Man United manager Erik ten Hag let down by four players in a disastrous loss against Aston Villa
Aston Villa ruined Manchester United’s recent revival on Sunday afternoon.
Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne, and Jacob Ramsey scored for the home team, while Luke Shaw scored a consolation goal.
Now, SportsDias will examine the lessons and talking points from the Villa Park match.
Red Devils let down by four players
Manchester United were not at their best throughout the entire match, and four players in particular had poor days.
Victor Lindelof was subpar in the first half and should have performed better when Ollie Watkins scored Villa’s first goal.
Donny van de Beek’s ineffective performance was to be expected given that it was his first Premier League start since May 2021.
Even if Marcus Rashford has been emancipated this season, he cannot perform as well on the right as he does on the left.
And Christian Eriksen had a forgettable day, as the Danish international lost all of his midfield duels as Villa took all three points.
Antony missed by United
Rashford was deployed on the right for the encounter against Villa, with Alejandro Garnacho on the left and Cristiano Ronaldo in the middle.
And it was evident that the Red Devils missed Antony, who was absent due to injury.
As a right winger with a good left foot, he is crucial to Ten Hag’s system, which is why £86 million was spent on him.
Rashford appears to struggle on the opposite wing, as the England international is clearly more suited to playing on the left.
And it is evident that United require another specialist in that position if they are to progress and compete for the most prestigious titles.
Unai Emery can work wonders at Villa Park
This was Unai Emery’s debut as Aston Villa’s manager.
And the manner in which his players reacted to his appointment shows that he will be a significant figure at the club, as the home team is superior in every category.
Certainly, Villa appears better than at any time during Steven Gerrard’s tenure. Possibly the greatest compliment you can pay Emery at this time.
The fallen Premier League heavyweights have committed to provide Emery with the support he needs to thrive in his new position.
And without a doubt, this was the ideal beginning.
Ronaldo is only a shadow of his former self
United has been successful over the past few weeks despite Ronaldo’s struggles in front of goal.
The team, however, was unable to spare his blushes on this occasion, as the 37-year-old struck a disgruntled figure as his team lost.
Ronaldo appears toothless up top these days, and it appears that his summer absence from preseason has set him back.
Despite being named captain, the United star played poorly against Villa and let his head to drop rather than rallying the team.
Ronaldo was once considered one of the best players in the world, but those days are long gone.
Casemiro is a brilliant star
Even though United were not at their best against Villa, Casemiro was a bright spot on an otherwise difficult day for Erik ten Hag.
The Brazil international oozes brilliance in midfield, and Manchester United will be kicking themselves for not signing him years ago.
Casemiro stopped the score from being even worse for United by making heroic efforts in the middle of the field to emerge with credit.
Instead of allowing his own head to drop, he worked exceedingly hard to bring his team back into contention.
He is absolutely irreplaceable in midfield and £70 million appears to be money well spent.
Man United manager Erik ten Hag let down by four players in a disastrous loss against Aston Villa
