Manchester United have a Rocky Start to the Season
Manchester United have had a terrible start to the season, no matter how you try to paint it. But, that doesn’t mean that hope for this season is lost. And is doesn’t mean that everything is as doom and gloom as the Sky and ESPN pundits would have us believe. Standards are not currently as high as they should be, but our form thus far this season is far from the whole story.
I acknowledge, and wholeheartedly support that it is our job as fans to always hold the club, players, and manager accountable. It is our job to never be satisfied. Manchester United’s history stands as a benchmark for all teams in the future, including Manchester United. I also acknowledge that fan frustration, myself included, is reaching levels it has not seen since the 21/22 season.
But, are we as fans meant to feel as hopeless as the common narrative would have us believe? I don’t think so. In times like these we need to seek solace in what is going right at the club rather than fixating on what is going wrong.
There is Hope in the Darkness
Manchester United’s deterioration under our current ownership constantly reminds me of the following quote.
“I will love the light for it shows me the way, but I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” – Augustine Mandino.
The glory days of Manchester United will always hold a special place in my heart, and I try to never take them for granted. I will also never lose hope or expectation that the Red Devils will return to the summit of football once again. But in the darkness we have been stuck in under the Glazers, United under Erik ten Hag have shown us the stars. This team, in spite of how frustrating they have been to watch this season, have shown us their potential.
I don’t want you to read this and think I am trying to blow smoke up your ass or paint over how terrible the team has been this season. There is no denying how bad things are at United.
Rather, we need to change narrative. Progress is often taken for granted and success needs to be measured with a wide angle lens. While it is our job to hold our club accountable, is also our duty to show empathy before judgement.
The Cavalry is Returning to Carrington
First and foremost, the manager has not had a full squad to choose from since he started as United manager. Ten Hag himself has said that in his 18 months at United not once has he been able to select his preferred eleven or a perfectly fit eleven.
This season alone, United have suffered more than 20 injuries across 13 players. Six players have been absent due to illness. Two players were removed from the team for off field issues. And one player has been suspended because of a needless yet sacrificial red card.
And it is not even Halloween yet!
However, United are finally reaching a point in the season where players are beginning to reintegrate into the squad. Martial, Hojlund, Amrabat, Mount, Eriksen, Van de Beek, Maguire, McTominay, Lindelof and Garnacho are all players that have returned to full fitness after struggling with injury or illness.
Amad, Mainoo, and Varane are all back in training, and only a few weeks from returning to selection. And Antony has returned from his brief sabbatical defending himself in a domestic violence accusation.
As more players return the easier it will be for ten Hag to balance and rotate the squad, hopefully leading to better performances. Hopefully this will give us fans a better account of the squad to pass our judgement on.
Manchester United Youth Players A New Source of Hope
The next positive narrative from this season so far, is United’s youth players.
Garnacho looks a threat any time he is on the pitch. He has averaged more progressive carries per min played than any other player in our squad. So far this season he has looked like United’s most aggressive attacking player, after Hojlund.
Pellistri may currently lack an end product, but he runs past opposition players for fun. He has dribbled past more opponents this season than Marcus Rashford. He merely needs some time to develop his endgame.
Kobbie Mainoo looked better in preseason, before his injury, than Casemiro has looked in the last six months. Watch is performances against Real Madrid and Arsenal and you will see what I am talking about.
Hannibal has exploded onto the scene as United’s most industrious and energetic midfielder so far this season. In the matches he has played he has covered more ground, pressed the opponent more, intercepted opposition passes more, and had more touches per minute than any other Uniter player save Bruno.
And if Amad can pick up at United where he left off last season, we might see the emergence of United’s next great winger. Last season for Sunderland, Amad netted 13 times and assisted a further three. And he ranked in the top ten percent of Championship players for successful take-ons and shots in the box.
Manchester United’s New Signings
Despite popular criticism, I also believe that ten Hag’s new signings have, by in large, been successful. Excluding Onana for the moment, every Manchester United summer signing has improved the squad.
No one can deny Hojlund is a beast. He has three goals in his last four matches, and as many goals disallowed in his previous four matches. His acceleration, strength and movement is unbelievable to watch.
Amrabat, has been widely overjudged and underestimated. His mentality is world class, which this team lacks. His passing and distribution are in the 90th percentile in the league. And he has more successful tackles, interceptions, blocks and clearances than Casemiro this season. Mind you those stats have mostly come from him while playing out of position.
Mason Mount is a player that I feel requires a bit of perspective. Injury and fitness have drastically skewed the interpretation of his performances. What I am interested in it what Mount can be for this team, as he find fitness and form.
In the three years prior to signing for United Mount ranked 90% or higher in, tackles won, free kicks won, passing accuracy, passes attempted, successful tackles, successful blocks, passes and shots that lead to a goal, progressive passes, touches in the opposition box, and non penalty chances created. I have hope that we will see that player soon.
