Erik ten Hag’s biggest difficulty at Manchester United remains winning huge away games.

The Dutchman had a successful first season in charge, breaking United’s five-year trophy drought and qualifying for the Champions League, but he’s been under a lot of pressure this season. Even during his honeymoon phase, Ten Hag was unable to orchestrate a road victory over the Premier League’s major guns.

Since the start of last season, they have only taken two points away from home against Premier League opponents in the top eight. That’s only two points from 11 games.

If it doesn’t create a dismal image, consider that the last Manchester United team to win a huge game away from home had a completely different manager.

It’s been over two years since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led Manchester United to a stunning victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Although Solskjaer is no longer in charge, Ten Hag has failed to replicate his feats against Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool during his tenure.

Even matches against teams that have just recently established themselves in the Premier League’s upper tiers, such as Brighton and Aston Villa, have proven to be beyond United, whose away day troubles already appear to be impeding Ten Hag’s aspirations of building on a good debut season.

Ten Hag is well aware of United’s terrible away record and believes it must improve. He confessed as much after another chance to make apologies on the road passed them by against Newcastle on Saturday night.

Ten Hag saw his squad lose again on the road on Saturday night in Newcastle. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Anthony Gordon scored the game’s sole goal, but the Magpies outclassed the visitors in almost every category. The scoreline skewed United’s fortunes; they rode their luck and were arguably lucky to lose by a single goal.

Ten Hag and Manchester United have two home games against Chelsea and Bournemouth to make amends, but a trip to Liverpool is on the horizon.

The Red Devils have had plenty of painful afternoons at the home of their most bitter rivals in recent years: the humiliating 7-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool ranks as one of the most disappointing results in the club’s entire history, let alone Ten Hag’s fledgling premiership.

Unfortunately for United, although they have struggled this season, Jurgen Klopp’s resurrected Liverpool have thrived. It appears like Liverpool 2.0, as they have been dubbed, is set to heap even more agony on Ten Hag.

11 games without a win on the road against the best of the Premier League is a genuinely disheartening record. If Liverpool can make it a devastating dozen, Ten Hag will face even more difficult issues.