Manchester United's goal scoring woes continued as they played out a goalless draw against Aston Villa on Sunday. Yet, manager Erik ten somehow Hag remains confident in his team's progress and the backing he receives from the club's hierarchy. The stalemate at Villa Park was United's third consecutive Premier League game without finding the back of the net, extending their challenging run to five matches without a victory.
Despite mounting external pressure ten Hag appeared unfazed after the Manchester United vs. Aston Villa encounter. He, instead, emphasized the open communication he maintains with the club's leadership, showcasing his belief in the long-term process at Old Trafford.
“We always speak, every week we speak.”
“We are all on board together, on one page, we know what we are working through it’s a long-term process,” the Dutch manager said to Sky Sports.
Defensive Resilience, Attacking Struggles
While goals have been hard to come by, United's defensive performance offered, at least, something to go home with. The Red Devils secured their fourth clean sheet of the season, with veteran defender Jonny Evans delivering a standout performance that defied his years. Evans, who stepped up when Harry Maguire was forced off at halftime due to injury, earned the player-of-the-match award for his resilient display.
Ten Hag didn’t pass on the chance to speak on the team's defensive improvements:
“You see we had a very good organization and togetherness. There was good character and good spirit as a team. Determined, resilient.
“We almost didn’t concede a chance, when you defend like this and get some luck, in the end they had a big chance but it was almost the only chance I think.“
Ten Hag’s Faith
While the United manager acknowledges the need for improvement in the final third, he still believes in the squad's ability to overcome their scoring drought. With only five goals in their opening seven league games, their worst run since the 1989-90 season, ten Hag knows the importance of finding their shooting boots soon.
"We trust the players and one day it will click," ten Hag insisted, pointing to various factors affecting their goalscoring form.
"There are reasons. I would say Rasmus Hojlund is our best goalscorer but he is just in the season and is not up to 100% match fitness. [Marcus] Rashford scored in Porto [on Thursday] and had a good assist. Today he created good chances. [Alejandro] Garnacho is a threat all season and Bruno [Fernandes] has the ability to score goals.
"We will get there."
The Manager also pointed out how the team created chances, but perhaps not enough.
“We created some chances, also not so many chances. We hit the crossbar and also Rashford had chances. But the two teams were really balanced.
“In Porto our build-up was brilliant, so good in the first 25 minutes, we out-played Porto. Also Palace, in possession we were so good, we have had games this season where we are good. But today we didn’t create too many chances, but also we played a great team.
“We create loads of chances in our seven games but we have to step up.”
Looking Ahead
The goalless draw was witnessed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United's co-owner, who maintained a stoic expression throughout the match. Despite the result leaving United in a disappointing 14th place in the table, ten Hag remains convinced of the club's united front: "We know what we are working through, it's a long-term process."
With three upcoming home Premier League fixtures before the November international break, ten Hag and his squad will have to prove that their attacking prowess is only waiting to be unleashed.