This season has brought about many issues for Manchester United. Tactical, logistical, and strategic problems must be dealt with but there are softer issues that might become bigger in the future. These include the goalkeeping situation between David de Gea and Dean Henderson, the forward line’s lack of quality and leadership, and a defensive weakness. But what exactly can Erik ten Hag do to improve these issues?
a central midfielder
The manager has been complaining about the lack of signings in the last few weeks, but the former Ajax midfielder isn’t to blame, given the club’s transfer policy. The Belgian isn’t the only player to resent the hierarchy. The omission of C has left several other key positions unfilled. As such, a summer window is on the horizon, and Ten Hag will want to sign players in this time.
The manager has identified a long-term solution, but the team’s current lineup still has some big problems. In particular, the team’s left-back position is lacking a natural right-footed attacker, with the lack of attacking midfielders causing problems. Defenders, on the other hand, have been in poor form this season, with David de Gea conceding 57 goals in 41 appearances. Even the team’s goalkeeper has struggled to keep clean sheets this season, with only nine clean sheets so far.
The team must also decide if Harry Maguire should continue to be the club captain or be replaced by someone better suited to Ten Hag’s style. It’s not clear whether he’ll stay in his role as first choice centre-back, and it will be important for Ten Hag to decide who to make the captain. Another big decision for the manager is whether to bring back Martial, who is expected to be the best-paid player in the world this season.
a forward line
In spite of his recent signing of Christian Eriksen on a free transfer, the Dutch coach still has a lot to do to sort out his forward line. The Danish international impressed while at Brentford, but his lack of pace and work-rate may cause problems. He needs to be able to prove himself and feel important in the team. Otherwise, he may not get a chance.
As for the four central defenders, Eric ten Hag will have to work on integrating them. The problem is that his centre-backs are more comfortable defending back against their own goal, rather than in front of it. To overcome this problem, he will need to find a system that allows him to play in a more advanced position. Wan-Bissaka has shown promise in attack this season, but he must learn to play in a deeper position in order to make a difference.
United will have to find a balance between a defensive style and cover and a proactive system for Erik ten Hag to achieve his goal of winning a top flight position. It can be hard to bring back all of the players from Ajax, but the Dutch club has made enough money with their foreign players that it is difficult to justify the defiance of De Jong. The Dutch side cannot blame the hierarchy for the Dutchman’s defiance over the PS17m in deferred wages.
a defensive weakness
It’s no secret that Manchester United have structural issues in defence and midfield, which makes it difficult to win the ball back quickly and efficiently. The team has also not been very efficient in the transfer market, having failed to buy players who fit an archetype, such as a defensive midfielder. Ten Hag must find the right balance between cover and attacking flair. He must also find a way to get rid of some of his fringe players and bring in quality.
There are several reasons why this defensive weakness might be a problem, but the first reason is that Ajax have a lack of depth. United are missing a wide player and are in need of a centre-back. If he’s available, Ajax will be willing to sell him. But, given their current squad, signing an Ajax player would be hard. After all, they already have Sebastien Haller, and it’s unlikely that they’ll sell more.
In addition to the lack of a centre-back, Wan-Bissaka is not a great option in the centre of defense. He doesn’t create enough chances and rarely delivers the “thread the needle” passes needed to score. His lack of flair makes him a question mark at the back. The Argentine’s pace may be enough to compensate for the lack of zest that comes with Ronaldo.
a lack of willingness to lead
Sir Alex Ferguson once said that the manager was the most important figure in a football club. Of course, a good manager is important for achieving results and winning trophies, but his influence could only go so far. He argued that there must be a balance between the two. The captain needs to lead by example, but a lack of willingness to do so can be damaging. At Manchester United, this lack of leadership can cost the team the title.
In the last few months, Manchester United have failed to replicate their top performances against lesser opposition. While their results have been mediocre overall, there has been a noticeable lack of desire in the team and a lack of leadership. Despite a great desire to win, the team have not been able to produce the same level of results against lesser opposition. This lack of motivation has been evident since the midfield was weakened under Jose Mourinho.
The captaincy was handed to Harry Maguire prematurely and he has yet to settle in at Manchester United. The new arrival is still getting to know the culture of the club, and is yet to show he is a good leader. In addition, great leaders do not come out of nowhere, they are created and moulded. It will take time to develop Maguire and others into the future. Erik ten Hag has some good qualities as a leader, but it’s too early to judge.
a lack of technical ability
Jose Mourinho has admitted that his defensive players lack technical ability and quality. Manchester United are struggling to score goals this season and they are two points behind Juventus in their Champions League group after a goalless draw against Valencia. The Portuguese manager has issued a call to arms for his players and hinted that he was unhappy with their effort levels during the summer transfer window. He also said that forwards were lacking confidence and that they needed to improve their positioning and technical ability.
There is also a lack of quality on the ball in the centre back area. Although Bailly is a world class athlete, he lacks the technical ability to pass the ball into open spaces. Other “stopper” players like Victor Lindelof and Jones are not good enough to cover the central defensive position. And if you look at the England team, the players like Darmians, who are a fringe member, are far from good enough to be a centre back.
In addition to Solskjaer, Fred could benefit greatly from a change in playing style under new manager Erik ten Hag. Fred has technical ability but poor decision-making. With a change in style, United will not be playing deep as they have in the past. But this could improve the quality of the team’s play. If Fred plays deep, he could find himself playing in a more creative position.
a lack of energy in midfield
Many fans of Manchester United have been vocal about the lack of quality in the team’s midfield, and this hasn’t changed. The recent 3-2 defeat at the hands of Athletic Bilbao exposed a gap in Manchester United’s midfield. While United still have the likes of Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes, they don’t have the creativity to exploit that weakness. United need an enforcer and a creative midfielder.
While the midfield is often overlooked during the summer transfer window, this is a key position to invest in. The central midfielders determine the character of the XI, tempo, and style of play, so a quality addition to this area would improve the whole team. While the squad has several talented midfielders, the United manager should also look to bolster the current players. While Pogba has the physical presence to play in the middle of the park, the team needs more energy to play the ball well in the final third.
In the first four games of the season, Manchester United thrived as agents of chaos. In order to defend well, they needed a defensive midfielder to break up attacks and transition the ball from defence to attack. Hence, the name McFred, a combination of Fred and Scott McTominay. However, the pair were not deployed together in the subsequent games, and the midfield has looked weaker as a result.
a lack of creativity in attack
A lack of creativity in attack at Manchester United is a real problem. The forwards in particular have struggled to create chances, which means that the team’s attacking play has been stifled. While the attacking midfield has received much of the blame for the team’s poor results, the lack of creativity has been apparent throughout the team. It’s hard to pinpoint a single player responsible for this lack of creativity, but the central midfield has failed to protect the front four and defend the back four.
Creative players are crucial to a team’s success. Those who excel in possession, positional discipline and counter-pressing are vital attributes of a true title contender. Manchester United, on the other hand, have become renowned for their spending on players with little or no attacking flair. Its striking options are unbalanced, with two strikers nearing the end of their careers. Those players are too expensive to develop into the kind of player who can provide creative spark in the team.
Rashford has a low conversion rate and xG per shot. Both of these metrics are directly related to a lack of creativity up front. The forwards have to spot these runs and make secondary runs off them. In this case, Rashford plays the ball to Martial, who runs forward to tap in. This is the kind of attacking movement we need to see from Rashford. That’s all the attacking line needs to start contributing.
