This criticism brought to light ongoing concerns that occur when taking on more formidable opponents.
United has had a difficult time performing well away from home under the supervision of the Dutchman, as evidenced by their recent loss to West Ham and their prior difficult journeys of this season to Tottenham, Arsenal, and Newcastle.
Their travel problems extend all the way back to the previous season, when they were humiliated by a score of 7-0 at Anfield. This goes on even in the Premier League. A further factor that contributed to their early elimination from the Champions League was the fact that they performed poorly in away matches.
When Scholes was speaking on TNT Sports, he directed his criticism toward Ten Hag and pointed out concerns with the team’s tactical approach. He said, “They struggled last year in the big games, and I also felt that it was naive going to good away grounds and playing with one holding midfielder and the rest being attacking with the rest of the team.” Scholes drove home the point that it is extremely challenging to implement such a strategy when competing against the best teams in England.
On account of Raphael Varane’s illness and Harry Maguire’s ban, Ten Hag made an unusual decision to include Willy Kambwala, a 19-year-old defender, in the starting eleven for the match against West Ham. “West Ham is difficult to play against, but they also have brilliant forward players that can cause you trouble,” Scholes said, expressing his initial anxiety regarding United’s chances of winning the match.
United’s defeat by a score of 2-0, which placed them in eighth position in the standings, demonstrated that these concerns were justified. Ten Hag is now subject to a greater level of scrutiny as a result of the results, which places further pressure on him. Ten Hag needs to address the team’s performance difficulties as soon as can because they have an approaching battle against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to acquire a twenty-five percent share in the club, which might potentially have an effect on the direction the team is headed in. The poor results coincide with this event. Ten Hag’s position is becoming even more vulnerable as the transfer window for January draws near. In order to resuscitate United’s form both on the road and at home, modifications and enhancements to the team’s strategy are required.
Ten Hag’s ability to strike the proper balance in tactics and address issues with away games becomes crucial for Manchester United’s success from this point forward in the season. This is because of the hurdles that have been presented.
