After another disappointing start to the Premier League, the pressure is on Erik Ten Hag from the management and the fans with Man UTD tickets to recover in the second passage of play as the club arrives at a crucial juncture.
It is also a crucial position for the manager as the next passage of the play will decide whether Ten Hag stays or leaves.
Any fan with Man UTD tickets was not hoping to see a manager leave midway through a season and have the entire process overhauled to salvage a season.
But with its looks, it can be true.
Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford left them 14th in the Premier League table with only three points from their first three games of the campaign.
The pressure is already mounting on Erik ten Hag after he oversaw the club’s lowest Premier League finish last term, eighth.
As the dust settles on the latest defeat, we ask what the Dutchman needs from Manchester United’s next block of fixtures after the international break to turn the situation around.
United’s Upcoming
United’s schedule features seven games in 22 days between the end of the September international break and the start of the October break.
There will be a lot of travel involved, too, with their Europa League campaign starting and four of the seven games, including three of the four Premier League fixtures, taking place away from home.
Most fans with Man UTD tickets are already calling it one of the club’s toughest series of fixtures.
It begins away to newly promoted Southampton in the early kick-off on Saturday, September 14. Russell Martin’s side sit second-bottom, having lost their opening three games.
Their only goal so far was a stoppage-time consolation in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Brentford.
United welcome League One Barnsley to Old Trafford on Tuesday, September 17, in the Carabao Cup third round before another Premier League away game against Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace, live on Sky Sports on Saturday, September 21.
They open their Europa League campaign at home to Twente on Wednesday, September 25. Then, on Sunday, September 29, they host Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham in the Premier League. They then travel to Porto on Thursday, October 3.
Their final fixture before the October international break is another tricky one. On October 6, they go to Villa Park to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, live on Sky Sports.
Ten Hag Says Cup Record Stands
Ten Hag continues to fall back on his record of being second only to Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola in terms of trophies won in England since taking over at Old Trafford.
Certainly, those trophy wins—last season’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City at Wembley and victory over Newcastle in the 2023 Carabao Cup final—were high points for the club’s supporters after five seasons without silverware.
Ten Hag will look to the cup competitions, starting after the international break, to provide further relief this season.
However, the majority of the fans with Man UTD tickets agree that performance goes beyond cups, contradicting the manager.
There have been several outbursts on social media, noting that the key concern is the style of play, intent, and style.
United have been handed a favorable Carabao Cup tie against Barnsley, giving them what should be an easy route into the fourth round. A strong start in the Europa League will also be key after the disappointment of last season’s Champions League campaign.
But progress in the cups will only get him so far. Suppose United’s Premier League form does not improve, and knowing INEOS sounded out other managers in the summer, it is difficult to see him getting as far as potential cup finals later in the campaign.
Ugarte Needs to Get Started
Ten Hag warned that new signing Manuel Ugarte could take “months” to adapt to the Premier League on Sunday, but he will need the Uruguay international sooner.
Casemiro’s wretched display against Liverpool underlined the issues at the base of midfield. They currently lack Ugarte’s energy, intensity, and ball-winning ability.
Getting him up to speed must be a priority, but Ten Hag might not get much of a chance to work with him on the training pitch during the international break.
Besides, the bigger concern is that Ten Hag’s system will leave Ugarte with an impossible task to solve the side’s defensive issues. The Liverpool game highlighted United’s long-standing problems around openness in transition under Ten Hag, with Arne Slot’s side scoring all of their goals from turnovers inside the United half.
Replacing Casemiro
One of the primary reasons the club signed Ugarte was to find a better replacement who could elevate the club and take Casemiro’s position.
Fans with Man UTD tickets were shocked by the former Real Madrid star’s performance, allowing two goals last time United played Liverpool.
Now Ugarte has the chance to make a massive statement.
At 23, nine years younger than Casemiro, Ugarte will bring a much-needed bite to the position. Only Joao Palhinha has averaged more tackles per 90 minutes over the last two seasons in Europe’s major leagues. However, Ten Hag must adjust its system and personnel.
Goal Scoring Needs to Improve
Manchester United have only scored twice in their first three Premier League games, but not because of a lack of chances.
They rank fifth in terms of expected goals. Poor finishing has left them with the highest negative xG differential in the division. This was the issue last time, and the fans with Man UTD tickets are furious.
Ten Hag’s side have missed nine big chances—the joint-highest in the division along with Sunday’s opponents Liverpool. Liverpool also ranks top for big chances scored, with seven, while United are still on zero in that metric.
New signing Joshua Zirkzee has been profligate since his opening-game winner against Fulham, but it is a collective problem. Zirkzee is one of three players, along with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes, to have missed at least two big chances.
Ten Hag can ill-afford more of the same wastefulness after the international break and will need Rasmus Hojlund, who scored 10 Premier League goals last season, making him the side’s joint-top goalscorer, to return from his hamstring injury with his shooting boots firmly on.
