Despite what Ten Hag says, Man United are a mess right now

LONDON — It seems that if you happen to let an opponent endlessly shoot at your objective, you actually can pay the worth in any case.

Manchester United supervisor Erik ten Hag has downplayed the alarming frequency with which Brentford, Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City — principally any facet they play — have had the time and area to pepper goalkeeper André Onana from all angles. But possibly even Ten Hag will see the issue after Manchester United’s calamitous 4-3 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday.

There was so little organisation, composure or construction to Thursday’s chaotic match that each Ten Hag and Chelsea supervisor Mauricio Pochettino resembled hostages to fortune, left praying for a end result that will ease the strain every has felt rising with every passing week.

Chelsea went 2-0 up in 19 minutes. United got here again to guide 3-2 heading into stoppage time. Chelsea equalised with a One hundredth-minute penalty earlier than Cole Palmer scored the newest game-winning objective in Premier League historical past a minute later to spark bedlam at Stamford Bridge.

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It was as outrageous because it sounds, a curler coaster with a number of wheels unfastened, and embarrassingly juxtaposed with the management exhibited by the very best groups: Manchester City and Arsenal performed to a 0-0 draw days earlier, and though it lacked the leisure of Thursday’s back-and-forth, Ten Hag and Pochettino would crave the identical sense of assurance in realizing what they may get from their sides.

Each supervisor purchased a ticket to the lottery and Pochettino’s quantity got here up. He spent the aftermath of the ultimate whistle celebrating nearly angrily within the course of the house followers, a lot of whom had voiced their frustration as soon as extra at one other deeply flawed show that appeared destined to finish in defeat.

Ten Hag disappeared down the tunnel to embark on a collection of postmatch interviews the place he bemoaned the choice to award Chelsea’s second penalty of the match as Diogo Dalot challenged substitute Noni Madueke within the field. Ten Hag referred to as it “a questionable and very soft” name as he additionally claimed United dominated the sport.

But all that is obfuscation from Ten Hag. United lack such primary organisation that they had been incapable of realizing find out how to shut this sport out, simply as Chelsea had been reliant on Hail Mary moments reasonably than a cohesive plan to seek out a approach again. United had been main at 99 minutes and 17 seconds, the newest a facet has ever been forward solely to then lose.

Both groups have the person expertise to trigger any facet issues going ahead. Both sides are so dreadfully ill-disciplined with out the ball to permit any opponent a route again into a match from nearly any conceivable place.

United allowed one other 28 photographs on their objective right here. They have conceded 20-plus photographs in seven of their previous eight Premier League video games they usually’ve conceded 225 complete photographs in 2024, the very best quantity within the league.

It is completely unsustainable. Beating Liverpool in a equally farcical FA Cup tie by the identical scoreline was a wonderful event however not a blueprint for the longer term.

Pochettino spent his prematch information convention urging Chelsea to do the fundamentals correctly, criticising their work out of possession. Ten Hag spent the identical interval insisting issues had been on monitor. Only considered one of these managers is being trustworthy with themselves and Ten Hag appeared to bristle at additional speak of these stunning shots-conceded numbers.

“It is ridiculous,” he stated. “We showed we were fourth ranking before this game in goals conceded. Everyone is talking to each other after, we are good and we have good defending as a team, a good goalkeeper and a good back four so I cannot do anything with such stats.”

Another acquainted chorus: the place would Chelsea be with out Palmer? Conor Gallagher put Chelsea up 1-0 inside 4 minutes with a low end from Malo Gusto‘s deflected cutback, however Palmer confirmed his now-customary composure to double their lead from the penalty spot after Antony fouled Marc Cucurella.

The Blues are so brittle and error-prone that what got here subsequent was just about predictable: Moisés Caicedo gifted Alejandro Garnacho a probability to run by means of on objective and the Argentine completed with aplomb. Five minutes later, United had been degree. Dalot crossed for Bruno Fernandes to go dwelling on the far publish.

No order was established throughout the half-time break. United went in entrance when Garnacho stooped to go in Antony’s sensible 67th-minute cross and it appeared Mason Mount would have the final chuckle on supporters who booed his return to Chelsea as he got here on 4 minutes from the top of regular time.

But there was nonetheless time for a humiliating capitulation. Madueke was Pochettino’s final throw of the cube and he surged into the field on a solo run, which Dalot halted in a method referee Jarred Gillett felt was unacceptable. Palmer did his factor from the spot once more — surpassing Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoglu for many penalty objectives in Europe’s high 5 leagues this season with eight — and United abruptly misplaced their heads, surging ahead from kickoff to the extent that once they misplaced the ball, Chelsea may outnumber them on the counterattack.

United’s defending from the ensuing nook is not possible to elucidate. Enzo Fernández took it quick to Palmer on the sting of the field. The most harmful participant on the pitch, left unmarked to line up a shot which struck Dalot and went in.

Yes, Chelsea had been a little lucky, however United’s lack of professionalism was the foundation trigger.

“I don’t know what it is but what it is, is that you have to do your job,” Ten Hag stated. “They know their jobs and then you have to make the right decisions, and they didn’t. We didn’t react quick enough to avoid this situation.”

But this is not a one-off. It occurred simply 5 days earlier at Brentford and solely Crystal Palace (10) have conceded extra second-half stoppage time objectives than United (8) within the league this season.

Champions League soccer is quickly disappearing from view for United, who now have a destructive objective distinction once more after 30 league matches.

“In the last games we’ve conceded too many shots,” Fernandes stated, including: “It’s about defending your box.”

At least a few of United’s gamers can see it.