Having suffered another terrible defeat in the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United is bottom of Group A.
Similarly, a general overview could depict that this season has not been easy for Manchester United, as they have only secured 21 points from 12 Premier League fixtures and is ranked sixth in the standings. Time is running out on coach Erik ten Hag to salvage the club, and is certainly feeling the pressure at the hot seat.
While numerous factors could be tied to United’s inconsistency, some pressing issues need to be addressed. Hence, this article will analyze three major issues Manchester United should address going forward.
Defensive inconsistency
There’s no doubt that the injuries of Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw have had a negative impact, as the defense has conceded 30 goals across all competitions so far.
Furthermore, there are scenarios where individual defensive errors have robbed the Red Devils from securing crucial points in various competitions this season.
However, when you keep a close eye on the United’s defense, itvis very obvious that the defense lacks coordination and solidity as it is very easy for an opponent to penetrate the backline.
When compared to last season, we could conclude that even if the defense lacked solidity, there existed a touch of aggression and coordination.
While the above were attributes that strengthened the defensive line in the previous campaign, they are the crucial factors that are presently missing.
Therefore, there is a pressing need for ten Hag to switch the defensive strategy, this could aid in reducing the defensive flaws.
Shortage of creativity in the squad
While it can be highlighted that there are creative players such as Christian Eriksen, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes in the squad, there has been a shortage of attacking creativity, specifically in the Premier League this season.
The above is a challenge that has negatively affected attackers such as Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Højlund.
A detailed analysis could indicate that there seems to be a disconnection between the midfield and attack, as both areas of the team have struggled to connect properly in the last few weeks.
From the Red Devil’s 4-3 loss against FC København on matchday 4 of the Champions League, one positive that could be picked out is that if Højlund is adequately supplied, having scored five goals in four UCL games, he would deliver.
Thus, there is an urgent demand for the manager to work on the creative players and also try to tailor his attacking tactic to be centered around Højlund, as the above could help in improving the scoring numbers.
​Winger dilemma
One key issue that could be tied to Uniteds inconsistency in attack third this season is the complication in both the left and right-wing.
Rashford, who’s the first-choice left winger, has only scored one goal in 15 games this season.
Similarly, Antony, the first choice right-winger, has not found the back of the net in 11 appearances.
In the same vein, Jadon Sancho, who’s also a versatile winger, has been suspended from the squad due to his spongy attitude towards his manager. Hence, leaving the manager with inexperienced alternatives.
In a nutshell, the dip in the form of the wingers together with the shortage of experienced options on the flanks has reduced the attacking threat, which has in turn affected the end product.
Hence, while it is expected that the manager should try to bring the best out of his wingers going forward, there is a pressing need for the club’s hierarchy to sign an athletic winger during the forthcoming transfer window.