MU has completely lost its scoring ability when looking at the number of goals they have scored in recent matches. Five goals in seven games is a direct affront to the winning legacy that MU has built.
After 85 minutes at Aston Villa, goalkeeper Andre Onana performed a mindless goal kick, despite MU fans in the stands chanting “Attack, attack, attack.” This moment perfectly encapsulates the weakness of Erik ten Hag’s tenure.
A draw away against a high-flying Aston Villa may seem like a commendable result for someone desperately trying to keep their job. However, in the context of MU’s disastrous season, this draw only adds to the team’s woes.
Ten Hag arrived at Villa Park after a humiliating 0-3 defeat at home to Tottenham. He knew he had two matches to plead for mercy from the board. However, both matches ended in draws, in both Europa League and Premier League, and both were largely fortunate.
In the stands at Villa, an entire executive team was present to witness MU’s dismal performance. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, sports advisor Sir Dave Brailsford, directors Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox, and even the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson were all there.
The expressions on their faces resembled those waiting at a gallows, anticipating a grim verdict. Will Ten Hag survive this match? This will be a hot topic for the media and fans to dissect this week.
Surely, meetings will be held in the coming days regarding Ten Hag, and Ratcliffe will make the final decision if there is sufficient evidence to support that decision. Ten Hag hopes there isn’t much evidence against him, but who knows, as MU doesn’t know whom to look for as his replacement.
Let’s look at the statistics: MU has only one win in its last five matches and just three wins in 11 matches across all competitions. They sit 14th in the Premier League, with only eight points from seven matches. This is their worst points total since 1989, trailing the Top 4 by six points and leading the relegation zone by five points.
Ten Hag has attempted to emphasize the positives and praised the team’s fourth clean sheet of the season. But is it something to be proud of when there are still so few wins? He admits that MU needs to score more goals. However, does his defensive mindset hinder MU’s scoring opportunities? It seems so.
MU fielded a central defensive pairing of Harry Maguire and 36-year-old Jonny Evans. On the bench were six of Ten Hag’s major signings, including Matthijs de Ligt—who only came on after Maguire was injured—and Lisandro Martínez, who was not utilized. This group is worth £350 million.
MU was fortunate not to lose. Coach Unai Emery acknowledged the result was fair, but he had more reasons to be frustrated as Villa missed multiple chances to defeat MU. If they can’t beat MU now, who can they defeat?