Injury Crisis Adds Pressure on Ten Hag's Struggling Man Utd Ahead of Congested Fixture Schedule
Amid fan unrest after the club’s inconceivable decision to terminate Sir Alex Ferguson’s contract as Manchester United ambassador, Erik ten Hag’s team pulled off a crucial home win against Brentford on Saturday.
A second-half blitz inspired by Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund halted the Red Devils’ 300+ minutes goal drought in the Premier League, inspiring United to a 2-1 triumph at Old Trafford.
It takes no rocket science to grasp the importance of overhauling a half-time deficit against Thomas Frank’s side after posting the club’s worst seven-game start in the Premier League era.
Man Utd avoided losing three consecutive home league games for the first time since the late 1970s, handing under-pressure Ten Hag a much-needed respite ahead of a congested fixture schedule.
However, consistency hasn’t been United’s strong suit under the Dutch manager, perhaps best illustrated by a dismal average of 1.7 points per game.
Ten Hag laments the joint-lowes point average among five permanent Man Utd managers since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 and has presided over three of the club’s ten worst top-flight starts.
In addition to lacklustre league performances, the record-time English champions have yet to get off the mark in the UEFA Europa League’s newly formatted league phase.
Back-to-back scoring draws against Porto and Twente put United in a must-win position ahead of Thursday’s trip to Istanbul to encounter Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
With numerous high-profile injury setbacks, now’s the time for Ten Hag to set his priorities straight.
Who’s missing?
Harry Maguire, Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo have joined long-term absentees Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro and Tyrell Malacia on the sidelines.
Ten Hag deployed Lisandro Martinez as a makeshift left-back on Saturday, but that’s hardly a sustainable solution.
Noussair Mazzraoui was supposed to help his countryman address this emergency, yet unconvincing showings have plagued his early career at Old Trafford.
Fellow summer signing Matthijs de Ligt suffered a head injury against Brentford, but the Netherlands international should be good to go.
What’s Next?
Man Utd will play six more games between three competitions before November’s international break.
It’s needless to say, the Premier League remains a priority.
But given the circumstances, going the distance in the Europa League could be Ten Hag’s only saving grace this season.
The Dutchman must tread carefully now that he has various first-team stars pinned to the treatment room to increase the efficiency of his underachieving squad.
Premier League
West Ham United
Like Man Utd, the best way to describe West Ham’s early life under new boss Julen Lopetegui is embarrassing.
A 4-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur yesterday kept the Irons firmly embedded in the lower reaches.
Similarly to Ten Hag, Lopetegui is walking a tightrope.
Injuries aside, Man Utd must take advantage of West Ham’s difficult moment to put fans’ frustration at ease.
Chelsea
A pair of 3-0 home reverses at the hands of Liverpool and Tottenham were hard to digest.
It’s fair to say another similar outcome would pile immense pressure on Ten Hag.
The Dutchman can no longer seek excuses. It’s time for Man Utd to win a high-profile game.
Doing so in the face of adversity would strengthen his position and restore much-needed confidence within the squad.
Leicester City
Despite Leicester’s mini-revival following a dreadful start to their comeback Premier League season, this is a textbook definition of a must-win fixture.
After setting numerous unwanted records at Old Trafford, the last thing Ten Hag needs is to become the only Man Utd manager alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to lose a home game against the Foxes this century.
The injury crisis should subside by the time Steve Cooper’s men roll into town.
Europa League
Fenerbahce
Reaching the knockout stages of Europe’s second-tier competition is a bare minimum Man Utd fans expect from their team.
United headed into the Europa League as the leading candidate to lift the trophy they won during Mourinho’s tenure in 2017.
The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ will be determined to hinder the Red Devils’ continental run seven years later.
PAOK
Anything other than three points against the Greek outfit at the Theatre of Dreams would be a significant setback for Man Utd.
Routine victories have been a rare commodity during Ten Hag’s reign, meaning the Red Devils would be naive to take this task lightly.
But this should be three points in the bag every day of the week.
Carabao Cup
Leicester City
Ten Hag’s first trophy in charge of Man Utd came in this competition in 2022/23.
As aforementioned, United’s indomitable home record against the Foxes in the 21st century increases the likelihood of the Red Devils’ progression into round five.
However, Leicester got the better of the six-time Carabao Cup winners in their only cup meeting since the turn of the new millennium, running out 3-1 victors in the 2020/21 FA Cup quarter-finals.
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