Erik Ten Hag strides towards the exit door of Old Trafford. The players, Manchester United, and perhaps even future coaches are acutely aware of this impending departure.
This serves as the sole explanation for United’s recent calamitous decline in form. To put it mildly, their performances over the past year have been lackluster. For every exhilarating FA Cup match against Liverpool, there’s been a string of mishaps that could rival United’s greatest blooper reels.
Examples abound: the devastating 7-0 loss to Liverpool, the agonizing 4-0 defeat at Brentford, and embarrassing concessions such as conceding two goals in injury time to Chelsea in a 4-3 loss, or inexplicably falling to Copenhagen in the Champions League group stages.
While there were sporadic moments of oddity and occasional flashes of focus or tactical discipline, everything has unraveled in the past month. It’s clear that something significant has transpired.
The data portrays a bleak outlook regarding the threat United faces both defensively and offensively. This season, despite a promising start, the lines have blurred, and the allowed threat has surged to unprecedented heights.
Since losing to Brentford on March 30, United has suffered three defeats by conceding more than three goals, including to Burnley and Bournemouth, and enduring a humiliating loss to Crystal Palace. The midfield attempted just three tackles, revealing a lack of drive and professionalism, particularly evident in Casemiro’s performance. This underscores the dire circumstances the team faces.
It’s evident that FootballTransfers is aware of INEOS’s intentions to sign Ten Hag as a summer replacement, given the Dutchman’s recent behavior. Ten Hag’s confrontational approach in press conferences, defending his team’s performances despite evident shortcomings, suggests a departure is imminent. Even Bayern Munich has expressed interest in rehiring him, offering an attractive opportunity for a coach who acknowledges the need for change.
