Erik Ten Hag Frustrated At Manchester United’s Lack Of Goals

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed his frustration at Manchester United’s lack of goals this season.

United have scored only three goals in this campaign: one in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City in the Community Shield before losing on penalties, one in the 1-0 win over Fulham last week and one again in their 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

“We needed to be more clinical in both boxes and how we concede the goals is very soft,” the Dutchman said the after the defeat to Brighton at the Amex stadium.

“It shouldn’t have happened, we should be better organised in such moments. Also on the other hand, when you create the chances we did, we should score more goals, especially the one with the overload, where everyone thought it was a goal.”

“Also, before half-time, we created chances. The best chance was from Amad after the cross of Diogo Dalot and, after that, Mason Mount had a very good chance.”

“I think we had, before half-time, three or four good opportunities and, from there, two very good chances where we should be winning at half-time.”

But United went into the interval 1-0 down after a goal from former United striker Danny Welbeck. In the second half they equalised through Amad Diallo, and then thought they had gone ahead with a goal from Alejandro Garnacho after 72 minutes, but it was ruled out for offside as Joshua Zirkzee had touched the ball on the line.

“I’m disappointed because we should have taken at least a draw. We could have won as well but, in the end, you have no points and that is disappointing because it could have been very different.”

“We have to learn, you can’t drop points so unnecessarily. If you protect the goal like we do, then you drop points. Football is about details. We have to do better in such occasions.”

“We need to be consistent so that is a step backwards. If you can’t win, then take the draw. We have to keep improving, work hard and that’s our job to do. Also, we have to work on both sides of our box game to be more effective because football, at the end of the day, is about scoring goals.”

Aligned with Ten Hag’s frustration at scoring so few goals, he also despaired at the two goals United conceded against Brighton. For Welbeck’s goal, United failed to clear a cross into the penalty area, and then in the fifth minute of added time Joao Pedro was left unmarked at the back post with two other Brighton players to score the winner.

“It is disappointing, especially when over long parts in the game, you have control and we are controlling the game in possession and we are doing so well. We conceded two unnecessary goals, very avoidable. That is our feeling, we concede two soft goals where we should act better as a team. We have to talk, we have to be aligned in such moments what to do and everybody knows their job and, as a team, we protect our goal.”

“I think there were some very good parts in the game. We had a lot of control in possession, we created good chances, we showed resilience, we came back and then we scored what we thought was a winning goal, so it was bad luck that the ball was on the line. It’s touched by Zirkzee so that’s a pity, you have to take this, it’s a disappointment but I can take a lot of positives from the performance.”