New Delhi: As the final whistle blew in the game between Aston Villa and Manchester United, many sighed relief at the end of a rather boring game. For Erik ten Hag, though, a draw isn’t enough to bring smiles to his face. With just two wins from seven games, Ten Hag needs a miracle to stay in his role at the Old Trafford.
However, it isn’t just about staying in his current role at Old Trafford for a long duration. If he does manage to stay until the end of the season, the team’s results need to be a complete turnaround. United haven’t clicked this season at all, with their underwhelming performance across competitions. Even in the Europa League, United managed to play both games for a draw.
Their match against Porto last week saw them draw 3-3. If their performance could be described, it would be “disorganized”. They were in the lead early and had doubled their lead by the 20th minute. After Porto’s Pepe scored the first goal, Samu Omorodion’s brace put Manchester City under immense pressure. They stayed so until Harry Maguire scored in the stoppage time. With their confidence in shackles, there will be some issues, United will think of addressing.
Manchester United’s poor attack this season
A point on the road.
Thank you for your support as always, Reds — see you after the international break 👏#MUFC || #PL pic.twitter.com/EAFHUbz2YR
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 6, 2024
It is an understatement to say that United’s attack is performing poorly. So far in the Premier League, they have managed to score only five times and are just ahead of Southampton with four. This isn’t the tip of their attack’s problem. They have failed to score in the first half of a game on six occasions from their seven games. This puts them under immense pressure in the second half, where they start on the back foot.
Traditionally, United is an attacking outfit, and the output of their attack hasn’t been this poor since the 1970s. They have started to pick up a reputation for slowing the games in the closing minutes and happily settled for a point rather than trying to get the maximum. Of course, their attack lacks the flair, with Rasmus Hojlund having the best record of 17 goals from 48 appearances across competitions. Joshua Zirkzee has managed just one goal from 10 games, and Antony has 12 to his name from 86 appearances.
Do Ten Hag’s United need repair in defence?
Harry Maguire to Jonny Evans on his MOTM award ❤️ pic.twitter.com/yFkJne4nVO
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) October 6, 2024
United’s not conceding in the game against Villa was a positive sign. This came after Ten Hag’s decision to go for Jonny Evans’ experience alongside Harry Maguire and discard their summer purchases, Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez. De Ligt and Martinez are supposed to be the backbone of the United’s defence unit but the duo haven’t really clicked as an unit yet.
For United, it was a big achievement to have kept a clean sheet in Villa Park with their goal conceding being a constant demerit to their playing. Since Ten hag’s appointment, United have conceded three or more goals, the most times. It reflects how poor Ten Hag’s strategy has been with defence.
If we don’t consider the duo of Evans and Maguire, Ten Hag’s tenure hasn’t really nurtured a good defence. De Ligt replaced an injured Maguire in the second half, and every United supporter was at the edge of their seat, reflecting how poor the defence strategy has been for the 13-time Premier League Champion. If an enduring Evans with his amazing game reading capability hadn’t been played, the result at the Villa park could have been different.
What next for United?
At the end of the day, United didn’t win in Villa Park, which, though difficult, doesn’t reflect well on the Red Devils. With two losses, three draws, and two wins, they have taken the worst points after seven games in their history of participating in the League. It is the first time in five years that United are winless in five game and someone needs to reflect on the changes required.
When United’s executive meet on Wednesday, their agenda will be to read the club’s progress report so far in the season. However, whether Ten Hag is sacked or not, it is clear that there is an uphill target for whoever is chosen to lead the side for the rest of the season. Owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said that he wasn’t the one who decided to keep Ten Hag at Old Trafford and won’t take the future call either. Ten Hag, though, believes that he has the confidence and support of the top management to make the change for the side.
When they backed the Dutchman, they had obviously hoped that he was the guy for the job, but the performance by United isn’t exactly a reflection of that. Ten Hag, after the draw with Aston Villa, said that his strategy would “click” one day, but one wonders if the waiting is getting long.
With a draw against Aston Villa, a big question will be can Manchester United redeem their poor start in the League when they come back from the international break. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
