Siddharth Juyal
The grim stat outlines the end of dominance in the Premier League by Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired
Disheartening stat shows the end of dominance in the Premier League since Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson retired. United lost 3-0 against Bournemouth in a humiliating fashion at Old Trafford as their struggle with inconsistency continued.
The Red Devils have lost five home games out of 12 in all competitions this season. The other defeats include a 1-3 loss to Brighton and a 0-3 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League. Furthermore, a 0-3 loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup and 2-3 loss to Galatasaray in the Champions League.
United manager Erik ten Hag has struggled to build consistency within his senior team. The Red Devils have shown weaknesses in both the defensive and offensive phases of the game throughout the season.
They struggled to create a significant number of threatening opportunities while lacking the composure to finish the chances. On the other side, United left a lot of spaces in midfield and defence with the opposition exploiting them easily.
The Red Devils faced defensive frailties, particularly in the games where they dominated the possession and took an adventurous approach. Ten Hag deployed a new 4-2-4 formation in recent games to rectify the recurring issues and built a rigid system.
However, Bournemouth managed to exploit a similar problem in the new system as United dominated 70% possession. The Cherries used a counter-attack to exploit the spaces and score their goals as United mustered three shots on target.
Stats-based football site Squawka reported (h/t X) that United have lost 35 Premier League home games since Ferguson retired. The Red Devils lost 34 games during the 21 seasons when the legendary Scottish manager was in charge of the club.
The unpleasant stat solidifies the bitter truth that every football fan already knows, United’s dominance is over. United dominated the Premier League under the reign of Ferguson, winning 13 Premier League titles in those 21 seasons.
The Scotsman took every tactical and psychological advantage without any remorse to fortify Old Trafford against all opposition. Numerous different managers have taken over United since Ferguson’s retirement but failed to replicate his success.
United have suffered some high-profile humiliating defeats at Old Trafford like the 0-5 loss against Liverpool in the 2021-2022 season. The Red Devils will face their historic rivals in the next Premier League fixture, albeit at Anfield.
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Ten Hag needs to retain the psychological advantage Old Trafford used to have against all the opponents in England. Without a sheer home advantage like Ferguson used to have, the Dutchman cannot build his legacy.
