Erik ten Hag has dealt with a mentality problem among his squad since he walked through the doors at Old Trafford. Perhaps it’s understandable, given Manchester United endured the worst Premier League season in the club’s history before his arrival. But the same issue remains, and that is a major concern.
Ten Hag’s maiden campaign in England was a roaring success. The Dutchman guided United to a third-place finish in the Premier League, securing a return to Champions League football.
He also ended the club’s six-year trophy drought at the first time of asking by lifting the Carabao Cup in February.
But United were at the start of a long journey toward their primary objective, returning to the summit of English and European football.
Haunting collapses against Manchester City, Liverpool and Sevilla were among the results that made much clear.
After losing 3-0 to the latter in April, United exited the Europa League quarter-finals 5-2 on aggregate, despite leading the first leg 2-0 at Old Trafford before injuries to both Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
And Ten Hag admitted he had inherited a squad stricken by mental scars after the toxic climax of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure and nightmare spell under Ralf Rangnick.
He said: “We can’t deny it, it’s mental, definitely. We have to learn that you keep going. You carry on.
“This team, what they can do very well is bounce back in between games. What they can do less is bounce back during a game to a setback. That is what we have to improve.”
But six months later, fighting back after conceding first or going behind is a prominent issue under Ten Hag.
United have unearthed a dismal habit of starting games the better team, creating chances in the first 20 minutes and not taking them.
What happens next? You guessed it. The Red Devils concede a preventable goal and either struggle to find a response or collapse entirely.
According to the Mirror, Ten Hag is concerned about the mental fragility of some of his players despite his efforts to reverse the ‘no good culture’ he inherited in M16.
He also worries about his squad’s inability to handle adversity during matches, which has undoubtedly contributed to United’s torrid away record under his watch.
Improvement in the mental department can only come from taking action on the pitch and harvesting better results. But progress seems to have already stalled altogether, and Ten Hag must find the resume button.
