Sir Dave Brailsford may as well get used to it now. This is what watching Manchester United is all about these days: one step forward and one step back. Hope replaced by a realisation that the biggest club in English football are indeed bang average.

Four days earlier, Brailsford was at Old Trafford on Boxing Day to see United mount a stirring second-half comeback to beat Aston Villa 3-2.

But if Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s right-hand man thought for one moment that it was the norm, here was a sobering visit to the City Ground to bring him back down to earth.

Sat alongside Sir Alex Ferguson, he saw United slump to their first Premier League defeat against Nottingham Forest in 29 years.

It was also Forest’s second win under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo who has now beaten Newcastle and Manchester United in the space of five days. A richly deserved victory that came courtesy of two excellent strikes from Nicolas Dominguez and Morgan Gibbs-White, who hit the winner in the 82nd minute shortly after Marcus Rashford had equalised. 

Morgan Gibbs-White scored the winner in Forest's 2-1 victory against Manchester United

Morgan Gibbs-White scored the winner in Forest's 2-1 victory against Manchester United

Morgan Gibbs-White scored the winner in Forest’s 2-1 victory against Manchester United

Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford (right) was sat alongside Sir Alex Ferguson (left) for the game on Saturday evening. John Murtough (front, centre) was sat in front of them

Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford (right) was sat alongside Sir Alex Ferguson (left) for the game on Saturday evening. John Murtough (front, centre) was sat in front of them

Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford (right) was sat alongside Sir Alex Ferguson (left) for the game on Saturday evening. John Murtough (front, centre) was sat in front of them

Nicolas Dominguez grabbed his first Premier League goal to open the scoring for home side

Nicolas Dominguez grabbed his first Premier League goal to open the scoring for home side

Nicolas Dominguez grabbed his first Premier League goal to open the scoring for home side

So once again United follow up an encouraging victory with a damaging defeat. Another step forward and a another step back. It has happened on no fewer than seven occasions in the Premier League this season, not least after they recovered to beat Forest 3-2 at Old Trafford in August.

MATCH FACTS

NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-2-3-1):  Turner; Montiel (Williams 74), Niakhate, Murillo, Aina (Toffolo 87); Danilo (Mangala 87), Yates; Gibbs-White, Dominguez (Hudson-Odoi 79), Elanga (Boly 87); Wood. 

Subs not used: Vlachodimos, Tavares, Worrall, Kouyate.

Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo

Scorers: Dominguez 64, Gibbs-White 82

Booked: Gibbs-White, Mangala

MAN UTD (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka (Reguilon 90), Varane, Evans, Dalot; Mainoo (McTominay 46), Eriksen; Antony (Diallo 54), Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford. 

Subs not used: Bayindir, Pellistri, Van de Beek, Gore, Mejbri, Kambwala.

Manager: Erik ten Hag

Scorer: Rashford 79

Booked: Dalot, Varane, Garnacho

Referee: Tim Robinson

Att: 29,529

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Erik ten Hag desperately needs to find a level of consistency in performances and results, otherwise he may find that Ineos are not nearly as patient as the people they are replacing.

Brailsford was renowned for his marginal gains in the world of cycling but he will already have realised that the club Ratcliffe has invested in have got a hell of a lot of ground to make up. Apparently £1.3billion doesn’t buy you much these days.

If the Ineos sporting director wants some stats to digest on Sunday morning, he can start here: this was United’s 14th defeat of the season and they haven’t managed that by the turn of the year since 1930. 

The club have lost nine of their first 20 league games for the first time since 1989. And 21 defeats is United’s worst in a calendar year since 1972.

Worse still was the manner of this defeat. United were timid in the first half, ponderous and predictable, managing just one shot on target from Aaron Wan-Bissaka which was blocked.

When the game opened up in the second, they were outplayed by a Forest side for whom Gibbs-White was excellent and former United man Anthony Elanga clearly had a point to prove following his £15million summer move from Old Trafford.

