FROM STAMFORD BRIDGE: Because the saying goes, previous habits die exhausting.
Manchester United have a protracted checklist of dangerous habits. And in one of many craziest, most unserious and uncontrolled Premier League matches we have ever witnessed on Thursday evening at Stamford Bridge, we obtained to see all of them.
Chelsea, for the billions spent, have a large number of issues of their very own, and even after snatching victory from the jaws of defeat on the evening nonetheless sit tenth in standings. Maybe Europe is feasible. However Cole Palmer’s past added time double ensured the highlight and scrutiny sat once more on the forehead of United’s more and more beleaguered supervisor Erik ten Hag.
United have misplaced 17 video games in a season for the primary time since 1989/90. There will probably be extra earlier than it ends and also you’d fancy table-topping Liverpool to extend the quantity on Sunday. In the event that they do, the strain will change into insufferable.
The closing weeks of the season have been a proving floor for the Dutchman to point out he ought to assume one other season main the staff underneath new sporting management. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford have been noticed in attendance at Stamford Bridge. And whereas he isn’t their man there was sturdy sufficient a case for a lot of his time at United that he must be given an opportunity to work in a recent, cohesive construction as an alternative of the chaos he walked into.
United went into the final worldwide break on a excessive of beating Liverpool within the FA Cup, however the two matches since have seen deep into damage time objectives costing them 5 league factors and certain a Champions League place. These objectives due to lapses in focus, weak mentality, lack of ability to defend set items and a non-existent midfield resulting in Ten Hag’s staff permitting probably the most photographs in opposition to in Europe’s prime 5 leagues in 2024.
Whether or not it is Ten Hag’s gamers failing him or his personal shortcomings, maybe a mixture of each (it is in all probability that) we see so many alarmingly poor traits nonetheless as evident and apparent in match spherical 30 as they have been on the opening Monday evening of the season in opposition to Wolves.
Ralf Rangnick known as performances Jekyll and Hyde. These days, we both see United dominated by inferior opposition (see Brentford) or taking part in basketball on a soccer pitch (see Chelsea, plus different examples).
Ten Hag known as for his gamers to make higher choices underneath strain within the aftermath of defeat in West London however Ten Hag’s tactical plan seems so steadily frantic and missing in management that it is easy to see why gamers make poor selections.
A miracle was wanted the final time Liverpool visited Outdated Trafford, and Ten Hag obtained one. A miracle is required once more on Sunday nevertheless it’s troublesome to see Liverpool being so forgiving this time round, or making the identical errors twice. You’ll be able to’t say the identical about United, who refuse to cease making them.
