Two changes Manchester United need to make to fix poor away form

Against the current top nine that Manchester United have faced away from home in the Premier League this season, they have suffered seven losses and one draw.

Many speculated that Manchester United may manage to put this disastrous away record to bed when Erik ten Hag’s side travelled to the Amex stadium on Thursday evening, however, a 90+9th minute penalty from Alexis Mac Allister ended this hope.

In those eight fixtures, United have scored just eight times, conceding 28 goals.

So, what has been the issue away from home against top-half opposition?

Lack of technical footballers

Compared to the squad Manchester City boast, United are not filled with technically superior footballers in every position. As cliché as it sounds, games away from home can be considered tougher, and this is when these qualities are needed more than ever.

City have the ability to often coast through games in a 3-2-5 formation, without the need to even find a different shape from attack to defence, thanks to all 11 players being comfortable in possession.

United can’t currently control games for 90 minutes, though they have shown it is possible, but in shorter spells.

Players like David de Gea and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are far from comfortable on the ball at times. Their flaws have been shown a number of times, more so De Gea, whose lack of ball-playing ability from the back has seen United lose all control in games, most notably in last week’s frustrating draw at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, as well as defeat to Newcastle, where United never really gained control throughout.

United’s game plan, which seems to start off with playing from the back, often goes out the window once they concede, or are pressed to such an extent they can’t get out of their own half.

Though this isn’t something that can be addressed in the remaining games of this season. It will need heavy investment in the summer.

It shows why Ten Hag reportedly wanted Ajax centre-back Jurrien Timber last summer, with interest still alledged to be there.

The pursuit of Frenkie de Jong has become more understandable as the weeks go on, with Christian Eriksen unable to act as a ball carrier to the same degree, though he is a very good asset in the side.

A new number one is also desperately needed, with the upcoming transfer window the perfect opportunity to replace De Gea as the Spaniard’s deal is set to run out.

Reverting to a more pragmatic approach would be the easy thing to say, maybe allowing United to grind out results in such a manner, though there’d be no benefit to that long term.

Fans will see the fruits of the current system Ten Hag is instilling a year or two down the line, with investment set to play a part in that.

The need for a number nine

Against Tottenham, United created 11 chances, but their lack of killer instinct in the attacking areas is what essentially saw them fall short.

The same can be said for the horror show at Anfield, in which people forget was a game United could have easily gone into halftime in the lead, should Marcus Rashford have found the net early on.

It was Rashford who started as the leading centre forward against Spurs – a position rather unnatural to the 25-year-old, though he has filled in over there in the past.

On the other hand, Ryan Mason’s side’s fightback last week was led by their talisman, and United’s no. 1 striker target, Harry Kane.

Kane registered five key passes, having also created three big chances, including the assist for Son Heung-Min’s late equaliser.

Should Tottenham and England’s leading goal scorer have been in Red on the night, United may have seen the curtain come down on their uneasy away record.