Nothing is going well at Manchester United. The Red Devils have once again left to sign a more than disappointing season. The arrival of INEOS does not seem to change anything. In the Premier League, Erik ten Hag’s men are in thirteenth place in the standings. A shame after €214 million spent during the last summer transfer window. And in the European Cup, it’s the same. Held in check at Old Trafford by Twente (1-1), MU experienced a very complicated evening on the lawn of the Estadio do Dragão in Porto. Everything started very well though. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in the 7th minute, before the Englishman became the decisive passer for Hojlund thirteen minutes later. 2-0, Manchester United thought they could win again in Portugal.
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A sieve defense
This was without counting on the two goals conceded in seven minutes by Pepê and Samu Omorodion and the Spaniard’s double after returning from the locker room for the 3-2. An unfortunate habit on the continental scene. In its last four European matches (C1 and C3), MU conceded two goals in four minutes against Bayern Munich in C1, in September 2023 (4-3 defeat). Less than a month later, the Mancuniens conceded two goals in ten minutes against Galatasaray in the first leg (3-2 defeat) and two goals in nine minutes in the return (3-3). Finally, same crazy scenario against Copenhagen in November 2023 (two goals in four minutes, 4-3 defeat). All this without counting on a damning statistic for Erik ten Hag.
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Since the Batavian took the reins of the Red Devils in 2022, no Premier League club has conceded three goals (or more) per game more often than MU. Harry Maguire still allowed the English to snatch the point of the draw at the very end of the game (3-3), but not enough to satisfy the observers. Proof of the tension reigning within the Mancunian squad, Bruno Fernandes received a second red card in his last two matches. For a player who had never been sent off in 241 matches in the red jersey, that’s a stain. And what about ten Hag? Under his command, Manchester United have won only one of their last ten European matches (5 defeats, 4 draws, 1 victory). Former player of the club, Owen Hargreaves was not kind to the former Ajax coach.
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Ten Hag in trouble
“A lot has happened. There were so many defensive gaps. Manchester United didn’t stop a single cross and it’s ridiculous to lose 3-2 after leading 2-0. Sometimes it seems like they’re able to fix something and then there’s something else that’s wrong. He has to be consistent with his defense. He replaced his two starting central defenders with two others who have been there for a very long time: Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire. There are a lot of problems. He’s been around Erik for a while now. A lot of things should have been fixed. I think there will be a lot of questions after the match because it’s not the level they need to be consistent. »he declared on TNT Sports. Erik ten Hag has a string of poor results and his position is inevitably more threatened than ever. Moreover, even Harry Maguire concedes that his coach risks having to face the risks of his job.
“Yes, to be honest, I think I’ve been playing for this club for six years now. I know how it works and when you go through a bad period, the players are under pressure, but also the manager. He has enough experience, he’s been in the business long enough. He’s been at this club long enough that I’m sure he knows how to deal with it. It’s an integral part of playing or coaching this club. It’s part of the privilege you have.”. But the Batavian hangs on. “We will get there. Don’t judge at the moment, but at the end of the season. I said the same thing last season. You have to wait. We are progressing, we will improve. We have been reaching the finals for two seasons now. Wait, we need to develop and progress this team. We will work and continue. We will fight. We see the spirit and the bond between the staff and the team, and the players have a strong spirit. They want to succeed and we are on the right track. We have a good mentality, but it is especially on the defensive side that we need to improve», he said on TNT Sports. It remains to be seen whether its leaders will be of the same opinion, at a time when several of the club’s followers think that if ETH has still not been sacked, it is because his dismissal would cost MU too much…
Pub. the 03/10/2024 23:47
Update 04/10/2024 04:41