Published on 20.09.2023
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag asserts that the club is not facing a crisis, although this viewpoint is met with skepticism by many.
The team is currently grappling with both on-field and off-field issues, and their performance has taken a hit, suffering three losses in their last four matches. Furthermore, Manchester United continues to confront ongoing challenges when playing away from home.
During Ten Hag’s tenure as manager for an entire season, he successfully put an end to the club’s six-year trophy drought by clinching the Carabao Cup. Additionally, he led them to an FA Cup final appearance and secured a commendable third-place finish in the Premier League last season.
However, Manchester United has not fully escaped memories of the disastrous campaign they endured two years ago. The potential for another crisis looms large as they currently sit at 13th place in the league table with only six points garnered from their first five games. Their most recent setback was a bruising 3-1 defeat against Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday.
United’s performance away from home has been a major weakness for them, and Ten Hag is well aware of this as he prepares his team to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday and Burnley on Saturday. Last season, United managed to secure just one point in their away matches against teams that finished in the top nine. Since taking charge last summer, Ten Hag’s side has struggled when playing away from home – they suffered a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal before the international break and a 2-0 loss at Tottenham two weeks prior.
It is evident that United consistently underperforms when facing stronger opponents in the Premier League, regardless of the circumstances or location. However, their collapse against Sevilla in last season’s Europa League demonstrated that they can also crumble under pressure when facing weaker sides on their travels. The pressure is mounting for Ten Hag’s team from all directions as they strive to improve their away form and avoid further setbacks.
