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Erik Ten Hag may be gone, but Manchester United are still in trouble
Manchester United’s poor start to the season has ultimately cost Erik ten Hag has his job, but there is a deeper issue hurting United’s chances on the pitch.
Manchester United’s struggles in front of goal
While Ten Hag’s tactical decisions have faced criticism, United’s inefficiency in front of goal reveals a problem beyond coaching.
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Despite creating numerous opportunities, Manchester United have consistently failed to convert them, especially at crucial points during the campaign.
According to data from Opta, the Red Devils have the largest negative gap in the league between expected goals (xG) and actual goals scored, with just eight goals from an expected 14.6.
Manchester United has created 27 big chances in the Premier League this season, a respectable number that signals their ability to open up defences.
However, they have only managed to score five of these opportunities, missing the remaining 22 — the most missed big chances in the league.
Missed chances cost Ten Hag his job
Thanks partly to the underperformance of the players, Manchester United find themselves in 14th place on the Premier League table, effectively costing Ten Hag his job at the club.
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The club’s inability to convert chances, including four big chances missed out of five in Ten Hag’s last game in charge, was the ultimate reason that the club failed to move forward under the Dutch manager.
Now that Ten Hag has officially been dismissed, United’s goal-scoring woes remain a problem the new coach will inherit.
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Addressing the misfiring forwards is essential if they want to reverse their disappointing season because Ten Hag, despite the criticism he faced, was not the one missing easy chances on the pitch, and no amount of tactical reshuffling can make up for strikers’ inability to find the net.
The hope is that a fresh approach might bring renewed confidence, helping United’s forwards turn missed opportunities into points on the board, especially under one of the greatest strikers in the club’s history.
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