Erik Ten Hag cites injuries as excuse for Manchester United's turbulent season

Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has attributed his team's dismal season to injuries and a lack of continuity. In Ten Hag's first season with the Red Devils, 2022–2023 saw them lift the Carabao Cup, finish in an unexpected third place in the Premier League, and make it to the FA Cup final despite falling to neighbours Manchester City 2-1.

Having signed Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, and Andre Onana in the transfer window during the summer, United was anticipated to perform well this season. Though they are currently sixth in the Premier League standings going into the final few weeks, they were ousted in the UEFA Champions League group stage. With a difficult stretch of games ahead of them, they might still fall into the mid-table pack.

United has developed an image as a defensively-poor squad that struggles to score enough goals, despite Ten Hag's preseason declaration that he aimed to make United the best team in the world in transition. An injury problem that has afflicted numerous important players this season hasn't helped with this.

What did Erik Ten Hag say about the injuries in the Manchester United squad?

During an in-depth interview with Sky Sports, Ten Hag was questioned whether he was "frustrated" that his style of play wasn't working with United icon Gary Neville.

The Manchester United manager said "'Frustration' is not the right word because I'm a realistic man. Last year when I came in, you make your adjustments but at the end of the day, it's about winning games. From last year, we found a way to make a very successful team.

The former Ajax manager added, "This year, we wanted to make the next step. We bought in a goalkeeper who can play out from the back, a dynamic midfielder in Mason Mount - who has been injured all season - and a goalscorer in Hojlund who is young and needed the time.