Man United clear awkward hurdle, but tougher tests lie ahead

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United cleared an awkward hurdle towards Luton Town on Saturday, profitable 1-0 within the Premier League, but there is a mountain to climb after the worldwide break. Erik ten Hag’s crew scraped previous Luton due to Victor Lindelöf’s second-half objective but — once more — it was not a show to instil confidence ahead of powerful run of away video games towards Everton, Galatasaray and Newcastle United following the November internationals.

United aren’t taking part in effectively sufficient to do issues the straightforward manner and it is telling that they are nonetheless ready for a Premier League win this season by a couple of objective. At least they discovered a strategy to win, although, and similar to final weekend at Fulham, Ten Hag gratefully accepted a slender 1-0 victory.

“Even after all the setbacks we dealt with, we are still in a position near the top four, and when we start to play well and when we get it done, a team is set for a couple of weeks and months, then other teams will get their setbacks and drop points,” Ten Hag mentioned afterward with barely extra optimism than the efficiency deserved. “Now we have won four of our last five games in the Premier League. If you see all the trouble we had, we are in a very good position. That is a reason to be optimistic. Then we will move forward and get better performances and get even more points.”

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Ten Hag is coping with a whole lot of totally different points, together with an damage checklist that has been lengthened after Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Højlund had been each pressured off towards Luton. Nevertheless, his crew usually are not serving to themselves.

Højlund and Alejandro Garnacho each had good probabilities to attain earlier than half-time, but as an alternative, one other first half glided by with United failing to search out the web. In 12 Premier League video games to date this season, they’ve scored 4 first-half objectives and led on the break simply as soon as, towards Burnley in September.

If early objectives take the stress off, then United are caught within the behavior of letting it pile on. They have not scored within the first quarter-hour of a league sport this season and right here Luton had been completely happy to permit the frustration to creep in.

As the away followers of their nook of Old Trafford obtained extra boisterous, the house assist started to get extra stressed. It seeped onto the pitch and Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay had been concerned in a row with plenty of gesturing and finger pointing.

The temper contained in the stadium was solely settled as soon as Lindelöf put United in entrance together with his first objective since December 2020. After Højlund and Marcus Rashford each missed good probabilities, although, supporters had been again biting their fingernails for eight minutes of damage time throughout which Luton pumped lengthy balls into the field and United defended frantically.

The hosts dominated the sport and deserved to win, but over the course of 90 minutes, Luton matched their 4 makes an attempt on track. André Onana made one good save from a Carlton Morris header within the first half but, as so typically this season, it felt removed from a cushty afternoon.

In 18 video games throughout all competitions this season, they’ve gained only one by two clear objectives, and even that was towards Crystal Palace’s reserves within the Carabao Cup.

“We could have made life more easy when we score goals but we create many chances,” mentioned Ten Hag, who was booked for dissent and is about to serve a touchline suspension towards Everton on Nov. 26. “In the first half, there were four 100 percent chances. If you get the first you get the second and it becomes more easy, but if you don’t score they can always drop a ball in the box and you are in trouble, but we had to fight to the end.

“I do not assume it’s a confidence factor as a result of Rasmus Højlund scored 5 objectives within the Champions League so it can come [in the Premier League]. Rashford scored 30 objectives final season so there’ll come a day when he begins scoring once more. We have already 13 objective scorers in our crew and it exhibits the way in which we need to play soccer; everybody attacking, everybody defending.”

United followers are nonetheless ready to find whether or not Ten Hag can flip this season round. How United climate journeys to Everton, Galatasaray and Newcastle within the house of seven days shall be indicator.

Win these three video games and Man United can have edged nearer to the highest 4 within the Premier League and clawed their manner again from the brink of elimination within the Champions League. Lose, and any hope for the marketing campaign can have drained away earlier than the tip of November and Ten Hag will face extra questions on his future.