Two reasons why Manchester United have been string going this season
Manchester United will face Crystal Palace in a Premier League match at Old Trafford on September 30. The club is ninth in the league table with nine points from six matches, while Palace is 10th at the moment.
Erik ten Hag’s team did not look bright in their 1-0 win away at Burnley and was lucky to escape with three points. They rode a moment of individual brilliance from Bruno Fernandes to win the match, but had they not won that match, their situation would have been even worse.
In this article, we will take a look at why United have been unimpressive this season.
#1. Some key players being absent
United have missed the services of Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw owing to injury, while the likes of Jadon Sancho and Antony have had personal issues. While the injuries to Varane and Shaw have significantly weakened the defence, the absence of Sancho and Antony have lessened the options upfront.
United have obtained left-back Sergio Reguilon on loan, but even he has not been able to do much to help his team.
The fall-out that Sancho had with ten Hag has also raised questions over the latter’s man-management skills, while Antony’s getting entangled in a personal legal problem has robbed United of the lone genuine right winger they had in their squad.
As a result, the Red Devils have suffered against sides like Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton. The scenario is unlikely to improve a great deal in the near future and United will have to manage without the services of the aforementioned players, with only Varane likely to return to action soon.
#2. A few players being used out of their preferred positions
Ten Hag has not been able to make use of his 4-2-3-1 formation yet. Bruno Fernandes, whose natural position is the No. 10, has been forced to play on either flank at times.
Against Brighton, Fernandes played just behind the two strikers in United’s 4-4-2 with a diamond-shaped midfield. Hannibal Mejbri, whose performance has probably been the lone bright spot in United’s otherwise disappointing campaign, prefers to play as the central attacking midfielder, too.
Hence, Fernandes has had to switch to the flanks to make way for him. Moreover, the lack of a genuine right winger in Antony’s absence forced Marcus Rashford to play on the right in the match against Burnley.
It is quite obvious that Rashford prefers to play on the left and has been one of United’s better player in that position.
Ten Hag has also failed to justify the inclusion of either Christian Eriksen or Mason Mount as a defensive midfielder to play alongside Casemiro. Hopefully, the inclusion of Sofyan Amrabat will improve the situation, but it is not a foregone conclusion by any means.