'It's down to the players to fix it'published at 12:42 27 August
Alex Turk
Fan writer
We knew this already but Erik ten Hag is in a vulnerable position. A huge season for the manager and the club has not started well.
There have been slight improvements on some issues of the last campaign but, three games in, Manchester United have been beaten by a weakened Manchester City and a Brighton side in their second game under a young coach new to the Premier League.
Entering the September international break in defeat against Liverpool would intensify the doom and gloom at Old Trafford. But I am here to fight Ten Hag's corner - because there should have been three wins from three.
I say some of the plethora of problems that plagued the 2023-24 season are on the mend, but a damaging one remains. An agonising lack of clinical finishing has cost United dearly already.
Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay should have made sure City were toppled in normal time at Wembley. A 1-0 win followed against Fulham, but Bruno Fernandes wasted a one-on-one chance, before Alejandro Garnacho's missed open goal made for an unnecessarily nervy finale.
At the Amex, Amad Diallo squandered a glorious opportunity to open the scoring before his second-half equaliser. Then Garnacho, again, fluffed his lines with the goal gaping. Joshua Zirkzee was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the 20-year-old winger had to put it out of the question.
Joao Pedro's 95th-minute headed winner was a sickener knowing what had preceded it down the other end. United have already missed six big chances in two Premier League games - no club has missed more.
Criticism about the defensive organisation for Brighton's last-gasp goal is unsurprising and understandable.
But Ten Hag cannot control his attackers with a remote. Wasted chances are not on him. It is down to the players to fix it.
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