Shapeless, demotivated, and petulant—Erik ten Hag's Manchester United appears to be adrift once again. A recent heavy home defeat has underscored the club's ongoing struggles, revealing a lack of direction and clarity in their summer strategy. It seems they either didn't know what they wanted or lacked the expertise to secure their targets. At the conclusion of the last season, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford, and the Ineos leadership team at Manchester United explored various managerial options after the club finished eighth in the Premier League, sporting a negative goal difference. Ultimately, they opted to retain Ten Hag as manager. Given this decision, it was almost predictable that the team would find itself in a similar predicament soon after, having spent millions on a new wave of Dutch and Dutch-adjacent players without seeing the desired results. The legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson complicates matters further. Ferguson faced his own challenges during his early years at the club, ultimately achieving success in his seventh season. Fans often feel inclined to exercise patience, recalling the tumultuous times before Ferguson's breakthrough. No one wants to be the fan who publicly criticizes a manager just before a turnaround, as was the case with the infamous banner that read, “Three years of excuses and it’s still crap … ta-ra Fergie,” just months before Ferguson's pivotal FA Cup victory in 1990, which set the stage for his future triumphs. As the current season unfolds, the question remains: how long can the club continue to drift without a clear sense of purpose or improvement?

In the aftermath of Manchester United's 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, pundit Danny Murphy highlighted key areas of concern for manager Erik Ten Hag. Murphy emphasized that the team's performance was lacking both in possession and defensively, raising alarms about their overall strategy and execution. Murphy pointed out that United struggled to maintain control of the ball, often losing possession in critical areas, which allowed Spurs to capitalize on their mistakes. This inability to effectively manage the game with the ball at their feet was compounded by a disorganized defense that failed to track opponents and maintain shape when out of possession. The former player noted that these issues not only hindered United's attacking potential but also exposed them to counterattacks, leading to a comprehensive defeat. Murphy suggested that Ten Hag must address these fundamental problems quickly to avoid further setbacks in the season. Overall, the performance against Tottenham served as a wake-up call for Manchester United, with Murphy urging the coaching staff to reassess their tactics and instill a stronger sense of discipline and cohesion within the squad.