Manchester United Is Aiming To Steer Clear Of An Undesirable Losing Streak As They Prepare To Take On Liverpool
Manchester United Is Aiming To Steer Clear Of An Undesirable Losing Streak As They Prepare To Take On Liverpool
Manchester United will be eager to avoid a new unwanted club record in the Premier League as they prepare to face Liverpool on Sunday. Head coach Erik ten Hag is aware that a poor end to the season could jeopardize his position in the Old Trafford hotseat.
On Thursday night, it seemed that the Dutchman had taken a significant step to solidifying his position when United rallied from a 2-0 deficit after 19 minutes to lead Chelsea 3-2 at Stamford Bridge deep into added time.
However, in one of the most chaotic finishes witnessed in the Premier League, and one that saw several records broken, Chelsea scored twice past the 99th minute to secure a remarkable 4-3 victory in West London.
The collapse could have implications for Ten Hag in the long run, particularly as United now find themselves nine points adrift of fifth place in the standings with eight matches remaining.
Man United seeks to evade an undesirable record following their loss to Chelsea, marking 29 defeats in just 104 matches for Ten Hag at Old Trafford. Consequently, his win ratio has dipped below 60% (59.62%).
In the realm of the Premier League, the outlook remains grim for the former Ajax manager, as United has now endured 12 defeats in a single Premier League campaign for only the third time.
This occurrence initially transpired under the leadership of David Moyes and Ryan Giggs during the 2013-14 season, the first campaign following the departure of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
History repeated itself in 2021-22 when United registered 12 losses across their 38-game campaign, once again under different managerial tenures, including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, and Ralf Rangnick.
However, the aforementioned defeats occurred under Solskjaer and Rangnick, with Carrick not experiencing a loss during his three games in temporary charge across all competitions.
Consequently, Ten Hag faces the looming possibility, with eight matches remaining on the schedule, of becoming the first United manager to endure 13 Premier League defeats in a single season.
Ten Hag is also edging closer to United’s worst streak of losses since the 1977-78 campaign when they suffered 19 defeats across all competitions. Currently, United has endured 17 defeats out of 42 games.
Moreover, United has reached a juncture in their season where they have faced more shots against them in 2024 than any other team in the top five European leagues.
However, on the positive side, Ten Hag boasts an impressive win ratio at Old Trafford, with a percentage of 71.7%, even surpassing Ferguson’s record (71.2%).
Liverpool will visit the Theatre of Dreams having experienced defeat at the venue just three weeks prior, succumbing to a 4-3 loss after extra time in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
