Manchester United’s three games in the Premier League this season have left a lot to be desired.
Notably, some progress has been made at Old Trafford as Erik Ten Hag has gone about building a formidable team for himself. Players like Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo, to mention a few, have worked themselves up to the first team and gained starting positions, proving to be at their best when called upon.
The Dutchman has also brought in reinforcements to enhance squad depth and the quality of the team with Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee joining the cub over the summer transfer window.
Having won the opening match against Fulham thanks to an 87th-minute goal by the debuting Zirkzee, the Red Devils had outplayed their opponents at Old Trafford but struggled to find the back of the net. By helping his team to the three points, the Dutchman became the first goalscorer of the new campaign with a dream debut that showed how important he can be to the current squad.
Erik ten Hag’s men were then hosted at the AMEX Stadium by Brighton in what ended as a 2-1 defeat for the Mancunians.
In the 32nd minute, Danny Welbeck put the hosts ahead to bring up a unique record for the striker who has now scored five goals against his old club with no former player scoring more. It was also his 100th club career goal, marking a truly special moment for the player.
Marcus Rashford thought he had given his side an instant response, yet his goal was chalked off for offside. Diallo was then able to bring the game back on level terms after his shot deflected off Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke in the 60th minute, making it an impossible save for Jason Steele to make.
Five minutes after the equaliser, Garnacho was subbed on for Marcus Rashford and he seemed to have flipped the game on its head after Bruno Fernandes squared following a superb overlap move with Diallo on the right. However, the goal was ruled out after a VAR review because Zirkzee was ruled offside.
The seagulls seemed determined to not settle for shared points at home in this hard-fought match and they stole all three points. Simon Adingra latched on to a loose ball and lifted a beautiful cross to the back post for an unmarked Joao Pedro to head it home emphatically.
Since the 2022-23 season, Manchester United have lost more Premier League games thanks to goals scored in the 90th minute than any other side (six); they’d only lost two such games in the first 30 campaigns in the competition combined. This is something the United managerial staff must rectify as a slight loss of concentration and negligence on the part of the players can allow penetrating passes to unmarked opponents on their blind sides, costing them big games in the future.
Is it already time for turmoil at the Theatre of Dreams?
Their third Premier League game of the season was at home to hated rivals Liverpool who had won their first two matches without conceding.
The Reds side are in good form under their new manager, Arne Slot, and they ensured United have now won just one of their last 13 Premier League meetings.
The visitors ruthlessly exposed the flaws in Ten Hag’s set-up and they were better in every department as United pressed high without any structure, they left huge gaps for Liverpool to exploit in midfield. This lack of organization when they press high or choose to sit deep has held United back throughout Ten Hag’s tenure, and it was embarrassing to see him completely outfoxed by his compatriot who has only been in the Liverpool hot seat for two months.
Ten Hag is now the only Man Utd manager to lose two of the opening three games of a Premier League season twice, and it is poignant that the team still doesn’t have a clear style of play in his third season in charge.
After a shock victory in last season’s FA Cup final against Manchester City, the Dutchman was let off the hook following the club’s worst-ever Premier League finish. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS must already be ruing the decision to extend Ten Hag’s contract, but the 54-year-old has so far been fortunate enough to recover from unforgivable performances with some unexpected turnaround results.
Despite the huge outlay on signing players requested by the manager, United have started the season in the same chaotic manner in which they ended last term.
It appears a managerial change is what would eventually see this team reach its untapped potential.
