Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Outdated Trafford left them 14th within the Premier League desk with solely three factors from their first three video games of the marketing campaign.
The strain is already mounting on Erik ten Hag after he oversaw the membership’s lowest end of the Premier League period final time period, in eighth.
Because the mud settles on the most recent defeat, we ask what the Dutchman wants from Manchester United’s subsequent block of fixtures, after the worldwide break, to be able to flip the scenario round.
What’s in retailer for United?
United’s schedule encompasses a run of seven video games within the house of twenty-two days between the tip of the September worldwide break and the beginning of the October break.
There might be a number of journey concerned, too, with their Europa League marketing campaign beginning and 4 of the seven video games, together with three of the 4 Premier League fixtures, going down away from residence.
It begins away to newly-promoted Southampton within the early kick-off on Saturday September 14. Russell Martin’s aspect sit second-bottom having misplaced their opening three video games, their solely objective to date a stoppage-time comfort in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Brentford.
United welcome League One Barnsley to Outdated Trafford on Tuesday September 17 within the Carabao Cup third spherical earlier than one other Premier League away sport, towards Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace, dwell on Sky Sports activities on Saturday September 21.
They open their Europa League marketing campaign at residence to Twente on Wednesday September 25, then host Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham within the Premier League, dwell on Sky Sports activities on Sunday September 29, earlier than a visit to Porto on Thursday October 3.
Their last fixture earlier than the October worldwide break is one other difficult one as they go to Villa Park to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, dwell on Sky Sports activities on October 6.
How do their Premier League video games examine?
On paper, it’s a comparatively powerful batch of fixtures.
Primarily based on final season’s ending positions, solely six Premier League sides – Manchester Metropolis, Tottenham, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Brentford – have tougher video games than United between the worldwide breaks.
It’s also value noting how United fared in the identical fixtures final time period. They didn’t face Southampton, after all, however they had been thrashed 4-0 by Palace at Selhurst Park in Could, having been overwhelmed 1-0 by them at Outdated Trafford earlier within the marketing campaign.
Final season’s residence sport towards Tottenham, in the meantime, led to a 2-2 attract January, with Ten Hag’s aspect twice shedding the lead having additionally been overwhelmed 2-0 by Ange Postecoglou’s aspect on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium again in August.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Man Utd’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool
They fared higher towards Aston Villa, triumphing 2-1 in final season’s assembly at Villa Park in February courtesy of Scott McTominay’s late objective. However, throughout the three video games, and the journey to Saints, Ten Hag will want higher outcomes than final yr’s if he’s to ease the strain.
Cups can solely present a lot reduction
Ten Hag continues to fall again on his document of being second solely to Manchester Metropolis’s Pep Guardiola when it comes to trophies gained in England since taking on at Outdated Trafford.
Definitely, these trophy wins, final season’s FA Cup last conquer Manchester Metropolis at Wembley coming after victory over Newcastle within the 2023 Carabao Cup last, had been excessive factors for the membership’s supporters after 5 seasons with out silverware.
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Ten Hag has a heated change with a reporter who questions his ways as a coach after Manchester United’s defeat to Liverpool
Ten Hag might be seeking to the cup competitions to supply additional reduction this season, beginning after the worldwide break.
United have been handed a beneficial Carabao Cup tie towards Barnsley, giving them what ought to be a straightforward route into the fourth spherical. A robust begin within the Europa League may even be key after the frustration of final season’s Champions League marketing campaign.
However progress within the cups will solely get him to date. If United’s Premier League kind doesn’t enhance, and figuring out INEOS had been sounding out different managers in the summertime, it’s troublesome to see him getting so far as potential cup finals later within the marketing campaign.
Ugarte must hit the bottom working
Ten Hag warned that new signing Manuel Ugarte might take “months” to adapt to the Premier League on Sunday however he’ll want the Uruguay worldwide ahead of that.
Casemiro’s wretched show towards Liverpool underlined the problems on the base of midfield. Ugarte’s vitality, depth and ball-winning skill are qualities they at the moment lack.
Getting him up to the mark have to be a precedence however Ten Hag won’t get a lot of an opportunity to work with him on the coaching pitch through the worldwide break, with Ugarte anticipated to journey to South America for Uruguay’s World Cup qualifiers towards Paraguay and Venezuela.
Apart from, the larger concern is that Ten Hag’s system will depart Ugarte with an unattainable process to resolve the aspect’s defensive points. The Liverpool sport highlighted United’s long-standing issues round openness in transition beneath Ten Hag, with Arne Slot’s aspect scoring all of their objectives from turnovers contained in the United half.
Casemiro made pricey errors for Liverpool’s first two objectives
The identical openness was obvious towards Fulham and Brighton. United rank fourth within the division when it comes to transition alternatives given to their opponents this season, whereas solely Newcastle have given up extra transitions reaching the ultimate third or the field.
Ugarte, 9 years youthful than Casemiro at 23, will convey much-needed chunk to the place. Solely Joao Palhinha has averaged extra tackles per 90 minutes over the past two seasons in Europe’s main leagues. However Ten Hag should modify his system in addition to his personnel.
Ending points have to be resolved
Manchester United have solely scored twice of their first three Premier League video games, however not due to a scarcity of probabilities. They really rank fifth when it comes to anticipated objectives. Poor ending has left them with the best unfavourable xG differential within the division.
Ten Hag’s aspect have missed a complete of 9 huge probabilities – the joint-highest within the division together with Sunday’s opponents Liverpool. The distinction is that Liverpool additionally rank prime for large probabilities scored, with seven, whereas United are nonetheless on zero in that metric.
New signing Joshua Zirkzee has been profligate since his opening-game winner towards Fulham however it’s a collective drawback, with Zirkzee one among three gamers, together with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes to have missed no less than two huge probabilities.
Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee through the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool
Ten Hag can ill-afford extra of the identical wastefulness after the worldwide break and can want Rasmus Hojlund, scorer of 10 Premier League objectives final season, making him the aspect’s joint-top goalscorer, to return from his hamstring harm together with his taking pictures boots firmly on.
‘United want to begin constructive shift’
Sky Sports activities’ Peter Smith
Whereas Man Utd now have two weeks to dwell on their loss to rivals Liverpool, Ten Hag will certainly welcome the chance to reset and attempt to relaunch the beginning of their season. Two weeks to rethink and refine the tactical strategy, two weeks to refresh and revive a few of the injured gamers.
Key males Luke Shaw and Hojlund ought to be again obtainable quickly after this worldwide break, whereas a beneficial few fixtures at residence and in Europe provide the chance to rebuild some momentum.
However United and Ten Hag should discover a foothold earlier than rounding off their subsequent batch of video games towards Tottenham, Porto and Aston Villa. Shedding these league video games back-to-back – which isn’t out of the query given United’s begin and the power of these sides – actually would pile the strain on going into the October worldwide break.
Gary Neville stated on Sunday Ten Hag can’t afford to have United round mid-table at Christmas. However a constructive shift should begin now in September if Ten Hag is to put the foundations for a season of actual – and important – progress.
