Here Telegraph Sport evaluates one of United’s major deficiencies at present: their inability to secure victories away from home in important matches.
Alarming statistics reveal that Manchester United’s problems on the road are steadily becoming more evident, presenting manager Erik ten Hag with a multitude of challenges. Since March, United have experienced 18 losses in 35 away matches across all competitions – meaning they lose every other away game on average. Among the consistently present top-flight teams, only West Ham have a worse record during this period. Burnley, who is seeking their first Premier League victory since their return, will undoubtedly find this encouraging as they face United at Turf Moor on Saturday evening. Ten Hag’s side is in desperate need of a win after suffering four defeats in their last five outings.
The mental collapses experienced by United while playing away from home have been particularly evident in high-stakes games. Wednesday’s defeat at the Allianz Arena further demonstrates a dismal streak where United have only secured one victory in 14 away matches against the Premier League’s top nine teams, as well as in Europa League and Champions League knockout ties since last season. During this timeframe, Ten Hag’s team has lost 11 times and conceded a total of 42 goals. The most alarming aspect is their tendency to concede multiple goals in quick succession, which indicates a deficiency in mental strength and character. The match against Bayern is the latest example, with United conceding a cheap second goal just four minutes after Andre Onana’s mistake gifted the German champions an undeserved lead. United’s implosion at the first sign of adversity has become a recurring theme.
In terms of possession, United had a poor outing against Bayern. They only had eight open-play sequences involving 10 or more passes, whereas Bayern had 20 despite not meeting their usual standards in terms of possession. Additionally, United managed to create just two “build-up attacks” during the game – sequences of open play involving 10 or more passes that lead to a shot or at least one touch in the opponent’s box. Bayern, on the other hand, had seven. United’s deficiency in possession is a significant factor contributing to their inability to control matches, especially in challenging moments when the game is not in their favor. The arrival of new signing Sofyan Amrabat, who missed the Bayern match due to injury, could potentially help address this issue as the Moroccan midfielder excels at controlling the tempo of the game. Nonetheless, it is concerning that United, despite making overhauling the midfield a priority since Ten Hag’s arrival 16 months ago, continue to struggle in this area without any notable improvements.
A glaring lack of desire was evident in United’s attempt to stage a comeback when they were down 3-1 against Bayern. One particular incident involving Scott McTominay losing possession to Dayot Upamecano perfectly captures United’s alarming lack of hunger and determination, as McTominay made a feeble attempt to retrieve the ball after a poor first touch. Former Stoke and Ireland forward Jonathan Walters summed it up perfectly, stating, “The fact that the referee outpaced McTominay and the five other attacking players in the 79th minute says all you need to know about Man United at the moment. Their desire is zero, and it’s embarrassing.”
The issue of wingers neglecting their defensive duties was highlighted by Paul Scholes after United’s 6-3 defeat against City last year. City’s fifth goal during that match exemplified the problem Scholes was referring to, as Antony failed to track Sergio Gomez’s deep run, allowing the City left-back to overlap Jack Grealish and assist Erling Haaland’s goal. This lack of attention to detail has become a recurring theme and was apparent in Alejandro Garnacho’s failure to track Dejan Kulusevski’s run before his assist for Pape Matar Sarr’s goal in the match against Tottenham last month. Marcus Rashford’s poor attempt to prevent Leroy Sane from cutting inside before Bayern’s first goal is another exemplification of this issue.
The problem of wingers not tracking back is compounded by United’s midfielders being too focused on the ball, thereby failing to spot dangerous opposition runs into the box or potential dangers. During the match against Arsenal this month, when United’s centre-backs were pulled out of position due to struggles on the wings, Christian Eriksen was completely unaware of Martin Odegaard’s presence as he stealthily made his way into the penalty area to convert Gabriel Martinelli’s pass. Similar instances were observed during Bayern’s second goal, with Casemiro and Eriksen preoccupied with the ball, leaving Serge Gnabry unmarked as he turned home Jamal Musiala’s cut back following Diogo Dalot’s poor defending.
The ever-changing defensive lineup has also contributed to United’s collapses, with a combination of injuries and mental issues being blamed by Ten Hag. Against Bayern, United was without nine key players due to injury, including centre-backs Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire, as well as full-backs Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Tyrell Malacia. The constant rotation of central defenders and full-backs only adds to their defensive issues and overall disarray. Last season, United fielded six different centre-back pairings in their most significant away matches, and this season has already seen three different combinations against Spurs, Arsenal, and Bayern.
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