Man United 0-2 West Ham: Ruben Amorim’s side fall to 16TH in the Premier League after miserable display from the Europa League finalists

It’s Bilbao or bust for Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Two basket-case clubs heading for Basque Country desperately seeking some salvation from this most humiliating of Premier League seasons.

After Sunday’s results, it seems likely that two of English football’s Big Six will contest the Europa League final at the San Mames a week on Wednesday languishing in 16th and 17th in the table with one of them destined to finish right above the relegation zone.

It is an incredible situation for two teams who have now lost 37 Premier League games between them – one short of an entire season – and will no doubt reach that unwanted milestone over the remaining two rounds of games.

United face Chelsea and Aston Villa either side of the final, and it is hard to see them getting another point if they continue to perform in the Premier League like they did against West Ham at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The depressing pattern of European success being followed by domestic dross continued, throwing up another sorry sequence of statistics.

A 17th league defeat, the worst since United were relegated in 1974; nine league defeats at Old Trafford, the worst since 1963; seven league games without a win, the worst such run since November 1972.

Tomas Soucek had opened the scoring with less than half an hour on the clock for West Ham

Ruben Amorim’s side are in the Europa League final but they were well off the pace on Sunday

Afterwards, Ruben Amorim wore the look of a man who is rapidly reaching his wit’s end. United’s head coach admitted that he is ‘embarrassed’ by the situation and is unlikely to stay in the job if it continues at the start of next season.

There was a suggestion that his players are picking and choosing their games after winning just six of 25 in the Premier League since he took over in November.

Intriguingly, Amorim conceded that beating Spurs in the final might not be the best thing if it exposes his team to even greater humiliation in the Champions League.

‘To be honest with you, I’m not concerned about the final,’ he said. ‘It’s by far the smallest problem in our club. We need to change something that is deeper than this. Playing in the Premier League and Champions League for us is the moon.

‘So we need to know that. I’m not concerned about the final. I don’t know what is best, if it’s playing in Champions League or not.

‘For me, the biggest concern is that feeling that we cannot change our (Premier League) position much so it’s okay.

‘We are not scared of losing a game as Manchester United. We don’t have that fear anymore and that is the most dangerous thing a big club can have.’

As if Amorim needed any more headaches, Leny Yoro went off early in the second half with what looked like an issue with the metatarsal injury that required surgery in pre-season. The Frenchman limped out of Old Trafford afterwards but the fact he didn’t need a protective boot was a positive sign.

Soucek got the ball running for the visitors and from then on United had no response 

Mason Mount came into the starting XI but was unable to replicate his feats from midweek

The hosts struggled to compete against Graham Potter’s side, who leapfrog their beaten rivals

‘He had that problem at the beginning of the season,’ added Amorim. ‘We hope it’s not too serious.’

Too many clubs have prospered from United’s hangovers in Europe, but West Ham’s win here should not be diminished by the shortcomings of Amorim’s side.

It was a first win in nine games and a much-deserved one at that. The Hammers wanted this result more and they got it, moving above both United and Tottenham in the table.

‘How s*** must you be, we’re winning away,’ their fans sang in the sunshine, before launching into another colourful ditty urging United to beat Spurs in Bilbao.

West Ham scored two well-worked goals by Thomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen, both involving Aaron Wan-Bissaka who enjoyed his return to Old Trafford. If the circumstances were different, United might want to sign Wan-Bissaka this summer.

The visitors drew first blood in the 26th minute when Wan-Bissaka flicked the ball over the top for Aaron Creswell who returned it with a backheel.

Wan-Bissaka fed Guido Rodriguez and he left Amad Diallo on his backside before crossing to the far post where Soucek had got the wrong side of Harry Amass to turn the ball over the line.

Bowen made certain that all three points would be travelling back to east London on 57 minutes

Rasmus Hojlund went down clutching his left shoulder after tangling with Guido Rodriguez 

Leny Yoro was also forced from the field in a big blow ahead of the Europa League final

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was heavily involved down the right at both ends of the field for West Ham

Amorim made six changes to the line-up that began Thursday’s semi-final vs Athletic Club

The second goal arrived in the 58th minute after Wan-Bissaka won the ball off a lackadaisical Manuel Ugarte in midfield and Mohammed Kudus broke forward.

He decided to go it alone rather than using options left and right, but his shot cannoned against Victor Lindelof and lopped over Noussair Mazraoui’s head. 

It reached Wan-Bissaka who had continued his run forward, and he kept his cool to square a pass to the back post for Bowen to side-foot home.

United’s best chances fell to Rasmus Hojlund but the Denmark striker once again showed why a reliable goal scorer will be top of United’s shopping list this summer.

Hojlund volleyed tamely wide from Mason Mount’s pass in the first half, and failed to beat Alphonse Areola after Diallo slipped him through in the second.

His best opportunity arrived in the 79th minute when Harry Maguire diverted Bruno Fernandes’ free kick to the near post and Areola produced a sensational save to somehow keep out Hojlund’s half volley.

The air of resignation that hung over Old Trafford at full-time was all too familiar. 

United, like Spurs, have one last shot at redemption, but already it feels as though winning the Europa League would only paper over the ever-widening cracks.