The most disappointing thing about Manchester United's defeat to Newcastle yesterday was that this result had been coming for weeks.
Erik ten Hag's side deserves credit for managing to grind out gritty results this season, but the flip side of that is that they have also been getting away with some questionable performances too.
For well over a month now, there have been matches in which United have played just as badly as they did at St. James' Park, though they largely went unpunished thanks to a combination of wasteful finishing, moments of magic, and chaotic spells in which games turned on their head.
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David de Gea defied the odds to keep them in the home match against Leicester, before a strong second-half showing gave the false sense of a comfortable win. It was similar in the FA Cup win over West Ham, which also escalated to give a false sense of security.
United were poor from the very start against Southampton, but Casemiro's red card glossed over the display and gave an excuse for the dropped points, and in the previous match against Fulham, they didn't deserve to win but were gifted it by the visitor's chaotic capitulation.
Yes, to play poorly and win can be twisted into the sign of a top side, but there were also plenty of warning signs that went unheeded in the process.
It has all helped contribute to a sense of complacency, as Ten Hag stuck with the same players on Sunday who have largely got away with it over the past few games.
Casemiro's absence was felt massively again, and was certainly a factor in the weak display, though there can be little sympathy offered to United given they have known for weeks they would have to deal without him for this game.
Fred has so often been the unsung hero of big wins this season, but he was overlooked in favour of January addition Marcel Sabitzer and the in-form Scott McTominay, two players who favour the same box-to-box role.
Ten Hag has got so many big decisions right this season but needed to put the team before rewarding individuals. By picking those two, there was no control in the base of midfield, and the pair both struggled with the defensive aspect of their game and rarely stayed in position.
This has been a common theme of all of United's matches without Casemiro so far. His absence has been amplified by Christian Eriksen's injury lay-off, which has deprived them of another player confident under pressure who is capable of dictating a match.
There is an element of United's hands being tied with the options they have, but what is so alarming is that they haven't done anything proactive to at least try something new.
Not only has Fred been overlooked, but it has reached the point where Lisandro Martinez or Victor Lindelof are as good a bet as any to play in the defensive midfield role, as they have done earlier in their senior careers.
It was also strange that United named two goalkeepers on the bench when an academy hopeful like Kobbie Mainoo or Zidane Iqbal would at least have given them another option to introduce.
Sure, they might both be raw talents with a lot to learn in the game, but there is a sense they would at least play without fear, and they both at least fill the minimum requirements of being creative midfielders.
Frustration was also felt with the blunt forward line that saw Wout Weghorst start yet again despite his obvious limitations in a United shirt.
His lack of quality has been made abundantly clear in his first months at the club, but he is actually being further exposed by Ten Hag's dependence on him, when he should only be seen as a squad option.
It has reached the stage where his teammates even seem to be aware of it and look reluctant to play the ball to him, such is their acknowledgement that he simply isn't good enough to be starting games of such magnitude.
Ten Hag might argue that he has few other options at his disposal, but his compatriot has offered so little through the middle that there is as much argument to play with a false nine as there is to start him.
When you look at their recent performances, how poorly their midfield axis has coped, and the lack of threat from their forward line, it is little wonder they didn't win.
United had three warning signs. Yet they appeared to ignore them all.
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