Rooney's mistake sends Man Utd out of the top 4.

Man Utd continued to sink deeper into crisis with a 1-2 defeat to Norwich at Old Trafford.

Rooney returned but contributed to Man Utd's defeat. Photo: Reuters.

Man Utd dominated possession, but Norwich showed the home side their sharpness to finish them off. Norwich opened the scoring at the end of the first half after a quick counter-attack, with Cameron Jerome finishing the move.

In the second half, Man Utd struggled to find a way to score against Norwich, and then Rooney made a mistake that allowed Norwich to double their lead. The Man Utd captain lost the ball in midfield before Alexander Tettey beat De Gea.

Man Utd's efforts only managed to bring about a consolation goal from Anthony Martial, making the score 1-2.

The defeat against Norwich saw Man Utd drop out of the top four in the Premier League. Man Utd now have 29 points, the same as Tottenham, but have been overtaken by their rivals due to goal difference. Van Gaal's side are now nine points behind league leaders Leicester.

Meanwhile, Norwich moved out of the relegation zone but have played one more game than Swansea and Newcastle. The victory at Old Trafford also ended Norwich's 11-year winless streak against Man Utd.

Norwich has ended a decade-long winless streak against Man Utd. Photo: Reuters.

Before the match began, Man Utd had gone five consecutive games without a win in all competitions, with only draws and losses. Returning to Old Trafford, along with the presence of captain Rooney, gave fans confidence in a victory against Norwich, a team languishing at the bottom of the table.

However, the greater the hopes, the greater the disappointment. Old Trafford witnessed a dismal performance from Rooney on the day he reached his 500th appearance for Manchester United. Rooney had one goal against Norwich that was disallowed, along with a few harmless shots. Rooney's biggest contribution was losing possession, which allowed Norwich to take a 2-0 lead.

Van Gaal's disappointed face has become a familiar sight whenever Man Utd plays. Photo: Reuters.

Van Gaal's departure and Mourinho's arrival will be the highlight of this match. This past week saw Mourinho's departure following a series of poor results at Chelsea. Van Gaal's situation isn't as dire as his Portuguese counterpart's, but he's pushing the patience of Manchester United fans to its limit. At the beginning of the season, Man Utd, despite not playing impressively, still achieved good results, but now that things have gone downhill, Van Gaal has nothing left to hold onto.

Man Utd continued to play slow-paced football, controlling possession but conversely lacking goals. The fleeting moments of brilliance, like Martial, weren't enough to carry the team, as Man Utd's problem stemmed from systemic stagnation.

The last time Man Utd went six games without a win in all competitions was in 1998, when they won the historic treble. That certainly can't be repeated this season, as they've been eliminated from the Champions League, and in the Premier League, it's hard to believe Man Utd can compete if they stick to their current style of play.

The period ahead will see a tough climb for Man Utd during Christmas and New Year. Starting with an away trip to Stoke before hosting Chelsea and Swansea, two teams showing signs of resurgence after changing managers.

According to VNE