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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall

Man United icon criticises Erik ten Hag as he pinpoints what the team 'don't know how to do'

Dwight Yorke believes Manchester United losing nine Premier League games raises "some issues" at Old Trafford and feels the team is incapable of winning games ugly.

United are in their first campaign under Erik ten Hag following his appointment at the club last summer. He came to a side that finished sixth last season in a disappointing campaign.

This season has seen an improvement, with United well in contention for a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League. However, that position is under threat following a string of poor recent results.

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag has seven Manchester United players he can completely count on

United have lost their last two games in the top flight against Brighton and West Ham United. United are fourth in the table, but Liverpool are now only a point behind the Old Trafford side, though Ten Hag's team do have a game in hand over the Anfield outfit.

United have lost nine games so far under Ten Hag in the top flight, which is more games than previous boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons respectivley. United legend Yorke, who was part of the 1999 Treble-winning side, believes that record must be highlighted and admits it raises some issues.

Speaking to King Casino Bonus, Yorke said: “Erik ten Hag losing nine games in the Premier League does raise some issues. If you are a Manchester United manager, you will always be scrutinised for little details or mistakes. There’s nowhere to hide. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a better record than Ten Hag in his full two seasons managing the club, people talk about the progress we’ve made and the better style of football being played.

"Manchester United have reached the FA Cup final, won the Carabao Cup and made it far in the Europa League so that is progress, but Ten Hag losing more Premier League games than Solskjaer in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons has to be called out. The results have not been good enough this season, Manchester United are looking over their shoulder and are desperately trying to hold on to fourth place, I’m not sure that’s where the club wants to be.

"You can’t hide in these circumstances, the players and the manager alike need to be called out. Ten Hag gets the praise when the team is playing well, he has to take the criticism when it goes wrong too.

"The disappointing thing in my observation of these games is that Manchester United don’t know how to win ugly, it always has to be a pretty game of football. We rarely win games 1-0, football is not about scoring loads of goals, it’s about getting the results and rolling your sleeves up in certain games, like the West Ham game.”

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