Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United did not stick to the script against Crystal Palace
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is a man under pressure and he will have departed Selhurst Park worried that his job hangs by a thread. Given how the players performed against Crystal Palace, few can claim otherwise.
Every side can have off days but United are making it a habit of talking big only to perform abysmally. Given the nature of surrender last night, Ten Hag had no complaints admitting that the defeat was a new low in what has been a poor 2023-24 campaign.
While it is good to be optimistic, Ten Hag does appear to be papering over the cracks. According to The Telegraph, the Dutchman claimed that United have been hard to beat this season. One can be forgiven for thinking Ten Hag clearly does not watch the highlights of his side’s matches.
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“So far you have always seen a team that was playing and following the script. That is why we didn’t have a lot of wins, but we were hard to beat. Today we were easy to beat.”
Struggles have been a part and parcel of the current campaign and it is time that Ten Hag acknowledges it. Reverting to the decisions that went against us at the Emirates or lauding the performances against Liverpool do little to address genuine concerns in the squad.
We were comfortably outplayed by the Reds in all three games and on another day could have been in for a hiding. By looking otherwise, issues go unaddressed and the same mistakes keep occurring. The fact that Oliver Glasner kept barking out instructions while Ten Hag looked clueless by the sideline is telling.
The Dutchman is right that the players should have done better. But then attitude reflects leadership and there was none of it on the night. Thankfully, the only way is up and hopefully, we can showcase our best in the remaining games.
“We should have done better. We are aware as a team performance, we were not correct, making big mistakes and not following the plan and the script. And the rules we have.
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Ten Hag has had to address several defeats this season but little appears to have changed. His words off the field matter for little when the performances and results on it speak otherwise. Winning the FA Cup could yet add some sheen to an otherwise forgettable campaign but given our performances so far, we wont be holding our breath.
The loss to Crystal Palace was not a one off and the numbers over the course of the season make for a depressing read indeed.
- Manchester United have the higher xG in only 13 of their 35 Premier League games this season.
- Only Five other teams in the Premier League have a lower expected points tally than Manchester United this season, three of who are in the bottom three.
- Manchester United have a net xG value of -11.50 this season, the sixth worst in the English top flight.
- Manchester United have now lost 13 games in the Premier League, their most ever over the course of a campaign.
- Manchester United could finish below the seven position for the first time ever in Premier League history.
- Since the start of the 2022-23 season, only Nottingham Forest (five) have lost more Premier League away games by a four-goal margin or higher than United (three).
- Manchester United have conceded 81 goals in all competitions this season, their most in a campaign since 1976-77.
- Manchester United are on course to end the league season with a negative goal differential for the first time since 1989-90.
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