All three of these players have played less than eight matches for United. It usually takes months if not a full year for a new player to bed in to a new team and league. I just think we need to cut them a little slack, for now.
Andre Onana is Still Finding His Feet
Andre Onana is the biggest enigma amongst United’s most recent recruits. He has started all of Manchester United’s opening eleven matches. In that time he has made no fewer than four egregious errors that likely lost United the match. And he has failed to save a number of goals that many argue David De Gea would have saved.
However, I would argue that Onana is being relied upon too much to make the game saving block. In a number of instances Onana was left exposed by the frailties of his defense and the lack of focus in midfield.
Granted De Gea was more adept at making that last ditch reaction save. But many, myself included, feel that both De Gea and now Onana have been relied on too much to make that crucial save. No other keeper in the league has been exposed by his defense as much as Onana this season.
Onana’s Stats Tell A Better Story
For some perspective; Onana this season has faced 55 shots on target in eleven matches this season. In that time he has conceded 18 goals. Which in all fairness is a dismal 1.2 xGA . It isn’t great, from Onana so far.
But when compared to David De Gea’s opening eleven matches last season, it is a marked improvement. De Gea’s start to last season saw United conceded 17 goals from 43 shots on target. That equates to 2.7 xGA.
United’s defense last season conceded 12 fewer shots on target in that time, yet allowed in almost the same number of goals. That says that De Gea wasn’t making enough saves. Onana has faced more shots on target and only let in one more goal. His defense is letting him down.
In nutshell, Onana a significantly better goal to shot ratio than De Gea had last season, despite having a worse defense in front of him.
I agree, we all expected more from a keeper that was arguably the player of the tournament in last seasons Champions League. But, his stats suggest he isn’t as bad as his recent gaffs make him appear. It also deserves to be said, that his mentality, like Amrabat is elite. This United squad has been crying out for players with his kind of character for a long time.
And again, 11 matches is probably way to soon to be judging him, considering he is a drastically different keeper to David De Gea.
Bruno Fernandes is Elite
Bruno has been catching a lot of unfair ridicule lately. Most his his critics focus on how productive he was in front of goal during his first campaign at United, and that he hasn’t reached that benchmark since. But goals are not everything. Here are Bruno’s stats so far this season
- Non penalty goals – 85th percentile
- Non penalty XG – 96th percentile
- Shots on target, shot creating actions, goal scoring actions – 99th percentile
- Assists and xAG – 98th percentile
- Progressive passes – 92nd percentile
- Progressive carries and take-ons – 88th percentile
- Tackles and interceptions as compared to other attacking midfielders – 85th percentile.
In the last three years his combined attacking returns and chances created have been better then Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah, Son Huang-min, and Martin Odegaard.
For most of this season Bruno has not been able to play in his most effective position. Yet, he still ranks as the Premier Leagues most productive and creative midfielder. As players that have been absent continue to return to the fold I have every confidence that Bruno will dazzle us once again.
In the mean time, as long as he keeps putting up these kinds of numbers, United’s current form is more a result of his teammates not taking advantage of his supply, than him not scoring enough goals.
The Signs Are There
Irrespective of individual performances, Manchester United should also be given some credit for the way they have played this season.
By in large thanks to Bruno, United have created more chances in front of goal over the last six months than any other team in the league. That is in spite of being tenth in the table, bottom of our Champions League group, and never really playing well for more then 20 minutes a match.
If they can find a way to maintain their highest performance levels for 90 min and start converting the chances they are creating, they could end up being one of the best teams in England. Granted they may need more time together to get there.
It also shouldn’t be underrated how United’s recent performance against Brentford is a testament to the most important x-factor about this squad. They have the right mentality and they are together as a team. For weeks, ten Hag has been preaching the squads unity and fight. But we fans have not seen that on the pitch as much as we would like.
While I feel Brentford is far from a turning point for United, it absolutely stands as testament to the spirit and identity that the manager is attempting to build.
Hope is Returning to Manchester United Fans
As I said before, I don’t want my words to gloss over how much it is going to take for United to recover from their dismal start to the season. I also do not want to understate how much work the players and manager need to put in to see this team to its full potential.
However, I take solace in the fact that at the moment the ingredients for success are there at United. They are far from the finished product. But, at the moment, Manchester United show potential, togetherness, and fight. Which is far better than the levels of complacency, division and mediocrity that have plagued previous squads
I am only suggesting that we look at United with a wide angle lens, and wait to pass judgement until we have had an opportunity to see how ten Hag’s men perform at full strength.
It should also never be understated how much our owners and executive staff handicap our club. As such United’s performances should always be judged with a mulligan, at least until we are freed from their ineptitude.
As fans we need to take a moment to remember to admire the stars in the darkness, and that daylight will always return for a club of Manchester United’s legacy and traditions.
Glory, Glory Man United!
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