The Statistics Which Show How Badly Manchester United Struggled under Erik Ten Hag

An aerial photograph taken by drone of Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, Britain, 28 October 2024. (EPA)
An aerial photograph taken by drone of Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, Britain, 28 October 2024. (EPA)
TT

The Statistics Which Show How Badly Manchester United Struggled under Erik Ten Hag

An aerial photograph taken by drone of Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, Britain, 28 October 2024. (EPA)
An aerial photograph taken by drone of Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, Britain, 28 October 2024. (EPA)

Manchester United, the record 20-time English champion, is searching for a sixth permanent manger since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013 following the firing of Erik ten Hag.

Here are the statistics that show how low things got at United under Ten Hag — and what his successor will need to improve on:

Worst start

The break for international matches this month offered a chance to assess each Premier League team’s start to the season, and it didn’t make good reading for United. After seven games, United had collected eight points — its fewest in the Premier League era (since 1992) by that stage of a season and its lowest tally since the team had seven points from seven games in the 1989-90 season. Ten Hag’s team was in 14th place in the 20-team top division at that point. With a win and a loss since then, United remains in 14th — already 12 points off first-place Manchester City.

Worst finish

Last season, Ten Hag led United to its worst finish — eighth place — in the Premier League era. United had to go back to that 1989-90 season for a lower finish, and that was 13th place under Alex Ferguson in the year he reportedly came close to losing his job.

European failure

It didn’t get any better in Europe for Ten Hag. United finished in last place in its Champions League group last season even though it contained outsiders like FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray. United conceded 15 goals in that group, the most goals it has ever conceded in a single Champions League group stage. It was also a record for an English club. This season, United has drawn each of its three games in the revamped Europa League, against FC Twente, Porto and Fenerbahce — leaving the team in 21st place in the 36-team league, sandwiched between Viktoria Plzen and Elfsborg.

WHERE ARE THE GOALS?

“Attack, attack, attack” is the chant that has often been heard swirling around Old Trafford down the years, but goals were hard to come by under Ten Hag. With eight goals from its opening nine games, United is currently the third-lowest scorer in the Premier League, with only Crystal Palace and Southampton having fewer.

Last season, United was tied in ninth place in the list of top scorers in the Premier League with 57 goals. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, United has a goal difference of minus 4, having scored 65 goals and conceded 69.

Porous defense

United conceded 58 goals in the league last season — its most in the Premier League era — and there are more stats to highlight Ten Hag’s inability to bring defensive shape to his team. Since Ten Hag’s arrival midway through 2022, United conceded three goals in a game on 24 occasions — more than any manager since Ferguson’s retirement. According to Opta, the Premier League’s stats supplier, United has faced 1,739 shots in their 128 games under Erik ten Hag. Man City has faced 717 fewer shots despite playing six more games in that time.

Late goals

According to Opta, seven of Ten Hag’s 27 losses came via a winner in the 90th minute or later. The last of those came in what proved to be Ten Hag’s final game in charge, when Jarrod Bowen converted a penalty in second minute of stoppage time to earn West Ham a 2-1 victory.

Embarrassing loss

Ten Hag’s tenure got off to a dreadful start with back-to-back losses to Brighton and Brentford in the Premier League in the 2022-23 season. The 4-0 loss at Brentford was arguably the worst under Ten Hag until United arrived at Anfield for a match against its fiercest rival, Liverpool, last season. United lost 7-0 for its heaviest defeat to Liverpool and its worst competitive defeat in more than 90 years.



Bundesliga Club Heidenheim Accuses Berlin Police of 'Extreme Violence' Against its Fans

10 May 2025, Berlin: Heidenheim's Jan Schoeppner (L) celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and 1. FC Heidenheim at An der Alten Foersterei. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa
10 May 2025, Berlin: Heidenheim's Jan Schoeppner (L) celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and 1. FC Heidenheim at An der Alten Foersterei. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa
TT

Bundesliga Club Heidenheim Accuses Berlin Police of 'Extreme Violence' Against its Fans

10 May 2025, Berlin: Heidenheim's Jan Schoeppner (L) celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and 1. FC Heidenheim at An der Alten Foersterei. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa
10 May 2025, Berlin: Heidenheim's Jan Schoeppner (L) celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Union Berlin and 1. FC Heidenheim at An der Alten Foersterei. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa

Bundesliga club Heidenheim has accused Berlin police of extreme violence leaving some of its fans needing medical treatment following Saturday’s game at Union Berlin.
Five Heidenheim supporters were arrested and three of them charged, two for alleged vandalism and another for alleged insulting behavior, the police told news agency dpa on Sunday.
The club said the police detained several of its supporters before the match for the “unauthorized posting of stickers during the fan march, which had previously passed without incident.”
“The police also acted with extreme violence without any apparent reason or clear communication after the game, directly before we left the guests’ parking lot,” Heidenheim board member Petra Saretz said in a club statement, according to The Associated Press.
The incidents before the match led Heidenheim’s supporters to refrain from active support during the match, which the team won 3-0 to be sure of at least a relegation playoff.
“We feel obligated to call out the disproportionate violence used by Berlin police against Heidenheim fans yesterday and hope therefore that the authorities will provide clarification for this incomprehensible action,” said Heidenheim chairman Holger Sanwald, who thanked Union staff and others for their support during the incidents.