Manchester United 1-0 Luton Town: Erik ten Hag says Red Devils ‘could have made life easier’

Despite the prevailing narrative surrounding Manchester United and their manager Erik ten Hag, the club has quietly been in decent form recently.

Their latest victory over Luton Town, thanks to Victor Lindelof’s second-half goal, marks their fourth win in five league games, which is their best run of form this season. Furthermore, they have managed to keep consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League for the first time since May.

This positive form comes amidst a challenging period that saw them suffer back-to-back 3-0 home defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle, a two-goal lead squandered in Copenhagen affecting their Champions League aspirations, and elimination from the Carabao Cup.

During times of uncertainty and change at Old Trafford, focusing on these positives can be a valuable approach. Ten Hag should emphasize these aspects to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the expected new minority shareholder from Ineos, during this month’s international break.

The same goes for Sir Dave Brailsford, the former British Cycling performance director, who is likely to play an important role regardless of the new ownership structure.

While Manchester United faces challenges, including ongoing injury concerns and a lack of goals from their strikers, they have a brief respite over the next couple of weeks to pay tribute to the late legendary former captain Sir Bobby Charlton and address the ownership situation.

‘I told them at half-time we are not taking risks’

Manchester United’s attacking players, including Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial, and Antony, have collectively managed to score only one goal in the Premier League so far this season.

In the recent match against Luton, there were missed opportunities by Rashford, Hojlund, Garnacho, and others. Rashford squandered two chances, Hojlund missed a clear opportunity from close range, and Garnacho hesitated to shoot when he had the chance, allowing goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to close him down.

Erik ten Hag, the manager, acknowledged the team’s struggles in front of goal, stating, “We create many chances, and we could have made life easier if we score goals.” He pointed out that in the first half alone, there were four golden opportunities to score. Ten Hag emphasized the need for the team to take more risks and convert their chances, as it would make the game easier.

He also stressed the importance of scoring goals, mentioning that with those four clear-cut chances, at least one should have found the back of the net.

Injury woes at Old Trafford

Throughout the season, Manchester United has been plagued by injuries, which have posed significant challenges for manager Erik ten Hag.

Notably, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez, two preferred options for the left-sided defensive positions, have been sidelined for most of the campaign due to injuries. Rasmus Hojlund, who joined from Atalanta, arrived with a pre-existing back injury. Additionally, injuries affected new signings like Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina and Mason Mount. Even Raphael Varane had a spell on the sidelines due to injury.

In the match against Luton, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was unavailable due to illness, further adding to the injury woes.

Given the extensive list of injuries, Ten Hag expressed his concern, stating, “You don’t want to lose any player; this is also our season, and we’ve had so many injuries.” He emphasized the impact injuries have on the team’s style of play and routines.

Regarding the injuries to Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund in the recent match, Ten Hag mentioned that assessments would be conducted, but they had to wait for 24 hours to determine the extent of the problems, and he hoped for positive news.

‘There is a certain point when you have to accept decisions’

Erik ten Hag will be serving a one-match ban and watching from the stands during Manchester United’s game against Everton at Goodison Park in two weeks’ time. This suspension comes as a result of Ten Hag receiving his third booking of the season for disputing the award of a throw-in on the halfway line during stoppage time in the recent match.

Although Ten Hag found humor in the situation by mentioning he wouldn’t have to fine himself for a breach of club discipline since it was not a red card offense, he acknowledged the need to learn from the experience. He recognized that there comes a point when one must accept decisions, even if they appear unfair.