Introduction
Squeezing out another hour of my time to make a post for today wasn't even in my plan at all, but I guess the hunger to do more is now hitting me hard. It's less than 24 hours since I made my last post, where I discussed Arsenal and Mikel Arteta's project in the English Premier League. Certainly, I am not a biased football lover, and I don't think I would become one anytime soon. As a great supporter of English football, I still show concern for teams that fail to perform well, even if I don't support them as a direct fan.
Manchester United's recent performance has been quite awful. I sometimes watch their matches, where I see the boys giving their best but still failing to win a match properly. Their fortress (Old Trafford) has become their place of nightmare, where winning is not even guaranteed. Away matches shouldn't even be a topic of discussion because it most times goes bad for them.
Comparing the momentum of last season to this season, it is certain that lots of changes have happened, but in the negative direction. From another regular person, it is very easy to conclude that this poor form is just a short phase of struggle for them, forgetting that it all started towards the end of last season. What are the Glazers doing to sort things out, knowing fully well that the fans are requesting new ownership of the club?
The image was a screenshot from a press conference at the official manunited page
Eric Ten Hag
Whenever I type "Ten Hag" on my phone, a laughing emoji usually pops up as the next suggested item. It shows how wrongly I have used it in the past.
The coming of Ten Hag to Manchester United was a blessing I have always thought of. I remembered telling a Manchester United fan two seasons back that United was interested in Ten Hag, and his coming would bring huge changes to the team. No doubt, Ten Hag's coming was a transformation, as we saw how well United performed and competed against other teams last season.
Ten Hag's men became almost unstoppable until things started getting complicated between a certain player and the coach. Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Manchester United, lost his place to younger players, and trust me, he doesn't like to be benched, and I am sure no player likes that too. Ronaldo's crisis with Ten Hag led to his exit in January, but it didn't seem to affect the young players.
With the departure of CR7, it became almost real that CR7 was a big hindrance to them until they started feeling weak in their area of play. The winning momentum has weakened since Ronaldo's departure.
After the Ronaldo scandal at United, the goalkeeping area became the next in losing quality. David de Gea, who is currently a free agent, couldn't get a contract renewal for himself. De Gea, who has been their key man for Manchester United and also one of the best goalkeepers in the English Premier League, won the award for the most clean sheets last season, and surprisingly he was dropped.
A supposed replacement for De Gea (Andre Onana) has become a comedian in football recently. His poor goalkeeping skills and poor sensitivity have cost Manchester United greatly this season. Shots that De Gea could easily save are what troubles Onana. Sadly, he conceded two free-kick goals from Hakim Ziyech in their UCL game last week. A game that would have possibly carried United to the second spot in their group. Certainly, every team should be happy when they concede a free kick against Manchester United because Onana might just let it in.
Both images were screenshots from the highlight at the official manunited page
Some people might be of the opinion that he needs more time, but looking at the current state and the factors in place, he is overconfident and really needs to calm himself.
Before I forget, I also noticed the poor situation of Varane in the club. Though Maguire has picked up some impressive form, I still feel that Varane has much quality to offer. Ten Hag losing his dressing room due to a poor relationship with himself and players won't do the team any good.
The Way Forward
Unlike Arsenal, I don't know the project Ten Hag is trying to build for Manchester United. I just feel he has to build things in order and build a good relationship with his players. He is not Pep, who certainly benches players that fail to meet expectations. In the goalkeeping aspect, Onana needs a competitor to put himself in a good working condition. That was what Arteta did, by bringing in Raya to compete with Ramsdale, who became too confident and started making unnecessary mistakes.
Well, as I have said earlier, my love for English football makes me show concern for every football team. I am not a biased fan, just know I support Arsenal. COYG
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the rest of your day.