What is Manchester United’s style of play under Erik ten Hag?
It should not be a hard question to answer but it is something which has left many observers scratching their heads over the past week.
“None of us here can explain what Manchester United try to do in terms of how they play,” said Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher after watching Ten Hag’s side outclassed by Manchester City on Sunday.
Highlights from the Carabao Cup fourth-round match between Manchester United and Newcastl
The Carabao Cup exit to a much-changed Newcastle on Wednesday was another Old Trafford night to forget. Theatre of Dreams? It is a theatre of nightmares for United supporters right now.
Here, we take a look at a range of stats to try to establish what Ten Hag and United are trying to achieve – and where it is going wrong…
Putting the press on
“In high-ball regains, we are top of the Premier League,” Ten Hag said proudly ahead of the Manchester derby. “The pressing is very good.”
Certainly his is a team which likes to defend on the front foot. They lead the way for high turnovers, their starting distance – the point where they win the ball back – is higher up the pitch than last season and now the highest in the league. The average position of their players demonstrates their advance up the field, too.
With a 4-2-3-1 formation, Ten Hag wants his frontline players hounding opposition defenders and stopping them from building from the back.
The problem is what happens when teams get through that press. More on that to come.
Going direct
“We will never play the football we played at Ajax here,” Ten Hag said after the derby, dashing the hopes of any United supporters hoping to see ‘total football’ at Old Trafford. “I now have other players,” he added. Players he clearly feels are better suited to a fast, direct style.
Ten Hag’s United see less of the ball this season than they did under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a head coach who was considered to be a counter-attack specialist. Andre Onana may have replaced David De Gea in part because of his passing ability, but United are recording fewer ‘build-up attacks’ (moves with at least 10 passes) than they have across the past five seasons.
This is a team which looks forward as soon as it gets the ball. An approach epitomised by the captain Bruno Fernandes. Nothing wrong with that – but perhaps it needs refining with a reduced Expected Goals figure suggesting United are creating fewer good chances.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag remains defiant about his future despite a second consecutive 3-0 defeat at home as his side crashed out of the Carabao Cup to Newcastle
What’s holding them back?
Too easy to play through
Perhaps it is not so much the idea of how to play that is missing but the execution, which is clearly not happening as it should and as a result clouding the picture of what United are doing.
The front-foot approach is leaving them exposed when teams beat their press, with opponents bypassing Man Utd players with passes almost 30 times more per game on average this season than last.
That is leading to them enjoying more touches in the opposition box than they have across the five seasons we have examined since 2019 and, as a result, the Expected Goals of Man Utd’s opponents is up too.
The midfield make-up has been an issue from the very start of this season and opposition sides can hurt this United team. Only seven sides have conceded more goals – not a surprise when you see sides are having 5.4 shots on target against United on average per game, up from 3.8 last season.
Finishing
The best football plans in the world are only as good as a team’s finishing. Just ask Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea. Unfortunately for United and Ten Hag, the team’s forwards have been badly out of form so far this season.
Injuries to key men
Unquestionably, injuries have hit United hard this season. Critics will say that, given their spending, they should be able to cover the absences of players. But with Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane and Tyrell Malacia, there is no doubt Ten Hag has been having to work with alternative options.
Manchester United fans have their say about what is going wrong at Old Trafford following back-to-back 3-0 defeats at home
He has also been without Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, Casemiro, Sofyan Amrabat, Sergio Reguilon and Aaron Wan-Bissaka for periods of this campaign.
“I think when Manchester United get players back, the football will improve and there will be a better feeling in the club and they will win a lot of games with the players they have got,” said Sky Sports’ Gary Neville ahead of their Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle.
However, he added: “What I would say is that the performance levels, and the style we’ve seen in this last month or two has been really poor. That style should be embedded, even if the players are different. It should be embedded through the 24 in the squad. I have to say the quality has dropped enormously. There’s no doubt they need players back.”
For Ten Hag, the return of those first-teamers cannot come soon enough.
What’s next?
Man Utd are back in Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime as they head to Fulham; kick-off 12.30pm.
The stats that damn United
*Manchester United have conceded three or more goals in six out of their last 12 matches.
*United have lost five out of their first 10 home games of the season, which is their worst start to an Old Trafford season since 1930.
*United have also led for just 29 minutes at Old Trafford this season.
*United have lost five out of their first 10 Premier League games, which is two more than they have managed in any previous top-flight season.
*With eight losses in the first 15 matches of the campaign, this is the most defeats United have managed at this stage of the season since 1962.
*Man Utd have also suffered back-to-back home defeats by 3+ goals for the first time since October 1962.
*After 10 games last season, Man Utd had 19 points and were fifth in the table. This season, they are in eighth with 15 points.
*But Opta’s ‘Expected Points’ model suggests Manchester United should be 11th in the Premier League table on 12 points, based on the quality of chances in games – which means Ten Hag’s side have actually over-performed.
*Ten Hag has spent £411m on new signings since he took charge at the start of last season, only Chelsea have spent more in that timeframe.
*Of Ten Hag’s signings, only Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have scored a goal in the Premier League this season (one each).
*Bit-part midfielder Scott McTominay is Man Utd’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with three goals, with Bruno Fernandes on two goals and six players on one goal.
*Antony is Ten Hag’s most expensive signing at £86m but the Brazilian has scored only four Premier League goals in 32 appearances, and eight goals in 54 appearances across all competitions. He has not scored in his last 19 appearances.