Erik ten Hag explains why Man Utd have played poorly this season

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has blamed a lack of continuity and injuries behind his side's disappointing season.

Ten Hag's debut 2022/23 campaign with the Red Devils saw them win the Carabao Cup and secure an unlikely top-three finish in the Premier League, while they also reached the FA Cup final before losing 2-1 to rivals Manchester City.

Having brought in Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund during the summer transfer window, United were expected to kick on this term. However, they were eliminated at the group stage of the Champions League and sit sixth in the Premier League table heading into the final few weeks of the season but could yet drop into the mid-table pack with a tough run of games ahead of them.

Ten Hag also declared in pre-season he wanted to make United the world's best team in transition, but they have grown a reputation as a defensively-weak team that is unable to score enough goals. This has not been helped by an injury crisis that has plagued many key players over the course of the season.

In a sit-down interview with United legend Gary Neville for Sky Sports, Ten Hag was asked whether there was a sense of 'frustration' over his style of play not working.

"'Frustration' is not the right word because I'm a realistic man," Ten Hag replied. "Last year when I came in, you make your adjustments but at the end of the day, it's about winning games. From last year, we found a way to make a very successful team.

"This year, we wanted to make the next step. We bought in a goalkeeper who can play out from the back, a dynamic midfielder in Mason Mount - who has been injured all season - and a goalscorer in Hojlund who is young and needed the time.

"On one hand, we were quite confident we made the right choices and we can make the next step. But all the injuries are coming and we made so many changes in some positions like the back four.

"We've now played 47 games and we had 30 combinations in the back four. They weren't from choices you make, they were forced choices because the players were injured...anyone with even a little bit of knowledge about football, they will know it will have a huge impact.

"Then Casemiro was injured for a long period. We had so many issues in the team that you can't always play the way you want to play.

"But the fans want to see a successful team, a team that's winning. What we always try to do, and it's a compliment to the team, in every game, they went for it and they had a spirit.

"We make the adjustments a little bit in our way of play because when you don't have a left-footed centre back or on the left side in the full-back position, you have to make adjustments you want to play, so we did.

"We are not where we want to be with the way we want to play, but the headlines are still there because we want to be proactive, be dynamic and we want to play with a high line. That's what we always aim for.

"We have made improvements. We score more goals after the winter break and also we were more consistent. We haven't have so many defeats in 2024 - only three defeats - but we draw too much. What we can do is put ourselves in a winning position, but then you have to draw to bring it over the line.

"When you have so many changes in back four, the rules and principles remain the same, but the patterns are not there. We don't bring the results and we know that."

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