Soccer

Is this Manchester United at rock bottom?

A day of cheers turned into a day of tears for Manchester United fans on Tuesday.

Hours after completing the British record signing of Argentine winger Angel Di Maria, the Premier League powerhouse suffered one of the most humbling losses in its illustrious history, falling 4-0 to third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the second round of the Capital One Cup.

The score line was actually flattering to the flailing team, which failed to register a shot until the 72nd minute. By that point they were already down by three goals – two by Will Griff, and another by his replacement, Benik Afobe, who added an additional strike before time was up.

“It’s gallows humor from the United fans – they’ve been brilliant,” BBC Radio announcer Steven Claridge said of the United fans who travelled to watch the pitiful display. “But what they’ve watched beggars belief and borders on the disgraceful. I don’t think we’ll see too many of these players in a United shirt again if this is anything to go by.”

It’s hard to argue with the stinging criticism, as the gulf between the two sides — one the most decorated team in English soccer history, the other only having come into existence in 2004 and playing in League One, a full two levels below Manchester United — was thought to be sizable. And it was — in the other direction.

“I am shocked. For the first 15 minutes, they dominated us. They were running past us at speeds we have never seen before,” said MK Dons manager Karl Robinson. “But once the players got to grips with the game, I felt comfortable.”

The loss compounds what has been a nightmare start to new coach Louis Van Gaal’s reign at the club. Despite an undefeated preseason slate, the club looked decrepit in its first two Premier League games – a loss to Swansea and a draw to Sunderland — both of which they were expected to win easily.

Perhaps sensing the grumblings from the management and the fans, the manager, who guided the Netherlands to a third-place finish at this year’s World Cup, called for calm.

“It’s very difficult when you start as manager in the Premier League with a home match loss [to Swansea] and after that a draw [with Sunderland] and then lose a cup match, then for the fans it is very difficult to believe, still believe, in the philosophy of Louis van Gaal,” said Louis Van Gaal. “But you have to do that, you have to do that, because I am here to build a new team, and a new team is not built in one month.”

Van Gaal was expected to quickly return the team to its normal position near the top of the Premier League after last season’s seventh-place finish, but right now, that looks like it’s going to be a much tougher task than expected.