BBC expert provides three reasons Manchester United season has all gone wrong

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Manchester United certainly have not had the best start to the season during the 23/24 campaign.

Despite the last-gasp most recent win at Brentford, Erik ten Hag‘s side are still serial strugglers this season.

They’ve lost more games than they’ve won in all competitions and currently sit 10th in the Premier League table.

So where is it all going wrong at Old Trafford? Statman Dave, speaking on the BBC Sounds Football Daily podcast believes there are three key bits of data as to why United are ‘failing at the moment’.

Nowhere near enough goals from open play

What was said: “I think one of the stats as to why United are failing at the moment is they’ve scored six goals in eight games from open play. Only Fulham, Bournemouth, Everton and promoted duo Sheffield United and Luton Town have scored fewer.”

This is really worrying. The calibre of names United are in with for this statistic would more cement the Red Devils around the relegation zone… and certainly not title contenders.

Six goals in eight games is simply not good enough and this needs to change after the international break.

Chances are few and far between

What was said: “They’re 12th in the Premier League for xG as well despite spending 234m euros on attacking talent since Ten Hag came in. We’re talking about Antony, (Rasmus) Hojlund and Mason Mount.”

This is pretty shocking. United should on paper have one of the most free-scoring, devastating attacks in the world – never mind the league.

Instead, they sit below half on expected goals, which obviously reflects on the sort of key chances we’re getting.

This is also a dig on the more creative-minded players, who evidently aren’t creating enough clear-cut goalscoring chances.

Poor defensive starts

What was said: “Defensively they’re also getting caught early. In the first half of games only Liverpool, Bournemouth, Burnley and Sheffield United have conceded more in the first half.”

Poor starts have been the story of United’s season. The thing that’s made this worse is the minute United go down – the performance always seems to flatten.

We need to eradicate these sloppy goals. Teams should be chasing us, not us chasing them.

Things look slightly more up after the Brentofrd comeback, but we’re still desperate for some more key changes from Ten Hag moving forward into the rest of the season.