Arsenal legend Paul Merson has criticized Erik ten Hag’s tactics at Manchester United, saying the Red Devils are miles behind their crosstown rivals Manchester City in the Premier League race.
Manchester United have endured a sub-par start to the 2023-24 Premier League campaign. Losing twice in four Premier League games, the Red Devils find themselves in 11th place in the rankings, already six points behind defending champions and league leaders Manchester City. Interestingly, both of United’s defeats (2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur & 3-1 to Arsenal) have come away from home.
Merson questions Ten Hag’s Manchester United tactics
Speaking on Sky Sports following United’s defeat to Arsenal on Sunday (September 3), Merson criticized Ten Hag’s timid approach to away games, urging him to play with more ferocity.
“They try not to lose a match before they try to win it. I don’t understand. If teams are scoring goals then you’ve got to have a go. I think the manager’s got to be braver. He’s got the players to be braver,” said Merson.
“It’s too negative – counter-attacking football. I do worry for Man Utd. The Sir Alex Ferguson days are long gone. They’re as far away from winning the league as you’ll ever see. I know everyone’s a long way off Manchester City but they’re a million miles off.”
He added:
“You forget they’re one of the biggest teams in the world. Man Utd can’t even stump up £7m for Marc Cucurella. They’re taking a player [Sergio Reguilon] that can’t even play for Tottenham. They’ve got the Jadon Sancho thing now as well. Just keep it in-house.
“Rasmus Hojlund looked good – a right handful. But that was for 20 minutes. I saw Mykhaylo Mudryk for 20 minutes at Liverpool in January and I haven’t seen him since.”
Manchester United are not on the same level as City
Last season’s Treble winners Manchester City are arguably the best team in the world. They have turned winning into a habit and seem quite unfazed even against the best of teams. For all their qualities, the Red Devils do not seem as sorted. They have the ability to spring surprises but they are not nearly as consistent as their noisy neighbors.
For now, a top-four finish seems to be a realistic goal for United, but even that would be a tall order, considering how great Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, and West Ham have looked this season.
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