Manchester United have picked up right where they left off in 2023/24 – blowing hot and cold in terms of results and generally underwhelming with their performances. They have already lost two Premier League matches and could easily have failed to win the other two on another day, so they have a lot to improve on already.
By Neel Shelat
Erik ten Hag’s time in charge of Manchester United has not been the smoothest so far. His job has been under some degree of threat for the last year or so, and it appeared that he only stayed on through the summer as a result of his side’s FA Cup triumph. A disappointing eighth-placed finish in the league and some disastrous underlying numbers perhaps provided adequate grounds to sack him, but the new decision-makers decided to give him one more shot.
Ten Hag was sufficiently backed in the transfer window as Manchester United spent a significant amount of money and signed a few players who had previously worked with him, so the pressure is on the Dutch coach to deliver this season.
New signings fail to address the biggest gaps
While most of the deals Manchester United struck this summer were not bad at all in isolation, their transfer business had holes in general. The main issue was their failure to bring in (or even target) a great ball-playing defensive midfielder, which has been a recurring pattern in their recruitment for a long time.
As a result, the makeup of the Red Devils’ midfield department remains somewhat unbalanced. They have two ball-winning defensive midfielders in Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro, a couple of number eights in Christian Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo, and a pair of attacking midfielders in Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount.
Their gaps were punished just a couple of days after the transfer window closed. Liverpool rocked up to Old Trafford and completely ran over the hosts’ midfield, with the experienced Casemiro getting pressed into a horrific performance and Mainoo looking a bit out of place in a deeper role.
The other major problem they faced last season – which also stemmed from their weaknesses in midfield – was their failure to control matches when challenged. They have been too willing to go direct far too easily under Ten Hag, allowing opponents with (objectively speaking) weaker squads to generate their fair share of chances. This was most evident in their loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, but it also flared up for periods in their other fixtures against Fulham and newly-promoted Southampton.
The biggest off-pitch concern for United last term was their long injury list, which never seemed to get better. They were weakened the most at centre-back and left back, and while their signings have added some depth, the root of the issue has not been addressed just yet. Their current injury list, which includes five defenders, perfectly illustrates the fragility in some areas of the squad.
Some positives
Of course, it is not all doom and gloom for Manchester United. Some of their players and new signings have started the season well, so they have a few positives to build on.
For one, Noussair Mazraoui has been a good addition to the defence so far, particularly in possession. With Diogo Dalot on the other flank, United have a pair of versatile ball-playing full-backs who can move in various directions and offer a lot of flexibility to their setup with the ball.
In attack, Ten Hag has finally come around to giving Amad Diallo regular game time on the wing. With Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford as the other major options, the Red Devils can now consistently line up with dangerous wing pairings.
Up front, new striker Joshua Zirkzee has been a bright spark as well. He excels at linking up with his fellow attackers, forming a fluid front line that can be tough to defend against in the right circumstances. It will be interesting to see how United shape up when Rasmus Højlund returns from injury, but they definitely have the potential to put together a troublesome attack.
Periods of pressure await
Manchester United’s fixture list for the rest of the year is quite interesting. They face some spells where tough opponents come in quick succession and then some streaks of very winnable games, so their results are sure to continue fluctuating. The key for Ten Hag will be to preserve the positive momentum as far as possible in the more difficult periods, so they cannot afford to drop too many sloppy points.
The Red Devils’ next couple of fixtures should be straightforward as they will face Barnsley in the Carabao Cup this week, Crystal Palace in the Premier League on the weekend and FC Twente in the Europa League next week. The next month could prove very tricky as they will take on Tottenham Hotspur, FC Porto, Aston Villa, Brentford, José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe, West Ham United and Chelsea in succession. November should be kinder to them, but trips to Arsenal and Manchester City in a run of five rapid-fire fixtures in the first half of December could well see them lose steam in the most busy period of the season. Their squad depth will also be tested as they juggle multiple competitions at once, so Ten Hag will need to get all his players fit and firing by then.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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