26 Sep 2024 18:31:59
Our start to this season under Erik ten Hag is worth a closer look when compared to his first two seasons. Here's how it shapes up after the first 8 games:
In 2022-23, we had 5 wins, no draws, and 3 losses. We scored 10 goals, conceded 9, and kept 3 clean sheets. In 2023-24, we managed 4 wins, again no draws, but 4 losses. We scored more—13 goals—but conceded 14 and again had 3 clean sheets. Now, in 2024-25, we’re at 3 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses. We’ve scored 14, conceded 7, and kept 4 clean sheets.
Looking at the losses, the 2022-23 season saw defeats to Brighton (2-1 at home), Brentford (4-0 away), and Real Sociedad (1-0 at home) . In 2023-24, we lost to Spurs (2-0 away), Arsenal (3-1 away), and Brighton (3-1 at home) . This season, it’s been Brighton again (2-1 away) and Liverpool (3-0 at home) .
Defensively, we’ve actually improved this season. We’ve conceded the least number of goals and kept more clean sheets than before. We’ve also lost fewer games. While we’ve scored more, it’s worth noting that 7 of those goals came against Barnsley. The most striking stat this season is that we’ve missed 16 big chances, more than any other team in the league, which has clearly affected our results.
So, have we had a worse start than in previous seasons? It’s not black and white. If we start converting some of these chances, things could look very different. Last night, for instance, we had 19 shots but only 5 on target, which just isn’t good enough. This isn’t about defending Ten Hag but about offering some perspective. It’s easy to get lost in the emotions of the latest result rather than seeing the bigger picture. Turning these draws into wins is essential, but at least a draw is better than a loss.
Sunday’s game against Spurs will be massive. If we don’t get a result, the pressure on Ten Hag will be intense, and his position could become untenable.
26 Sep 2024 18:58:20
The fact it’s not black and white demonstrates no clear progress. That’s the issue.
26 Sep 2024 20:22:55
ETH may not be the perfect coach,
But we will always be a poor team as long as bruno, rashford and maguire make the team.
Maguire is at best a west ham level CB who can sit deep and play long balls.
Rashford needs 5 variables to work out to get the best out of him. A overlapping fullback, long balls, fans loving him, manager loving him, and long shots going in.
Bruno, apart from his poor demeanour as a captain, complaining all the time, he cannot run with the ball, his shooting is not as good as it used to be, his flicks and tricks almost never work out. He keeps losing the ball and we get countered from it.
All 3 of them do not take care of the ball, and there is a reason we are a cup team, and these are central to it.
All of them have been over promoted and over inflated with the back of mickey mouse cup wins and 6th place finishes and the day we beat PSG.
Our defense has actually improved a lot. Mazraoui is a class player and De Ligt is good too.
I think Eriksen, Mainoo and Ugarte is our best midfield going forward and we should stick to it, with mount covering and bruno and casemiro being the backups. I feel collyer plays better than these 2 because he does simple things.
Our football is too reliant on hollywood passes and goals, whereas the likes of zirkzee and amad play simple football, can you remember one zirkzee or amad pass that was hollywood?
We had a cull this year, and the moment we let rash, bruno, maguire go, no matter who the coach is, we will see massive improvements.
27 Sep 2024 03:01:31
Backpass - and who is it that keeps picking Rashford, Bruno, and Maguire?
27 Sep 2024 03:41:30
I've resigned myself to not fan the flames of manager out. I am sick of the churn, so I want to see this version of united through. I would spend another season mid table and watch the teams younger players grow up another year and see out another summer of outs and ins before I want to give up on this. We still have Fernandes, rashford, eriksen, mcguire, lindelof and others who's times are at an end with utd. We have ineos now bringing in young talent and scouting more.
I appreciate others may think this manager has had all the chances they are willing to give. But I am not expecting a quick fix, and so the slow start to the season is less spectacular. I do think we will get better this season, but top 4 would be a huge improvement. UEFA (which would get us ucl) is a throw of the dice, but could prove easier.
27 Sep 2024 06:33:11
@dodgy do you really want to hand over all the promising youngsters development to ETH? And what evidence is there we will get better? Genuine questions. Not looking to be divisive.
27 Sep 2024 07:22:00
BRD
The advice ETh gave to Garnacho, one of our most exciting attacking players, defend defend defend. I am still at a loss on that and it doesn’t sound positive to his development to me. That must be a serious concern to the DOF if ETH has or was given total control over young player development.
27 Sep 2024 10:41:57
Redseven, eth is definitely not inspiring, acting similarly to Ole has previously.
As long as bruno, rash and maguire stay at the club, some or the other excuse will come up to rely on them.
Only Ralf consistently benched Rashford, and both Ole and ETH kept showing good faith in these 3.
27 Sep 2024 12:39:23
Good post Kurtis. Unfortunately he is not helping himself given the last result and it was not a good performance at all. A win vs spurs and a point away at villa seem to be a minimum requirement now in the league.
Watched the Porto game against the Norwegian side before our game came on. Porto will not be easy given they lost and will be in desperate need of 3 points. That can be a positive depending on how you look at things if you want a more open game. We have never really done well away to Portuguese or Spanish teams with a few exceptions.
We need to start scoring and the rest will take care of itself imo. Bruno's form is really bad and he looks really labored running as the game goes on. Defensively he is a liability atm given how cheaply he gives the ball and not sure he will retain a place in the starting 11 if this continues.
Dropping Bruno will come with a lot of noise as he still enjoys a large majority of fan support. Never a dull day as a united supporter or easy decisions if you are managing this team.
27 Sep 2024 18:42:28
Backpass. What concerns me is that both Rashford and Bruno were given big new contracts during Ten Haag’s reign, making them very difficult to move on and thus forcing the next manager to incorporate them into his (or her) plans. I’m sure that the upper management also played a role in those decisions, but when we’ve needed a strong manager who was willing to bench players who weren’t meeting expectations, we instead got one who continued to pick them despite both failing to deliver.
I wouldn’t mind so much if we had no other options, but the fact that players like Garna and Mount are sat on the bench while Bruno and Rashford are floundering is a massive source of frustration for me (and I’m sure many other fans) .
27 Sep 2024 20:36:23
I fully agree red7, and with players like rooney I could understand what he achieved and his quality when he was not getting dropped.
I do not understand how people like bruno and rash who have won nothing major get the same status.
27 Sep 2024 20:54:12
The fa cup isn't mickey mouse . in fact no cup is. Boils my piss when people say a cup is mickey mouse, can only compete in 3 or 4 in Europe. so nothing is mickey mouse.
28 Sep 2024 01:22:25
I agree Nick.
If you win any if the 4 you enter its no mean feat.
Obviously there is rankings of the comps and the domestic cups don't offer the same rewards as a euro or league win and some would rather be top 4 than win a domestic cup for the rewards on offer.
Winning cups is not always the indication of being a good team.
In todays game its not easy to win any competition.
28 Sep 2024 22:02:21
I agree on the cups thing. Winning trophies is what it’s all about. That being said, the narrative is changing for ETH and I think more fans are beginning to realise he’s probably out of his depth here, and his ideas are not working.