Manchester United: Worrying stat highlights the defensive issues plaguing Ten Hag

Manchester United have won just one Premier League match in their last seven — a 2-0 victory over Everton at Old Trafford in March — with their top-four prospects suffering a dent after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.  

Bruno Fernandes scored either side of Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert’s first-half goals as the Red Devils trailed 2-2 at the Vitality Stadium.

The Portugal international levelled from the penalty spot after the break to secure a point for Erik ten Hag’s men on the south coast. 

The United boss was upset with his side’s flaws without possession at Bournemouth before strikingly walking out during a post-match press conference, highlighting the pressure the Dutchman is under in year two at the Premier League giants.  

Ten Hag’s team have played on the counter-attack since the start of last season, leading to more end-to-end matches in the Dutchman’s second year at the Manchester side.

United’s penchant for allowing shots at their goal has worsened in 2024, with opponents taking advantage of the Red Devils’ openness out of possession to rack up a glut of efforts at Andre Onana. 

Manchester United let Bournemouth shoot at their goal 20 times on Saturday, and Opta have revealed that the 13-time Premier League champions have conceded that many attempts for the sixth game running. Since the analytics company began collecting that data, only Blackpool in 2010-11 have faced 20 shots or more for a longer stretch of games (eight) from November 2010 to January 2011.  

The Dutchman is reportedly fighting for his job at Old Trafford, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group said to be seeking a change in the summer.   

Manchester United seek to shake off league disappointment when they take on Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on April 21, keen to make back-to-back finals at the illustrious competition.