Erik ten Hag will need to be ‘a fighter’ to save job as Man Utd fall into calamity as Sack letter nears
Manchester United’s Carabao Cup Defeat Marks a New Low
Manchester United hit a new low with their defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. Erik ten Hag, the United manager, did not attempt to defend his team’s abysmal performance.
Despite his assertion in the program notes that it was only a matter of time before they displayed their true selves, the reality was quite different.
United were truly terrible, a hapless and overpowered side against a weakened Newcastle United.
The season has taken a catastrophic turn, spiraling into a realm of calamity. While Ten Hag had tried to put a positive spin on recent results, claiming they were on the right track, that optimism had evaporated. He admitted, “As a team, we are not good enough.
Whatever the reasons, there’s no room for excuses. It falls far below the standards expected of Manchester United.
It’s simply not good enough. We need to put things right, and I take responsibility for it. It’s my team, and they are underperforming.”
In simple terms, they are performing terribly. After 15 games into the season, United have suffered more losses than victories.
Their only convincingly better performance was a lone Carabao Cup match against Crystal Palace. On numerous other occasions, they have performed far worse.
In just four days of humiliation, they have suffered consecutive home defeats by a margin of at least three goals for the first time since 1962.
The last time Newcastle secured such a convincing victory at Old Trafford was in 1930.
Not since 1928 had United lost five of their first ten home matches in a campaign. Unfortunately, it’s a dubious record they now hold.
On this night, United’s team had more captains than shots on target, with the captain’s armband being passed between Casemiro, Victor Lindelof, and substitute Bruno Fernandes.
The victorious skipper for Newcastle was Sean Longstaff.
This could be viewed as a mere footnote in United’s year or a reflection of the leadership crisis at Old Trafford.
Regardless, the immediate blame lies with Ten Hag, and he acknowledges it. He doesn’t shy away from scrutiny, saying, “I understand when the results are not there; it’s logical for questions to be raised.
But I am confident I can do it. I’ve achieved it at all my previous clubs, and I did it here last year as well. But at this moment, we are in a bad place.”
Indeed, Old Trafford is not a good place for United. They were unbeaten at home for 31 games until recently. Now, they have scored just five of the last 16 goals at their home ground.
