THE once mighty Manchester United find themselves 13th in the league ahead of today’s fixture against Burnley and have lost four of their opening six games of a season in all competitions for the first time since 1986/87 which was the same season that Sir Alex Ferguson was called in to take charge of the club which should send a worrying message to Erik Ten Hag.
Wednesday night’s 4-3 heartbreak at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League etched a grim record in history – the first time they’ve conceded three or more goals in three consecutive games since the bleak days of 1978. It’s no disgrace to fall to the might of Bayern Munich, the fact that this came on the heels of 3-1 losses to Brighton and Arsenal in the Premier League reveals an issue at United .
In total, the record 20-time league champions have conceded a staggering 14 goals in all competitions, and the heat on Ten Hag is rising like the temperature in the Sahara.
United goalkeeper Andre Onana and the defence have come under fire for the chaotic way they conceded two goals in the first half against Bayern. Onana admitted that his performance against Bayern was responsible for the defeat.
“In the beginning we start really good. After my mistake we lose the control of the game,” he admitted.
“It’s a difficult situation for us, for me, especially because I’m the one who let the team down. But the team was very good, I think it was because of me that we didn’t win this game.”
Speaking on TNT Sports, former Man United star Scholes claimed his former side were guilty of collapsing in adversity.
Scholes conceded United had done well to score three times against the German champions on their home turf but believes Bayern could have inflicted even more damage on Ten Hag’s under-pressure team.
“There is a weakness to them,’ Scholes said. “There is a soft underbelly and they do seem to collapse a bit when things are going wrong.
“They scored three goals and that is good, but I felt Bayern could then turn it on and score another. I thought there was a big distance between the teams, in that second half especially.
“First half I thought they did well but still conceded two goals through a lack of concentration. There is experience in the team but I don’t think it is being used. Concentration in Europe is so important, once you concede one goal, it can turn into two and three.”
Some United fans have expressed their displeasure over the poor start of their team to the season with some blaming Ten Hag while majority blamed the ownership under the Glazers.
United fan and journalist, Adekunle Salami believes that the club have not recruited well enough saying, “It is a tough time because the transfer was not well handled, Ten Hag was looking for a striker, we were expecting Osimhen or Harry Kane. Eventually, they said there was no money and they went for Rasmus (Hojlund), someone untested in England, he is just promising, and with such a striker, your chances of fighting for the title are limited.
“It is a slow start, I mean last season, we started equally slow and somehow came up to still finish as third but that is now where Man United should be. We are supposed to be winning titles, not only in England but in Europe so I think this coach is still tinkering with the team which should not be at this time.”
Salami told this newspaper that he believes teh Glazers only care about money and not the fans.
“If they sell the club, there will be fresh breath in that team, there will be something new because they (Glazers) are focused on the business end but the fans are not happy, they must have that bragging right, but the Glazers win or lose just want to make their money but fans want to boast of titles and cannot, and that is not good enough,” he said.
Nigerian filmmaker and lawyer, Ayo Shonaiya has criticised Ten Hag’s decision to continue starting Onana in goal.
“I hope I’m not being too alarmist, but I’m beginning to think Andre Onana is not a natural goalkeeper. He’s a midfielder who can play in goal if the keeper gets a red card after all subs are used. Erik Ten Hag, please take note. Don’t let this become another Maguire situation.
“De Gea had a rough start at United then became one of our greatest keepers, but this Onana ball playing keeper I don’t know. How can you collect 14 goals in five games as a United keeper? Sir Alex would drop him for the Burnley game if he was still manager, but I’m sure Ten Hag would still keep his Ajax ‘son’ in goal on Saturday. I really wish he comes good because I kinda like the guy, but if he keeps conceding goals like he has been doing, Onana out,” Shonaiya wrote.
Another United fan, Nurudeen Obalola blamed Ten Hag’s stubborn decisions alongside the inuries they have suffered this season saying, “It is not much of a surprise because we are dealing with injuries, but that is not an excuse, they should be doing better, but the injuries have been a big part.
“As for the coach, he makes some bad selection decisions, and he has been a bit stubborn by sticking to decisions that are not working.”
Tipe Fasuyi, a Nigerian in diaspora who used to work as a security personnel at Anfield and witnessed Man United get beaten 7-0 back in March said, “I am tired of supporting Man United because of the Glazers, they don’t seem to care about the protests from fans, the club is big enough and always makes them money so they aren’t chasing results like other owners.
“Then Ten Hag is too stubborn as a manager and rigid. It is almost like he doesn’t adapt to the games as they are going on. Anyone with eyes can see that Eriksen can’t play against a pacy team anymore and his obsession with players trained in Holland has not yielded results on the pitch. If I was Ten Hag I’d resign after this because he even seems to have lost the trust of the dressing room.”
A fan who asked to remain anonymous fan says United have been woeful and queries the passion of the owners.
“For me, it is a horrible start, we can make excuses for the coach and say injuries, a couple of off-field issues, but that said, there hasn’t been one match this season that United have looked like deserving winners.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have owners who care about the club or who are even concerned about the fans, they are just happy to make their dividends each year since the club still makes a lot of money,” she said.
United will look to bounce back against Burnley on Saturday, but the pressure is already on and they need to get three points to lift the doom and gloom surrounding Old Trafford.