The Theater of Dreams is turning into a nightmare. The Red Devils are having their worst start to the league since the 1986-87 season. After having played 10 games in the Premier League, the balance is five defeats and five wins, which places them in eighth position in the standings and 11 points behind the leader, Tottenham.
They were also eliminated yesterday in the League Cup by Newcastle (0-3) and in the Champions League they are third in Group A with three points out of a possible nine. As if that were not enough, extra-sports problems are added, such as the questioning of the club's structure.
The Glazer family continues to generate doubts among English fans who see how their team is trying to overcome a debt of more than 600 million euros and that it is not working out sportingly, despite having invested more than 200 million in signings this season. The owners of United, who have rejected offers from Qatar to buy the English club, are studying getting rid of 25% of the entity and transferring this percentage to Jim Ratcliffe, owner of Ineos.
Manchester United have conceded two consecutive goals. The first took place yesterday at Old Trafford against Newcastle in the EFL Cup, a painful defeat not only because of the elimination, but also because of how Ten Hag's team fell and the unrest among his team's fans: "Today they attended the game 72,000 spectators. Now there are a few less," the Magpies published on their X account before the final whistle.
Prior to this setback, the Red Devils suffered goals from Haaland and Bernardo Silva at home in the Manchester derby against City (0-3). “It is a cemetery of footballers,” said a legend of the English club like Gary Neville, after the defeat against Pep Guardiola's men.
Likewise, he stated that “there is a culture of toxicity and negativity” within the English club. “Ten Hag is a fantastic coach, we can't doubt that. José Mourinho is a great coach, we cannot deny that either. What you have to think about is why they don't succeed in this club," he said.
The Dutch coach assumed full responsibility for the team's current dynamics, after United's defeat against Newcastle: “I am a fighter. I'm confident I can do it, but right now we're in a bad place. I take responsibility, but I see it as a challenge. I have to be with my players and fight together,” he explained about the club's current situation.
It should be noted that the various injuries suffered by the former Ajax coach have also hampered the team's level, especially that of Lisandro Martínez who will remain out for a few months due to an injury to the fifth metatarsal of his right foot. Manchester United's next match takes place this Saturday at Craven Cottage, the stadium of Fulham, fourteenth in the Premier League.
