Man Utd’s approach to away games says everything about Erik ten Hag’s squad ahead of West Ham clash

For Manchester United, it’s been a season of one step forward and two steps back, despite Erik ten Hag’s often upbeat assessments.

The United boss claimed after this month’s win over Chelsea that his side were making good progress and ‘going in the right direction’. They followed that up with gutless home defeats to Bournemouth and Bayern Munich.

After a 3-0 win at Everton in November, Ten Hag said his side were playing ‘very good football’ and claimed they were becoming ‘more stable’. The ensuing chaotic draw at Galatasaray and a dismal display at Newcastle United suggested otherwise.

In the aftermath of three consecutive wins over Brentford, Sheffield United and Copenhagen in October, Ten Hag stated the ‘togetherness’ and ‘spirit’ in the camp was clear, adding United were capable of beating Manchester City in a few days. They were pummelled 3-0 in the derby, of course, before losing by the same scoreline four days later when a second-string Newcastle team earned a Carabao Cup victory at Old Trafford.

There’s a pattern, and for all Ten Hag’s eulogising after positive results, United players soon fall back on old habits.

So, then what next after that dogged defensive display at Anfield last week, when United ended Liverpool’s run of scoring in 34 successive games? Ten Hag described the defensive application as ‘almost perfect’ and said he was ‘proud’ of his team, but whether the Red Devils can show the same steely determination against West Ham United is another matter.

Ten Hag’s record away to the top nine from last season is well known (zero wins from eight visits) and this term United haven’t beaten any of the current top nine sides in the league, while April’s trip to the London Stadium was a chastening experience. That’s something they’ll look to put right against a West Ham side who were dreadful at Liverpool on Wednesday night and have been rocked by a virus in recent weeks.

Perhaps the timing of United’s trip to the Hammers could work in their favour, and for all the melancholy surrounding Old Trafford this season, City have only earned one more league win than their neighbours.

On their travels in 2023/24, United have often found a way to make games stodgy and lacking goalmouth action. The wins at Burnley and Fulham came in games with fewer than eight shots on target, Newcastle managed just four shots on target despite dominating the game, and could have lost their lead late on, while in five of the last seven away league matches United have managed an expected goals ratio of under one.

Ten Hag has openly admitted United are lacking fluidity in the offensive areas but their ability to make away games dull affairs has served the team well this season. The Red Devils have conceded just one in the last four on the road, and in all competitions have suffered more defeats at Old Trafford than away from home this season.

It doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially given the side’s excellent record at Old Trafford last term, but little about United’s campaign has followed any real logic.

How can a team that scored two per game in the Champions League have managed 18 in 17 league matches? How can the error-prone Andre Onana have the joint-most clean sheets in the league? How does Raphael Varane go from indispensable, to unwanted, and now back to excellent? How can Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay be deemed surplus to requirements last summer and suddenly crucial components of this team?

The latter pair could have joined West Ham before the season, although there’s an argument to say neither would be guaranteed starters for the London club. That they’re so important now for Ten Hag is telling, and it’s as much down to mental durability and spirit.

It’s also telling that David Moyes’ side contain more technical and creative players than Ten Hag’s. What the Dutchman would do to have the inventive Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen or Mohammed Kudus to feed his goal-shy forwards.

It also indicates how the gap between the Premier League’s chasing pack and the elite has shrunk in recent years and a win for West Ham on Saturday would see them go above the Red Devils. With upcoming games over the festive period against Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest (who could be enjoying that fabled new-manager bounce by then), a run of negative results over the next three games would set up a bleak start to 2024.

United have shown they can be organised, disciplined and durable, but can they do it consistently over a run of games? Ten Hag believes so, now it’s time to show it.