After finishing last in their group, Manchester United was eliminated from both the Champions League and Europe following their loss to Bayern Munich at Old Trafford. According to Adam Bate, Erik ten Hag’s attempts to address the club’s issues don’t seem to be getting any better.
After losing to Bayern Munich twice this season, Manchester United is eliminated from the European competition. They had too much work to do after losing to Galatasaray and Copenhagen. Not only were they out of the Champions League, but they also finished bottom of the group for the tournament.
The European nighttime is an aspect of the characteristics that render this club unique, from the downfall to the triumph. The statues of Denis Law, George Best, and Sir Bobby Charlton honor the victory in 1968. The Bayern Munich visit reminds me of a particularly enchanting time in 1999.
By emphasizing their more recent record, Jose Mourinho diminished that “football history,” but he was still able to navigate the Champions’ League group stage in both of his two efforts. The team led by Erik ten Hag was unable to achieve even that small goal.
It was a nice draw. Although Bayern’s history is evident, Copenhagen and Galatasaray provided an obvious path to the next level. Rather, United leaves the tournament having not just lost to a total of three of its opponents but also having given up a greater number of goals than any other team in the tournament.
This shouldn’t be practical because the Champions League is set up to keep the wealthiest teams in the league from experiencing such a setback. With one match remaining, the richest three teams in both Spain and Germany advanced along with Inter, Arsenal, and Manchester City.
This wasn’t a race that Newcastle had to run, nor was it an impossible task for a group. Nevertheless, Manchester United has managed to create evil spirits in which none existed. Andre Onana had to make a stoppage-time penalty save to secure their sole win in a total of six attempts.
Ten Hag had already declared, “When we are at our very best, we as a team can do it.” Thomas Tuchel said, “We get ourselves ready for the best-affiliated team.” “When things are good, they are really good.” When they’re awful, they’re terrible, as the well-known nursery rhyme states.
This was not the most catastrophic episode of United. When they chased the football and put Bayern under pressure for a full hour, they seemed driven and energetic. However, the German side demonstrated its dominance well in advance, and the execution was poor.
The gap was obvious, making it disappointing to watch. Not many powerful voices are calling for Ten Hag to step down, but he needs a stronger argument, and he needs it quickly. On-field alliances, the prospect of individuals developing, the formation of a core within which decisions about choosing and the aspirations of admirers can be made.
A couple of those who appear overly constrained are Scott McTominay and Sofyan Amrabat. Although Alejandro Garnacho has the United supporters excited, he lacked the cunning to find a way through this. After all, he’s a teenager. Rasmus Hojlund, 20, found it difficult to hold the ball aloft.
Although Hojlund has outperformed his teammates in this Champions League operation, his career total of 9 goals in a major competition is a bigger concern. Harry Kane, his Bayern Munich equivalent, has reached that mark in just a few weeks.
Numerous off-field problems have caused complications. United has been forced to use so many newcomers due to injuries. It is a protective element. However, if concepts were more clearly taking form and there was a feeling that time as well as transfers were the only obstacles standing in the way of success, there could be greater excitement about potential advancements. McTominay was adamant that his manager was still in the locker room, and their level of dedication on the field seemed to support his claim. However, it begs further inquiries if players are putting in their utmost effort.
When he discussed his vision with Ten Hag earlier in the football season, he was explicit. “We want to rule challengers, we want to play aggressive football, we would like to play flexible football,” he stated to Sky Sports. The in-possession details must also be accurate.”
The crucial portion was evident when playing Bayern Munich. They harassed them immediately after the start, sending players deep into the pitch as well as causing problems for their legendary rivals by winning the throw-ins in sophisticated areas. Having the entire crowd underlying them was helpful.
With sufficient justification, Ten Hag has brought attention to his team’s dire statistics on several occasions. This year, Manchester United has had more high turnovers than any other club, which can be defined as possessions of the ball within 40 meters of the opposition goal.
Interestingly, they took more shots than any other squad as a result of these turnovers. The best teams do things like these. However, it is just a tiny part and could even be regarded as a contributing factor to the issue when paired with other factors.
Gaps have already been revealed when that press is malfunctioning. There is only one midfielder left to cover large areas of ground. The problem has only been made worse by a back line that is less than fully dedicated to protecting high, possibly cautious due to their lack of flow.
It’s still a worry because Bournemouth used the reverse strategy so effectively in their 3-0 victory at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. Since the beginning of the season before, United has given up 9 goals from fast cracks, which is the third-highest number of goals conceded by a team since Ten Hag took over.
This is not a team that feels like it is eighteen months into a manager’s tenure when they are in possession. It’s still difficult to build from the back, and it frequently leads to confusion rather than innovation. Playing through is abandoned even when disaster is averted.
Although counting pass sequences of ten or more may appear like an imprecise method of assessing a team’s capacity to develop play—it provides no information regarding the ball’s progression—it nevertheless reveals the reality that, unlike their rivals, United is unable to hold the ball.