Manchester United misplaced 0-3 to Liverpool at Previous Trafford. They solely amassed 3 factors within the first three video games of this season and ranked 14th within the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag is below growing stress after guiding the membership to eighth place, their lowest end within the Premier League period final season.
With the mud deciding on current defeats, we requested the Dutchman what he wants from United’s subsequent recreation after the worldwide break to show issues round.
What’s coming for Manchester United?
Manchester United’s schedule is to play 7 consecutive video games in 22 days between the tip of the worldwide match in September and the beginning of the worldwide match in October.
As their Europa League marketing campaign begins, 4 of their seven video games, together with three of their 4 Premier League video games, will likely be performed away from house, which will even contain loads of journey.
Begin with a brand new promotion southampton Early kick-off on Saturday, September 14th. Germany’s stoppage-time comfort.
Manchester United leads the league barnsley A visit to Previous Trafford within the Carabao Cup third spherical earlier than one other Premier League away recreation towards Oliver Glasner’s facet on Tuesday 17 September crystal palaceproceed residing sky sports activities Saturday, September twenty first.
They begin their Europa League journey at house Twente Wednesday, September 25, then hosted by Ange Postecoglou tottenham hotspur Within the Premier League, life goes on sky sports activities On September 29 (Sunday), go to Porto Thursday, October third.
Their final recreation earlier than the October worldwide break can also be a difficult one, as they journey to Villa Park to face Unai Emery’s facet aston villaproceed residing sky sports activities October sixth.
How do their Premier League video games evaluate?
On paper, it is a comparatively tough batch of fixtures.
Primarily based on final season’s rankings, solely six Premier League groups – Manchester Metropolis, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Brentford – have performed extra video games between worldwide breaks than Manchester United. tough.
It is also value noting how United carried out in the identical competitors final season. In fact, they did not face Southampton, however they had been overwhelmed 4-0 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in Could this 12 months after being overwhelmed 0-1 by Crystal Palace at Previous Trafford earlier within the season.
In the meantime, final season’s house recreation towards Tottenham Hotspur resulted in a 2-2 attract January, with Ten Hag’s facet dropping the lead twice, and was additionally overwhelmed on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August. Angie Postkoglu’s facet had been defeated 2-0.
They fared higher towards Aston Villa in February final season at Villa Park, successful 2-1 due to Scott McTominay’s late purpose. Nonetheless, between these three video games and the journey to the Saints, the Ten Witches will want higher outcomes than final 12 months if they’re to alleviate the stress.
Cups present solely restricted aid
Ten Hag continues to carry the report for the variety of trophies received in England since taking on at Previous Trafford, second solely to Manchester Metropolis’s Pep Guardiola.
In fact, these trophy triumphs, which got here after beating Manchester Metropolis within the FA Cup closing at Wembley final season and Newcastle within the 2023 Carabao Cup closing, come after 5 seasons with out silverware for the membership’s supporters. Highest rating.
Beginning after the worldwide break, the Ten Witches will look to cup competitions this season to supply additional aid.
Manchester United have a positive probability towards Barnsley within the Carabao Cup which places them comfortably into the fourth spherical. A powerful begin to the Europa League will even be key following final season’s disappointing Champions League marketing campaign.
However progress within the cup can solely take him to date. If United’s Premier League kind doesn’t enhance, and figuring out Ineos has examined out different managers in the summertime, will probably be tough for him to achieve a possible cup closing later within the season.
Ugarte must act now
Ten Hague has warned that it may take “a number of months” for brand spanking new signing Manuel Ugarte to be match for Sunday’s Premier League match, however he will likely be wanted before that for the Uruguay worldwide.
Casemiro’s poor efficiency towards Liverpool highlighted the issues within the midfield. Ugarte’s power, depth and successful capacity are traits they at the moment lack.
Getting him up to the mark is actually a precedence however Ten Hag could not get a lot probability to work with him on the coaching pitch in the course of the worldwide break, with Ugarte anticipated to journey to South America for Uruguay’s World Cup qualifiers towards Paraguay and Venezuela.
As well as, what’s much more worrying is that Ten Hag’s system will make it unimaginable for Ugarte to unravel the workforce’s defensive issues. The sport towards Liverpool highlighted United’s long-standing issues in transition below Ten Hag, with all of Arne Slott’s facet’s objectives coming from turnovers inside United’s half.
The identical openness was evident towards Fulham and Brighton. United are fourth within the division when it comes to conversion probabilities given to their opponents this season, with solely Newcastle giving up extra conversion probabilities when getting into the ultimate third or field.
At 23, Ugarte is 9 years youthful than Casemiro and can carry much-needed energy to the place. Solely Joao Palhinha has averaged extra tackles per 90 minutes in Europe’s main leagues over the previous two seasons. However Ten Witches needed to modify his methods and personnel.
The issue of group have to be solved
United have solely scored twice of their first three Premier League video games, however that is not for lack of probabilities. They really rank fifth when it comes to anticipated objectives. Their poor ending capacity provides them the very best adverse xG differential within the division.
Ten Hag’s facet missed 9 massive probabilities in complete – the very best quantity within the league with Sunday’s opponents Liverpool. The distinction is that Liverpool additionally prime the record for excellent scoring probabilities, with seven, whereas United nonetheless have zero on this metric.
New signing Joshua Zirkzee has been profligate since his opening-day winner towards Fulham, nevertheless it’s a collective drawback and Zirkzee is one in all three gamers, together with three others It was Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandez, who missed no less than two vital probabilities.
Ten Hag can’t afford extra of the identical waste after the worldwide break and can want Rasmus Hoylund, whose 10 objectives within the Premier League final season made him the workforce’s joint prime scorer ) is again from a hamstring harm and is firmly again in a capturing boot.
‘Manchester United wants to begin a constructive change’
Peter Smith, Sky Sports activities
Whereas United now have a fortnight to replicate on their defeat to rivals Liverpool, Ten Hag will certainly welcome the chance to reset and attempt to restart their season. Two weeks to rethink and refine tactical approaches, two weeks to refresh and rehabilitate some injured gamers.
Key males Luke Shaw and Hoylund ought to return quickly after the worldwide break, whereas a number of favorable matches domestically and in Europe present the chance to rebuild momentum.
However United and Ten Hag should discover their footing earlier than finishing their subsequent batch of video games towards Tottenham Hotspur, Porto and Aston Villa. Dropping these league video games in a row – which is not out of the query given United’s begin and the standard of the squad – would actually put stress on heading into the October worldwide break.
Gary Neville mentioned on Sunday that Manchester United can’t afford to complete mid-table over Christmas. But when Ten Witches is to put the groundwork for an actual, important season of enchancment, a constructive shift should start in September.