If this was supposed to be a barometer of progress, the obvious conclusion is that Manchester United have made none.
They faced Swansea City in Louis van Gaal's first game in charge. They lost.
They were beaten a second time by Garry Monk’s enterprising side last season.
They convened again for Van Gaal’s 50th match at the helm with an identical outcome. Swansea won 2-1.
The trend continues and, as Van Gaal is in his second season at the helm and has now spent £230 million (Dh1.3 billion), each defeat is more damning than the last.
Individual results can be misleading, and it was a surprise how ragged United were after their unbeaten start to the campaign, yet this could scarcely be called a surprise result.
United had rarely been convincing in their wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. Swansea look a more cohesive unit than United, and there are more indications of clear thinking on the Welsh coast than at Old Trafford.
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Much of United’s improvement seemed to be based around a new-look back four, but, tormented by Bafetimbi Gomis, the shorter, slighter and slower Daley Blind scarcely seemed the ideal choice at centre-back.
The Dutchman has a fine footballing brain but not the physique to compete with a powerhouse such as Gomis.
Swansea acted intelligently to isolate the specialist striker against a man whose football last season came in midfield or at left-back.
Luke Shaw now fills the latter role, and well. He has offered dynamism, his teammates too little.
It was significant that Shaw played a pivotal part in Juan Mata’s goal, even if the left-back’s cross was intended to reach Wayne Rooney. Thereafter, however, Shaw found himself exposed defensively. He was not alone in that respect.
After 330 minutes of Premier League football without conceding this season, United's copybook was blotted when Andre Ayew headed in Gylfi Sigurdsson's cross.
Tellingly, Swansea’s equaliser came three minutes after Monk altered his system.
Swansea were reconfigured a second time, and United failed to get to grips with another change.
This time, Ayew delivered a glorious pass for Gomis to slide a shot past a culpable Sergio Romero to complete the turnaround.
United have seemed reliant on Van Gaal’s micromanagement and tactical tweaks at times during games this season, but an English novice has again shown an ability to outwit the Dutch master.
The 36-year-old Monk’s capacity to think on his feet is one sign he possesses the potential to become a top-class manager.
United’s enduring struggles to recapture the verve and class they used to exhibit poses questions if Van Gaal remains one.
United are being managed in quixotic fashion. Some of his left-field decisions were rendered irrelevant by victories. In defeat, however, they assume a greater significance.
Seeing an uncertain Romero unable to stop Gomis’s decider highlighted the fact Van Gaal can still call upon the best goalkeeper in the division last season. He just chooses not to select him.
He exiled David de Gea, giving the impression he would happily see the Spaniard join Real Madrid.
Yet other unsettled players have managed to play, and excel in some cases, in this transfer window.
Van Gaal said on Friday that he was still unsure if Romero could become United’s long-term first-choice keeper simply because the evidence from his first five games, when he had few shots to save, was so scant.
One error does not automatically prove he is inadequate, but this — along with his poor distribution — was a worrying sign.
So, too, was United’s response to going behind.
On came Marouane Fellaini as United adopted a diet of long-ball football.
It was neither edifying nor successful, and it certainly was not progressive.
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