Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has pointed to a lack of goals as the primary reason for the club's slow start this season. The Dutch coach, now in his third year at Old Trafford, expressed his frustration after United's 1-1 draw at home against FC Twente in their Europa League opener. This draw came shortly after a goalless Premier League tie against Crystal Palace.
United began their match against Twente, Ten Hag's former club, with promise, as Christian Eriksen opened the scoring with a powerful first-half goal. However, Sam Lammers equalized for Twente in the 68th minute after Eriksen lost possession. Despite 18 attempts on goal, United failed to capitalize, a trend also seen during their 15 shots against Crystal Palace without scoring.
As United prepare to face Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday, Ten Hag stressed the need for his team to find their scoring form. Speaking at a pre-match press conference, he emphasized, "Our biggest issue right now is not scoring enough goals. We have the talent across the team to do it, but we're just not converting our chances."
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Despite a few bright moments, including a 3-0 win over Southampton and a 7-0 League Cup victory against Barnsley, United have only secured three wins in eight matches this season. Ten Hag noted that while the team is still a work in progress, it's too early to make definitive conclusions about their inconsistent form.
"We are still building," he said. "We’ve signed young talents like Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, and Leny Yoro, who we believe in for both the present and future. But development takes time, and although I'm impatient, we need to keep pushing forward."
Ten Hag remains optimistic, referencing the team's success in the past two seasons, where they won the 2023 League Cup and the 2024 FA Cup. He acknowledged that hard work is essential if they are to replicate that success this season.
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