The nearest either team came to a breakthrough before the interval was in the 12th minute when Elanga raced onto a pass down the left and crossed towards the edge of the six-yard box.

Raphael Varane stuck out a leg to try and cut it out but the Frenchman’s attempt was unconventional at best and lazy at worst. 

Varane made contact with the ball but sent it across the face of his own goal with keeper Andre Onana wrong-footed.

It was his good fortune that the ball didn’t fall to a Forest attacker or, worse still, drop into his own net.

At least on this occasion, Ten Hag’s side avoided going in two goals down at the break, as they had against Villa.

United actually had more of the ball with 53 per cent possession but didn’t do nearly enough with it. Time again it was worked wide to Antony on the right or Alejandro Garnacho on the left, but the final pass was non-existent and they couldn’t create any opportunities of note.

Matt Turner was at fault for United's equaliser after his poor pass was picked off by Garnacho

Matt Turner was at fault for United's equaliser after his poor pass was picked off by Garnacho

Matt Turner was at fault for United’s equaliser after his poor pass was picked off by Garnacho

Marcus Rashford scored his third league goal of the season and his first since victory against Everton at Goodison Park in November, but it would ultimately prove to be for nothing

Marcus Rashford scored his third league goal of the season and his first since victory against Everton at Goodison Park in November, but it would ultimately prove to be for nothing

Marcus Rashford scored his third league goal of the season and his first since victory against Everton at Goodison Park in November, but it would ultimately prove to be for nothing

Gibbs-White curled his shot around Johnny Evans and past Andre Onana in the 82nd minute

Gibbs-White curled his shot around Johnny Evans and past Andre Onana in the 82nd minute

Gibbs-White curled his shot around Johnny Evans and past Andre Onana in the 82nd minute

The second half didn’t start promisingly for United either, though, Forest quickly getting back on the front foot and Scott McTominay – on as a half-time substitute for Kobbie Mainoo – relieved to see his clearance straight at Elanga rebound wide of the goal.

Ten Hag made his second change in the 54th minute as Amad Diallo made his first appearance of the season as a substitute for the anonymous Antony, and it almost brought a goal from United’s best effort of the game moments later.

Diallo started the move on the right and Bruno Fernandes fed the ball wide to Wan-Bissaka. 

The defender squared to Diogo Dalot 25 yards from goal and his first-time shot curled against the foot of Matt Turner’s left-hand post.

It breathed some life into the game and Gibbs-White and Dalot were cautioned following a melee. Varane followed into the book for a trip on the lively Elanga before the former United man was involved in the move that led to Forest’s goal in the 64th minute.

The ball was moved swiftly to him on the right and Elanga played a pass inside to Gonzalo Montiel who was just onside. The Argentine took one touch and picked out Dominguez who was unmarked 15 yards from goal and swept the ball into the bottom corner.

Pressure continues to build on Ten Hag, who is back to square one after this latest defeat

Pressure continues to build on Ten Hag, who is back to square one after this latest defeat

Pressure continues to build on Ten Hag, who is back to square one after this latest defeat

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

 

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Having got their noses in front, Forest allowed United back into the game in the 79th minute, and they only had themselves to blame.

Moussa Niakhate played the ball back to Turner who tried to pass out to Danilo. However, Garnacho read the situation and slid in to intercept before squaring for Rashford.

United’s No 10 was leading the line in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial, who were both ill, and this was his first sight of goal. Rashford didn’t hesitate, though, stroking the ball home just like Dominguez.

United’s tails were up but when Christian Eriksen forced a save from Turner with his piledriver in the 82nd minute, it was the precursor to Forest’s winner.

They broke straight downfield with Elanga running at Dalot before slipping the ball to Gibbs-White. He produced the best finish of the lot, cracking a superb effort beyond Onana and inside the post for only his second goal of the season.

Forest fans feared the worst when 10 minutes of time were added on, but the nearest United came was Fernandes’ volley from Eriksen’s corner which Turner touched over.

They celebrated a famous win, and Brailsford went away with plenty of food for thought.

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