Erik ten Hag is learning something important about his Manchester United players
23.10.2023 - 07:03
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
When it comes to the art of winning ugly, it is a trait that Manchester United seem to have mastered so far this season.
The Reds secured their fifth Premier League win of the campaign on Saturday evening, beating bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United 2-1 at Bramall Lane. Goals either side of half-time from Scott McTominay and Diogo Dalot clinched all three points on an emotion-filled evening in South Yorkshire.
Though United's second-half performance merited all three points, their showing over the course of the full 90 minutes was far from perfect. They were sloppy in possession for long spells and, certainly in the first half, failed to take the game to their opponents in the way manager Erik ten Hag would have wanted.
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They failed to dictate proceedings in the first half against a team that had been walloped 8-0 by Newcastle United in their previous home game. After the interval, however, United were much improved, enjoying more of the ball and putting the Blades under sustained periods of pressure.
However, it took a moment of brilliance from Dalot to unlock a stubborn Blades defence for a second time. His strike maintained United's record of clinching each of their victories in the league this season by a one-goal margin.
They have seen off Wolves (1-0), Nottingham Forest (3-2), Burnley (1-0), Brentford (2-1) and the Blades by the odd goal. With the utmost respect to each of those five clubs, United should not have made such hard work of each of them.
They spent a lavish amount of money in the summer, strengthening several key areas within the squad, but they are still