Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United tenure was cut ultimately short due to his team’s inability to find the back of the net, Lee Sharpe feels. Following sub-par results in the early stages of the new Premier League season, coupled with the club’s dismal finish last term and £200m summer spree, Ten Hag’s reign came to an end on Monday, with Ruben Amorim the No.1 target to replace him.
A significant portion of said massive expenditure was spent on £36.5million-rated striker Joshua Zirkzee, who has struggled to make an impact having netted just once back in August, while other big-money signings like Antony and Mason Mount also failed to deliver going forward under Ten Hag.
Sharpe, a three-time league champion with United, attributes the manager’s departure to this lack of firepower from his team’s attacking players, citing their inability to convert chances into goals.
“I definitely think that Manchester United‘s profligacy has cost them too many games this season, and, ultimately, it’s cost Erik Ten Hag his job,” Sharpe told BestBettingSites.com.
“We’ve seen United dominate teams for 20-25 minutes a lot this season and, in those periods, they look like they’re capable of giving anybody a game.”
While the majority of Manchester United‘s forward line has been underperforming, superstar Marcus Rashford has been notably below par. Having scored 30 goals across all competitions during Ten Hag’s inaugural season, he has only managed a single league goal this term and failed to register a shot in his first three starts, reports the Mirror.
“When they repeatedly miss big opportunities, the confidence starts to go and that also gives encouragement to the opponent,” Sharpe added. “They just looked a bit bereft of confidence at times [under Ten Hag].”
Sharpe, though, believes there is hope for Danish star Rasmus Hojlund. Despite a shaky start at Manchester, the 21-year-old has shown flashes of his £72m-rated talent and could bounce back from an injury that kept him out at the start of the season.
“Rasmus Hojlund will come back into the team and make them better,” Sharpe continued. “He gives them a focal point up front. But, it’s unfair to rely on him to score all the goals that United need to win football games.
“We need to see more players chipping in and the goals being spread around the team. It sounds obvious, but if United had put the ball in the back of the net, then they wouldn’t be where they are in the table this season.”
