Manchester United’s latest Premier League setback — a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened West Ham at Old Trafford — has deepened frustration around the club and raised more doubts about their progress under manager Ruben Amorim.

The reaction inside Old Trafford was telling. After the final whistle, a chorus of boos echoed around the stadium as United once again let a valuable lead slip, failing to close the gap on the Premier League top five.

“Frustrated, angry — that is it”

Speaking after the match, Ruben Amorim did not hide his emotions.
“Frustrated, angry — that is it,” he admitted, summarising not only his feelings but those of United fans who watched yet another opportunity slip away.

Even former captain Roy Keane, working as a Sky Sports pundit, echoed the same sentiment. Keane criticised the team’s inability to finish games and questioned their mentality:

“I wouldn’t trust or believe in this team… There are more goals in them, but defensively and in midfield, there are still huge question marks.”

The recurring problem: United can’t close out games

United had taken the lead through a well-taken Diogo Dalot strike in the second half and appeared to be in control. But just like in several recent matches, they failed to lock the game down in the final minutes.

West Ham’s Soungoutou Magassa reacted quickest after a goal-line clearance to score an 83rd-minute equaliser — his first Premier League goal.
West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo called the result “deserved” for his side, who sit third from bottom.

Amorim, clearly irritated though insisting he was calm, broke down the key moment:

• United failed to win a second ball from a long pass
• Multiple United players lost the physical battle
• West Ham, a much taller side, won a corner they should never have been allowed

This inability to deal with late pressure has now become a pattern.

A pattern of wasted opportunities

United’s season has repeatedly featured moments where progress appeared within reach — only for the team to stumble at crucial stages.

Some examples include:

• 1 Nov vs Nottingham Forest: Leading and poised to go second in the table, United needed a late equaliser just to draw.
• A week later vs Tottenham: Same situation — points dropped in the final minutes.
• Against Everton (10 men): The chance to move into Champions League spots… but United lost at home.
• Now, versus West Ham: Seven minutes from going fifth, they drop points again.

Once more, they fall back into a congested mid-table. Eleven teams are separated by just four points, and no one truly knows where United stand.

Is Manchester United improving?

Some analysts claim United have made progress from last season’s 15th-place finish, especially after more than £200m of summer investment.
Amorim won Manager of the Month in October, after three straight victories.

But the current run — one win in five — suggests the team is edging backwards, despite the manager rejecting that claim.

“We are inconsistent,” Amorim said. “We must do better.”

He insisted that the late goal was not due to tactical failure, but poor execution in a moment they “had under control”.

Pressure rising ahead of Wolves clash

Manchester United face bottom-placed Wolves on Monday. Once again, they will play the final match of the Premier League round — and once again, there will be a target they must hit to stay competitive in the top-six race.

Wolves have not beaten anyone this season. The expectation is that United should win comfortably.

But after so many false dawns, questions loom:

• Can United actually take advantage of a favourable fixture?
• Will the same defensive lapses reappear?
• Is Amorim losing grip on the team’s mentality?

The pressure is growing at Old Trafford, and frustration — as the manager said — is once again the word of the week.