Erik ten Hag is the reason why Manchester United is in a battle to finish in the top four.
While he is the one who has boosted United's chances of winning a trophy, some of his poor choices have hurt his team recently. With 11 Premier League games remaining, they still have a chance to qualify for the Champions League.
Unfortunately, compared to their rivals Newcastle, Tottenham, and Brighton, the fixtures are arriving thick and fast with no respite. Therefore, Ten Hag must take immediate action.
The five actions he must take which could mean the difference between United's top summer transfer targets becoming a reality and also a failure.
Utilizing Bruno Fernandes as a No. 10
Bruno Fernandes is the only source of creativity for Ten Hag in Christian Eriksen's absence due to injury, so he cannot be moved back to the middle of the field.
The Dutchman played Scott McTominay further forward at St. James' Park after scoring twice while on international service with Scotland. It's safe to say that was a total failure.
Fernandes lacks Eriksen's ability to make a deep effect on a game. He interacts with the wingers on either side of him and is much more effective when he is closest to the goal.
The key to ending United's dire stretch of three straight league losses without a goal is to use Fernandes where he belongs on the field.
Drop Wout Weghorst from the starting eleven
The fact that Wout Weghorst was able to make as many as 19 starts for the Red Devils should be viewed as an exceptional sign of good fortune.
Ten Hag said last week, when asked if he might remain permanently after his loan period was over: "Of course. He is doing a number of football-related things, in my opinion, really well.
But the 6'6" striker needs to hold up his hands and confess he was wrong about his fellow countryman after yet another lackluster performance against Newcastle.
There is no getting around the fact that he is insufficient. Although Weghorst was necessary while Anthony Martial was out with an injury, Weghorst shouldn't be in the starting lineup if he can remain healthy.
Create a contingency plan
With the weekend's 2-0 loss, United now has a dismal road record against their main opponents this year.
They have already lost all nine of their away games against the best teams, with an astonishing aggregate score of 25-6.
Ten Hag's lack of a backup plan is primarily to blame for this. Regardless of the circumstances of the game, he has steadfastly maintained his 4-2-3-1 configuration.
Every game cannot be approached as though it is at Old Trafford in order to be competitive, particularly when Casemiro is out due to suspension.
Ten Hag needs to be able to adapt against a midfield three, like the one Newcastle overran them with. He should have handled this after the humiliating 7-0 loss at Anfield.
Should quit forcing David De Gea to be a mordern day keeper
Ten Hag is having a difficult time because he is attempting to implement a style without having a squad that fits it, starting with David de Gea.
The Spaniard has been a devoted employee of the team, but his inadequacies with the ball in his hands prevent him from being the No. 1 next season.
When Jacob Murphy hesitated with his first goal shot of the game on Sunday, it didn't take him long to point out the flaw.
In an interview with Rio Ferdinand for the Vibe with Five YouTube channel, the winger said, "I could sense from that, we were going to have a good game from there."
Ten Hag will tell his team to stop playing from the back for the time being, or they will continue to suffer the consequences.
Manager Marcus Rashford minutes better
The schedule for United is rigorous. They will play 17 games between now and the season's conclusion, which is less than two months away, should they advance all the way in the FA Cup and Europa League.
Therefore, it's critical that Marcus Rashford's playing time is controlled in the coming weeks. He appeared exhausted after recovering from the injury that prevented him from serving abroad.
Given that United has played twice a week for the majority of 2023, it makes sense. Ten Hag cannot afford to start any contest without his best player.
To give Rashford as much of a break as possible, he must use his depth of attacking options once a strong advantage has been established.
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