In their most recent encounter, the Red Devils were defeated 2-0 by West Ham in yet another lackluster match involving Erik ten Hag’s club. When Mohamed Kudus’ goal made it 2-0, the camera moved to two despondent teenage Manchester United fans, one of whom was wiping a tear from his eyes.
While most Red Devils fans will not mourn following the loss to former boss David Moyes, they will be furious. Ten Hag’s club has gone four games without scoring a goal, and the pressure is rising on the Dutchman after presiding over United’s worst start to a season since 1930. No Red Devils player received a match rating greater than 6.7 on FootballTransfers’ partner site FootballCritic, indicating that it was yet another underwhelming effort.
Something is plainly wrong at Manchester United, and it has been obvious all season. The one bright spot against West Ham was youthful debutant Willy Kambwala, who came into the team in place of Raphael Varane, who was accused by some of pulling a sickie.
Kambwala didn’t put a foot wrong and was the only player to console 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo after his error allowed West Ham to spring the counter that led to Kudus’ goal.
The fact that no senior player approached young Mainoo exemplifies Man Utd’s awful club culture and atmosphere. Players are abdicating their responsibilities and fending for themselves.
The fact that Erik ten Hag is a disciplinarian has always been a strong point in his favor. The Dutchman is always preaching about altering the culture of the club and setting and meeting certain standards, but it is evident that his approaches aren’t working.
Even experienced players can’t keep their cool, whether it’s 35-year-old Jonny Evans launching into a challenge against West Ham or captain Bruno Fernandes receiving his fifth yellow card of the season for dissent against Bournemouth, which forced him to miss the derby against Liverpool.
Ten Hag is a failure both on and off the field. Man United’s culture looks to be deteriorating by the day, and positive outcomes and performances are becoming increasingly rare. After 13 losses in the first 26 games of the season, it is evident that it is only a matter of time until the Dutchman is seeking for a new job.