It is another day and another questionable performance from Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United.
That FA Cup win over Liverpool before the international break was supposed to lift everyone.
The momentum was in Manchester United’s court. The chance to win the FA Cup and secure Champions League football.
Yet, after just one game, it feels like normal service has resumed and the team is back to square one.
From supporters to club legends, they are all frustrated and just annoyed, especially after the dropped points to Brentford on Saturday evening.
Peter Schmeichel and Andy Cole certainly didn’t hold back their thoughts after they reacted to how Manchester United defended Brentford’s equaliser.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was the man in the firing line – just moments after Mason Mount thought he had scored the winner in stoppage time.
Playing at left-back, the £45 million star proceeded to jog back into his position when his team were without the ball, so it meant that he kept Ivan Toney onside.
That resulted in the England striker feeding the ball to Kristoffer Ajer to score a well-deserved goal, with Andy Cole labelling it ‘shocking’, as he told Premier League Productions (30/03/24 at 10:15 pm).
But Peter Schmeichel was the one who was most annoyed as he questioned Wan-Bissaka’s ‘pride’ in wanting to get back for the cause.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s defending
“When they scored, if you look at Wan-Bissaka on the Brentford goal,” said Schmeichel.
“This is what I mean by standards. Wan-Bissaka is out there to the left. The ball gets crossed, now look at him walking, he is walking, he is jogging and Ivan Toney would have been offside had he followed the back four line. Then that goal wouldn’t have happened. These are the little things. That’s not Man United, that’s not pride or high standards – he has cost, not to blame him, but in that moment, because of what he didn’t do, simple things such as concentrating and they equalise.”
Andy Cole added: “It’s shocking. Get up.”
Manchester United in the Champions League race
Is it really a race? Man United keep dropping points and they aren’t showing any signs that they will even finish fifth, never mind fourth.
Both Tottenham and Aston Villa won their respective matches on Saturday – beating Luton Town and Wolves.
It now means Man United are eight points behind Spurs, but 11 behind Villa having played a game less.
Perhaps ten Hag and co should look over their shoulders because only five points separate eighth-placed Newcastle United and themselves in sixth.
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