Manchester United’s disastrous season continues to be just that as Erik ten Hag’s men have now suffered their fourth defeat in the Premier League after just seven games.
United have started the season worse than in Ten Hag’s first campaign and now face the huge challenge of finding a way to compete for a top-four finish.
Four days after comfortably dispatching Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, Roy Hodgson restored his first-team regulars and strolled to victory at Old Trafford, with the Reds putting minimal pressure on the Eagles.
The visitor’s first-half goal was enough to see them through against a poor United side.
Man United Player Ratings
Andre Onana – 5
Could do nothing about the goal.
Diogo Dalot – 4
Average performance.
Raphael Varane – 4
Struggled with the physicality of Palace’s frontline.
Victor Lindelof – 4
Also struggled with Palace at times and was lucky not to give a goal away.
Sofyan Amrabat – 5
Drifts into midfield from his unfamiliar left-back role. Made it a basketball affair at times.
Casemiro – 5
Continues to be United’s greatest attacking threat this season.
Mason Mount – 5
Just isn’t clicking so far.
Bruno Fernandes – 5
Has the responsibility to make United look good in the final third but it’s difficult when his side is dysfunctional in that area of the pitch.
Marcus Rashford – 3
Slow start to the season after signing a bumper new deal.
Rasmus Hojlund – 5
Works hard but is completely isolated.
can’t actually believe how bad ETH is.
no idea and he gets schooled every single game. getting very difficult to defend ETH after this.
United needed a goal with about 10 minutes to go and the manager brings on mcguire and vandabec he has not a clue completly out of his depth not for the first time
Dunno what to say, really. Apart from: pitiful, pathetic, abysmal.
Our attack should be tearing teams apart, but can’t muster a single goal after trying for an hour and a half – against Crystal flippin’ Palace.
We’re in for more embarrassing thrashings this season, as I don’t see things being turned round.
But if you had a checklist of the qualities needed in a United manager, I feel ETH would tick every box.
Strange, and rather worrying.
I feel like i’m living in a parallel universe with ETH. I can see he is absolutely awful. yet there seems to be a vocal contingent who seems to think he is good.
can i ask why you think ETH has all the qualities?
Actually, you can’t see he’s awful. Some results are, admittedly, but doesn’t (yet) mean ETH is.
I guess you haven’t already forgotten last season? Not too shabby for an “ absolutely awful “ Manager.
Also: he knows his own mind, stands for no BS from anybody, and wants to implement an attacking style of play, which is the United way. He has his record at Ajax to show he can do it. Yeah, yeah, ‘only Dutch League’; well, how are Ajax doing without him?
I’m guessing I’m older than you, Dixon, as I can clearly remember Sir Alex’s early struggles which resulted, after a particularly insipid performance at home to Sheffield Wednesday, with an incensed Ferguson ripping into his team and demanding ‘ do you want to play for me, or not?’
Not saying, of course, that we have another SAF in charge, but you can bet in those early days punters like you were saying he’s absolutely awful; what do people see in him?
I’m still backing ETH to turn it round, distant as that time presently appears to be.
hey david thankyou for responding!
ajax sold so many players that it is very difficult to judge tbf.
maybe awful is a bit OTT but I do personally think he isn’t a very good manager and i consider my football knowledge to pretty decent. and more importantly – where exactly is this ETH ball? all i see is ole ball. counter attacking football with technically questionable footballers. i see fans defending ETH saying he needs more time/more players/more money – well eddie howe didnt need 15 months, de zerbi didn’t, ange (spurs) didn’t – in fact the new spurs manager makes ETH look like a pretty poor manager by comparison.
I don’t understand the SAF comparisons, where else in life do we compare things that happened 40 years ago, or close to? the world is very different as is football.
I don’t rate ETh, many in the football world don’t and he won’t turn this situation around, he just isn’t good enough. schooled in every game, quite literally – roy hodgsons palace have a better press than ETH’s united – that in itself should be very worrying.
I ofc hope he turns it around but i think he’ll be gone by xmas and united will be in a world of pain after his stint.
have a nice day mate and thanks again for responding.
Well, you have a nice day, too!
Spurs are doing well at present, but this is their new manager’s first season, just as last was ETH’s first.
So maybe a bit early to compare the two.
My comparing ten Hag to Sir Alex was only to make the point that things didn’t click for him straight away either; and I think that point is valid no matter how long it is since Fergie joined – patience is required.
As I stated, ETH has arrived with all the right credentials and if he’s sacked this year, I struggle to think of a replacement who *sounds* a better fit. Who among Europe’s elite would rush to join knowing they have less than 2 seasons to succeed? Even a cup and top 4 in season one wouldn’t be enough for some folk.
Anyhoo, time will tell and a few injuries clearing up will help.
UTFR!!
ETH is so clueless and lacks the tactical depth needed for a top job, how do you claim you’re a possession based manager and the 1st signing of the season is Mount, someone who can’t even keep the ball and control the pace and dictate play!!
We’re abysmal and I think the only thing he has going for him is the fear some players have for him.
When the manager refuse to sub low performing player like Rashford. Low level manager
Rashford is so awfully mean. He thinks he should be the only one scoring and that has made us miss a number of possible goals
Rash must start from bench. ETH must give chances for juniors.