Man Utd entered December with a 0-1 defeat to Newcastle. That could be just the beginning of the "Red Devils" nightmare with a series of 7 matches in the remaining 25 days of 2023.
The tight schedule is a big challenge for Man Utd's squad, which has suffered heavy losses due to injuries. Not only that, the Old Trafford team has 4 difficult matches in the next 3 weeks. They have to face Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Aston Villa - the team currently ranked 4th in the Premier League.
Meeting Liverpool in December is a not-so-happy signal from the past sent to coach Erik ten Hag. Five years ago, Man Utd fired coach Jose Mourinho after a 1-3 loss at Anfield. With the current situation of the "Red Devils", coach Erik ten Hag could completely fall into the same situation as his predecessor.
Man Utd are not in good form.
Man Utd's next challenge comes in the midweek round when they face Chelsea. The "Red Devils" have not lost to this opponent at home for the past 10 years. Chelsea are also in a period of instability, ranking only 10th in the rankings.
However, unlike Man Utd, Chelsea are gradually stabilizing after a difficult first period under coach Mauricio Pochettino. In addition, "The Blues" this season always play very well when facing opponents in the "Big Six" group, even when they have to face Arsenal or Man City.
After Chelsea, Bournemouth is a slightly easier challenge, but next is a match where "Red Devils" fans must prepare themselves mentally for a bad scenario. Man Utd will face Bayern Munich at home in a situation where the risk of being eliminated early from the C1 Cup - Champions League is clearly present.
Even if they get three points against a strong opponent in excellent form, Man Utd are not sure to go through. They will only get through the group stage if Galatasaray draws with Copenhagen.
Coach Erik ten Hag faces the risk of being fired.
Man Utd's biggest challenge is the match against rivals Liverpool. The current situation does not bring much hope for the "Red Devils" in this match. Man Utd lost to Liverpool in all 4 recent confrontations, conceding 17 goals and scoring only 2 goals. Last season, coach Erik ten Hag and his team were "exposed" 0-7 at Anfield.
Including the loss to Newcastle in round 14 of the Premier League, Manchester United have gone 11 consecutive away matches without a win against opponents in the top 9 teams. During this streak, the "Red Devils" lost 10 matches and only earned 1 point in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham in April 2023.
This poor away record clearly does not create any hope for Man Utd fans, especially when they have to face Liverpool and no other opponent.
The trip to Anfield was the milestone that cost Jose Mourinho his job five years ago. Now, Erik ten Hag faces a similar threat.
Phuong Mai
Source
Comment (0)