Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has pointed to a lack of goals as the key reason for the club’s slow start to the season. In his third year at Old Trafford, Ten Hag expressed frustration after a 1-1 draw with FC Twente in their Europa League opener, following a goalless draw against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
United began brightly against Twente, with Christian Eriksen opening the scoring in the first half. However, Sam Lammers equalized for Twente in the 68th minute after Eriksen lost possession. Despite United creating 18 chances, they failed to convert them into goals, similar to the 15 attempts without a result at Selhurst Park the previous weekend.
Addressing the issue in a press conference, Ten Hag stated, “Not scoring goals, not scoring enough—that’s the problem, the key area. We have to score more goals as a team. I think we have players across the team who have the ability to score. That’s clear. You see all the opportunities we are creating, we are not scoring enough.”
United had previously shown promise after the international break, securing a 3-0 win against Southampton and a 7-0 victory over Barnsley in the League Cup. However, these were among only three wins in eight games across all competitions this season, leaving the team with inconsistent results.
Ten Hag emphasized that the squad is still in progress, acknowledging the need for patience. “We have to sign players. We also made a choice to sign very young players. Like last year, Rasmus Hojlund, and this year, Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro—players we believe in for now but also for the future. We have to build them.”
He admitted his impatience but highlighted the team’s recent successes, including winning the 2023 League Cup and 2024 FA Cup, and stressed the need to work hard for more victories in the future.
