Erik ten Hag running out of time and excuses to get Manchester United playing well
Manchester United have gotten off to a disappointing start in the 2023/24 season, losing four of their nine Premier League matches and both their Champions League encounters so far.
The chaos and disorganization of Erik ten Hag’s team has been typified by their last two Premier League outings against Brentford and Sheffield United.
Against Brentford, the Reds were second-best for large spells, but scored two quick-fire goals in second-half stoppage time to secure a 2-1 comeback win.
The story was no different during Saturday’s clash against Sheffield United, where Ten Hag’s team won 2-1 thanks to another late goal but had fewer shots on target than their opponents.
The Red Devils are still very much disjointed
Ten Hag endeared himself to the Manchester United fans when he arrived last season. Despite coming in at a difficult period, he wrought a change that earned him some currency among both the fans and the club’s hierarchy.
Returning the Reds to the UEFA Champions League was a huge achievement, while ending the club’s five-year trophy drought was an added bonus.
After the successes of the last season, it was expected that Manchester United would kick on in the ongoing campaign. However, the team's performances seem to have regressed.
The Red Devils have rarely dominated any opponent this term and are synonymous with being disjointed, lethargic, and relying on the odd goal to nick results.
They have been outplayed in almost every game and even in the ones where they’ve won, they’ve hardly been convincing, including in their latest victory against Sheffield United, where they rode their luck for large spells.
Pressure mounting on Erik ten Hag as Manchester United's disappointing performances continue
All the goodwill that Ten Hag earned from securing Champions League qualification and winning the Carabao Cup is beginning to wear out.
The team’s continuing poor performances mean the Dutchman only has a small window to turn things around. Many Manchester United fans still back him, but they will not accept these drab performances becoming the norm.
There is a case to be made about the injuries that have blighted Ten Hag’s side, but it still doesn’t justify Manchester United struggling against a team which is struggling at the bottom of the league table.
"We have to build on but we have to also step up. I am happy with the performance and the step up in the second half but not in the first half,” Ten Hag said post-match, as quoted by Manutd.com.
"We have to go from game to game. Not to look too far ahead. [Now] we focus on Copenhagen."
Ten Hag is beginning to run out of time to turn things around and the longer the team plays this poorly, the more the pressure will ramp up.
The next two games against Copenhagen (in the Champions League) and Manchester City will be huge for Manchester United and the United faithful will not only be looking for wins but also convincing performances.