Man United under the guidance of Erik ten Hag is experiencing one of the most forgettable seasons in the Premier League.
There is no adequate excuse for the poor performance of Man United’s defense this season
Manchester United’s performance under Erik ten Hag this season could be even worse than that under David Moyes, who was sacked after 10 months in charge at Old Trafford, only managing to lead the Red Devils to a 7th-place finish in the Premier League.
Currently, Man United is sitting 8th in the Premier League and still has matches against Arsenal, Newcastle, and Brighton.
Based on their current form, it’s very difficult for Man United to win all 3 remaining matches. Ten Hag needs an additional 5 points to avoid breaking the unfortunate record – becoming the manager responsible for the worst season of Manchester United in the Premier League era. Ralf Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer currently hold that record from the 2021-2022 campaign.
Indeed, after nearly 2 seasons at Old Trafford, Ten Hag was allocated £410 million for player acquisitions. This budget is significantly larger than Moyes’ era.
The FA Cup final is the only chance for Manchester United to salvage this season, but their opponent is Manchester City.
Just 12 months ago, Ten Hag led what was deemed a promising revolution at Manchester United. So, what’s going on?
The way Man United defended was unacceptable.
Ashley Young described the old team’s defense as “terrible” in the defeat to Crystal Palace. This has been a recurring theme for Manchester United under Ten Hag this season.
United has conceded 55 goals in 35 matches this season. In terms of averages, this could be the season where the Red Devils concede the most goals in Premier League history.
Arsenal, United’s next opponent, has won 10 matches with a margin of 3 goals or more in the Premier League this season. Therefore, starting from matchweek 37, the Red Devils could reach the aforementioned milestone.
Ten Hag’s squad has also conceded three or more goals in 8 matches in the Premier League this season. This number would increase to 14 if we consider all competitions.
One of the reasons behind Manchester United’s vulnerability at the back is their defensive structure. This is evident in the number of shots they face.
Since the beginning of 2024 until now, the Red Devils have faced 317 shots – more than any other team in the Premier League. That means an average of over 18 shots per game.
Even if the injury persists, Man United’s defense cannot be that bad
Jamie Carragher, who once remarked that Manchester United is one of the worst-coached teams in the league, has criticized Ten Hag’s system.
“This is one of the worst-coached teams in the Premier League. That’s a fact. It’s not an opinion. The numbers show you that they’re bottom of the league in terms of defense, worse than even Sheffield,” the former Liverpool defender said.
Ten Hag may point to a series of injury issues this season, particularly in defense, to explain why Manchester United has conceded more than 22 goals compared to last season. However, tactically, there’s almost no satisfactory answer that Ten Hag can provide.