Manchester United’s defensive woes were highlighted once more on Thursday night, though their frailties across the backline came as no surprise to their supporters. The Red Devils self-destructed at Stamford Bridge, conceding two late goals and losing 4-3 to rivals Chelsea.
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United led 3-2 in the 99th minute thanks to Alejandro Garnacho's brace and a Bruno Fernandes header. But a Cole Palmer double deep into stoppage time inflicted a grim defeat on Erik ten Hag's team.
Ten Hag was understandably furious with the way his side went from heroes to zeroes in front of his very eyes, and the damning stats following the defeat only underline further why Sir Jim Ratcliffe could be tempted to part ways with the ex-Ajax manager.
United have faced 225 shots in 2024, which is the most of any club in the Premier League, reports Opta. Brentford (216), Sheffield United (206) and Luton Town (201) have similarly failed to keep teams at bay, though they are battling it out to avoid relegation rather than pushing for the Champions League places like the Red Devils. And even they have still conceded less shots.
The gulf in quality between United and some of their fiercest rivals is starting to grow as a result, as shown by how they have allowed more xG (Expected Goals) in their last 10 matches (21.56) than Arsenal have in the entirety of their season so far (21.09).
Ten Hag has blamed injuries across the backline as one factor behind his side’s defensive weaknesses, though rivals have also been hit hard by injuries and are not as poor defensively as United. He is also working with a full-strength attack and midfield at present.
United now sit in sixth place in the Premier League and are nine points adrift of Tottenham in fifth, meaning that their chances of securing Champions League football for next season are incredibly slim.
However, Ten Hag’s team cannot afford to take their foot off of the gas and slip out of the European places entirely.
The Dutchman must show in the final eight matches of the season that he is able to spark a reaction from his team and solidify his defence.
Ratcliffe is watching his every move and weighing up whether a fresh face in the dugout is needed for the team to return to being a title-contending outfit.
The pressure is on the incumbent boss to prove he can still be the right man for United.
