Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired from coaching and became a spectator, Manchester United hasn’t been the same. The team has been struggling, and even though they won a few trophies after SAF’s departure, they’ve not been as dominant as before. If you’re a sports bettor with soccer betting experience, you’ll know how badly the team has dropped.
Manchester United was once the best team in England, winning back-to-back Premier League titles. They won 13 league titles during Sir Alex Ferguson’s era and gained the reputation of a top team, attracting many fans worldwide. Since 2013, SAF’s era seems so far because the team hasn’t been dominant.
Liverpool has almost caught up with them as they are only one league title away from matching United’s count. In addition, their noisy neighbors have been dominating the league, and if things continue this way, we might see them catch up with United’s historic domination. Unfortunately, the team keeps getting worse.
After SAF, David Moyes was given the managerial role on the recommendation of Ferguson. However, the team couldn’t replicate their incredible record as they struggled to make it to the following season’s UCL competition. After Moyes, Louis Van Gaal came, and the team won two trophies.
However, the team’s performance kept dipping. So, we saw the introduction of Jose Mourinho, and they went back to European glory, albeit in the second-tier competition. Although Mourinho complained that the squad wasn’t good enough to compete, the fans and management wanted more.
Therefore, Mourinho was let go, and we saw Ole Gunnar Solsjker take control of the team. After three years, the team didn’t improve, and they didn’t win a single trophy, putting the team at an all-time. Therefore, Ralf Ragnick was introduced to stabilize the ship, but that went badly, as they went from bad to worse.
To usher in the new era, Erik Ten Hag became the latest manager in the long list of coaches since SAF. The preseason seemed like the team was back, but after the first two games, it doesn’t look like they are better. It seems the team is getting worse. So, what’s wrong with Manchester United? Keep reading to find out what we think.
Erik Ten Hag’s Pattern and the Current Crop of Players
Erik Ten Hag came with a clear pattern and was ready to make Manchester United a more compact team with attacking traits. He also wants the team to control the game’s tempo, giving the opponents no chance to attack. The plan is straightforward, and it worked well at Ajax.
In addition, the team should do more off-the-ball movements to ensure that the opponent doesn’t enjoy too much time on the ball. They are to be aggressive and quick to regain possession. The plan is to make the team formidable enough to rival the top two teams in the league.
We saw them do that in the preseason, but since the start of the season, they haven’t done anything like that. They’ve struggled to retain possession and can’t even string passes for long. Although they’ve enjoyed more possession, it has been in their half. We can’t say that the team hasn’t struggled since the start of the season.
The problem is that the current crop of players is not technical enough to follow ETH’s pattern as they are not too solid on the ball. We see them struggle and not able to make the right call when it comes to simple passes. With this lack of ability, Ten Hag’s pattern isn’t showing, and it seems they are worse than before.
Lack of Players in Key Roles
Before the start of the season, every fan knew that Manchester United lacked players in critical areas, and that has been their biggest weakness. One of the roles they lack talents in is the central defensive midfield area, a cover for the defense that would help the team push forward.
With the team losing out on Frankie De Jong, they would need to get a new CDM before it is too late and the transfer window closes. Aside from the defensive midfield area, the team lacks talent in the right wing and full-back positions. They need players at the level of Reece James, Kyle Walker, Joao Cancelo, Trent Alexander Alnord, etc., to compete with the top teams.
Premier League Competitiveness
The hardest thing for a new coach with a struggling team is that they won’t get the time to build a team that can compete. They must be quick in their rebuild unless the other teams would punish them.
There is no time for the teams to struggle and slack. The team has to hit it running from the start. Man United is suffering from this, which is why they are currently bottom of the table and without a win in the first two games.
