Was Erik ten Hag the main issue with Manchester United?

The 2-1 stoppage-time defeat at West Ham Sunday was the final nail in the coffin for the Dutchman. With the club sitting 14th in the table after nine games, ownership was finally ready to move on.

However, the nature of United's results this season suggests that its issues run much deeper than management.

Ten Hag was rightfully criticized for a lack of identity on both sides of the ball. The front office allowed him to spend an exorbitant amount of money bringing in players from his previous club, Ajax. 

It’s also true that until the players themselves take accountability for poor production on the field, United will continue to disappoint regardless of the coach.

Responsibility starts with club captain Bruno Fernandez, but his poor form appears contagious. He leads the Premier League in most shots without a goal this season with 28, nearly double that of the next-highest player.

Fernandez symbolizes the Red Devils’ lack of conviction in front of goal. Per data from the Premier League, they have the biggest negative differential between expected goals and goals scored this season at -6.56. Only porous sides Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored fewer goals than United's eight.

Perhaps the most egregious example of player ineptitude was the match at London Stadium on Sunday. United’s expected goals were 2.34 with five big chances created, including one of the clearest chances on goal in the Premier League all season.

To come away with only one goal and leave it up to the referee in the dying minutes is on the players, not the manager. However, someone had to answer for United’s second-lowest points tally ever (11) after nine matches of a Premier League season.

Until ownership addresses the player culture at Manchester United, fan frustration will persist. Ten Hag isn't the first, nor will he likely be the last, manager to struggle following Sir Alex Ferguson, who led the club to its last league title in 2013.

Ten Hag won the club two trophies during his tenure and its first trophy since 2017. However, due to the expectations of an impatient fan base and ownership group, mediocre Premier League campaigns spell trouble for any United head coach, which is why none have lasted three full league seasons since Ferguson’s departure.

United is rumored to bring in Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim, an innovative foreign manager who’s found great success in a top division abroad. His project is expected to be fully embraced by the club. 

Sounds quite familiar.