David de Gea faced criticism at the beginning of the season, but Erik ten Hag is now more worried about Manchester United’s attackers.
Erik ten Hag is not worried about Manchester United’s defense but is more focused on improving their attack as his team prepares to play against Sevilla on Thursday.
Although United has faced some injury issues at the back, including the absence of Lisandro Martinez for the rest of the season, Ten Hag is not concerned about their defensive performance.
Martinez suffered a broken metatarsal in the 2-2 draw against Sevilla last week.
Despite United squandering a two-goal lead, with own goals from Malacia and Maguire, Ten Hag is not concerned about a recurrence of such a performance.
United have been struggling to convert their chances in recent games. Falling short of their expected goals (xG) in seven consecutive Premier League matches. In their last two games, they missed their xG by 1.5, which is a cause for concern.
“Our organization all over the pitch is quite good. We need to do better attacking,” Ten Hag explained, adding: “I am confident that we can score goals tomorrow.”
Ten Hag backs De Gea
Despite a challenging start under Ten Hag, David de Gea has been impressive in goal for Manchester United.
At the beginning of the season, his struggles with playing out from the back with his feet led to difficulties and raised doubts about his suitability for the manager’s tactics.
However, David de Gea has continued to be Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper. He currently leads the race for the Golden Glove award with 14 clean sheets in the Premier League.
“Stopping goals, that is the main job for a goalkeeper,” Ten Hag said.
“Everyone has their own particular style. Nowadays, in possession, it has become more and more important at top levels.
“But at the end of the day it is about stopping goals, shots, crosses, one-on-ones. I think David is a complete goalkeeper.”
