a simple finish.
Manchester United have become terrible starters, particularly at Old Trafford. They have gone 1-0 down in each of the last five home games. In three of those matches, that first goal has come inside five minutes.
The search for the equalizer saw Amorim’s boys charged to dominate dominate proceedings but desperate defending from Brighton kept them at bay until the 21st minute when a hospital pass from Verbruggen gives the ball away and allowed United to break into the box. Zirkzee receives the ball and is brought down by Baleba, who had his arm wrapped around the Dutchman.
Captain Bruno Fernandez stepped up, cool and composed and converted to pull parity for United to end the first half all square.
Two second half goals from Kaoru Mitoma on the hour mark and Georginio Rutter on the 76th minute left United in tatters finishing the game 3-1 in Brighton’s favor.
The defeat means United have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 12 matches in all competitions, with both their leaky defence and error-prone keeper AndreOnana exposed by Brighton.
United now face Scotland’s Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday.
