It was widely expected to be a judgment game for Erik ten Hag but the only judgment that can be derived from the game is that nobody knows where Manchester United are going.
Erik ten Hag‘s side put on a polar opposite performance of what happened midweek which probably just hammers home the point that this team has no identity.
The attacking threat was sacrificed for defensive solidity to somehow gain a point and to the defence’s credit, they managed that comfortably.
Still, it leaves more questions than answers for Ten Hag who seems incapable of coaching attack and defence at the same time.
The stats are startling and Manchester United have just broken a 52-year-old record with their goalless draw at Villa Park.
Man Utd break 52-yo record
Fans have gotten used to the club breaking all sorts of wrong records ever since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager.
All the managers following him have set unwanted records as the club wanders aimlessly without any coherent strategy on the pitch.
That was expected to change with Ineos’ arrival but right off the bat, Ten Hag, the man they gave an extension to, has set a new record after 52 years.
With their goalless draw at Villa Park which leaves United 14th in the table, with just eight points after seven games, their lack of goalscoring is historic.
The tally of five goals scored after seven games is the least United have managed in 52 years, a remarkable fact considering that the timespan also covers the era when United weren’t historically dominant.
Being on eight points after seven games is also a new low, beating a record set all the way back under… Erik ten Hag last season.
Injuries were a mitigating factor then, and now Ten Hag keeps going on about the process.
What’s the process?
At least United were creating chances to start the season, just failing to put them away. The 7-0 win vs Barnsley showed that the goals would come at a higher level eventually too.
However, in another false dawn, not only have the goals not come, but the performances have taken a giant step backward.
Ten Hag keeps praising the team spirit and the 0-0 draw at Villa, which is being praised, came against a manager who came to the job later than Ten Hag.
Granted, the new executive structure makes it kind of a reset for everyone, but so many of the players Ten Hag is working with are not new to him.
That dynamic/tactical understanding doesn’t change with a new structure but the reality is that the team still looks without an identity.
The two games- Porto and Villa away should never have been the markers for whether Ten Hag should be kept in the job.
It had already been proven long ago that he’s failing to get the best out of a squad that is still playing for him. Ineos need to avoid falling into the trap of sunk-cost fallacy.
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