The festive season is in full swing and the ghost of Christmas past made an unwelcome visit to Old Trafford on Sunday. Okay, it wasn't exactly ancient history coming back to haunt these stands. It was only a year ago that Bournemouth beat Manchester United 3-0 on their turf.

Maybe it's becoming a Christmas tradition in Manchester. Like a trip to the panto and an overprized gluhwein at the markets. 'Have you done the Bournemouth debacle yet?' 'No, we're doing that next week, that's when Christmas begins for us'.

We shouldn't joke, but then what else is left? The most surprising thing about this Manchester United team is just how unsurprising it is when they plumb the depths of which they are capable of sinking. This was one such occasion.

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In a year when they changed the people who run the football club, the structure that runs the football department, and the manager, this was a reminder that little has actually changed.

A new face in the dugout. Some new players on the pitch. A new player in detention, Marcus Rashford replacing Jadon Sancho in purgatory. But still they concede goals from set-pieces. Still they concede goals from pull-backs. Still they get physically bullied in Premier League games.

It's far too early to blame Ruben Amorim for this catastrophic mess. He looked to be approaching the end of his tether as he paced his technical area in the howling Manchester wind, watching a performance he would have struggled to recognise.

A week ago, United won on derby day at the Etihad. Even in defeat on Thursday, there were positives. A much-changed side could leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with some level of contentment with their performance and Amorim with the belief that his team were beginning to get it.

There were large periods of that game when they looked as comfortable as they had in possession so far. Fast-forward three days, and they were a rabble. They played as if they barely knew each other and with minimal commitment.

Since his arrival, Amorim has complained about this team's lack of physicality, and this felt like an occasion when they were just bullied around the pitch. The strength, desire, and aggression all came from the visiting team.

When the lackadaisical Joshua Zirkzee made next to no effort to challenge Dean Huijsen for a long ball forward five minutes into the second half, Amorim immediately turned to assistant Carlos Fernandes and told him to get Rasmus Hojlund ready. As much as Zirkzee had earned this chance with his cameo at Tottenham on Thursday, this was a reminder that he doesn't look cut out for this team.

His pressing was passive throughout, and he summed up this side as someone who played with hardly any urgency. They dialled it up a notch when it was too late, but even then, Bournemouth coped comfortably.

And it is all just so predictable. No United fan turned up at Old Trafford on Sunday expecting their team to roll over the Cherries. Because they aren't just being beaten in the physicality stakes in the Premier League, they are being outclassed most weeks as well. Nottingham Forest are better than United. Bournemouth are better than United. Just let that sink in for a minute.

Those two sides, Championship rivals three years ago, scored three at Old Trafford in December, although that isn't quite the statement it once was. United have shipped three goals at home 10 times in their last 37 home games. That is abysmal.

This was certainly the day when Amorim's eyes were opened wide as to the problems he has inherited. This is now four wins, four defeats and one draw under the 39-year-old. There are games when there looks to be progress and games where there looks to be no progress at all. No prizes for guessing which one this was.

This has been a year of change at Old Trafford, but it's not been enough. The only thing left to change is the players. On this evidence, Amorim cannot wait past January to start stripping this squad bare and putting his own stamp on it. He needs to find a war chest under his Christmas tree on Wednesday.