Man United must step up to score more goals – Erik Ten Hag

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag believes the team’s players must step up to score more goals in the ongoing Premier League season. The Red Devils played a goalless draw against Aston Villa at the Villa Park on Sunday.

The visitors took 10 shots, including four shots on target but failed to find the back of the net. Meanwhile, Manchester United have scored only five goals in the seven matches in the ongoing season whereas they have conceded eight goals. This is their worst start to a campaign since 1989-90.

“We know in this moment we have a lack of goals, in that perspective it’s not a good start, we have to step up,” Ten Hag said. “That’s an area we have to improve. But we have four clean sheets. That’s good because we have to defend proper.

“We create loads of chances in our seven games but we have to step up. We have to take into consideration [Rasmus] Højlund is returning, he’s still coming up to full fitness, but others are stepping up. I was impressed with [Marcus] Rashford, also [Alejandro] Garnacho is so good, and Antony at the end.

“It will come. There are more reasons, sometimes it’s the form. We will get there. We trust the players and one day it will click.”

Despite the lack of goals from United, this was Red Devils’ fourth clean sheet of the season.

“I think it’s the fourth clean sheet this season,” Ten Hag said. “You see we had a very good organisation and togetherness. There was good character and good spirit as a team. We were determined, resilient.

“Four clean sheets, that tells something about the defending and about the organisation, the defending of defensive transitions. We are doing really well, we are really improving on that point, our build up play is good, we are calm and composed.

“We are creating chances and we should have created more. But that area in the box of the opponent, we have to be more ruthless, more clinical, more killing and we have to work on this.”

United will take on Brentford at Old Trafford on 19th October after the International break.