Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has had a tough start to the season. AFP Photo

Paul Kennedy

More than 20 years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson famously stated that his greatest challenge as manager of Manchester United was to knock Liverpool off their perch.

His exact words were a little bit more colourful and probably not suitable for the pages of Việt Nam News.

Before Ferguson took over at Old Trafford, Liverpool were the dominant force in English football. Ferguson changed that, and then some.

Although people might argue that Liverpool were a team on the decline when Ferguson took over at United, there’s no doubt in my mind that he did, well and truly, knock Liverpool off their perch.

Fast forward two decades and its Erik ten Hag in charge at United, and it’s fair to say, things aren’t going too well.

When the Dutchman arrived in England, he famously said: “I admire them both. Man City and Liverpool. But eras come to an end.”

Maybe in the future, ten Hag’s words might come true. But as of right now, sorry Erik, but the only records you have broken so far this season are these:

- Manchester United had never lost at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, until Erik Ten Hag.

- Manchester United hadn't lost the opening two away games since 1973-74, until Erik Ten Hag.

- Manchester United hadn't conceded more than one goal in four consecutive league games since 1979, until Erik Ten Hag.

- Manchester United had never conceded two goals in the opening four minutes of a PL game at Old Trafford, until Erik Ten Hag.

 - Manchester United had never conceded 23 shots in one game at Old Trafford in PL history, until Erik Ten Hag.

- Manchester United had never lost to Brighton at Old Trafford, until Erik Ten Hag.

- Brighton had never won twice in a row at Old Trafford, until Erik Ten Hag.

All of this, and we are just five games into the season.

In the early hours of yesterday morning, their Champions League campaign didn’t get off to the best of starts either, losing away at Bayern Munich.

Now I know I might be scrapping the bottom of the barrel with some of the ‘records’ ten Hag has broken this season, but there’s no doubt United are struggling.

I watched their whole game against Brighton last week and, first 20 minutes aside, United were well and truly played off the pitch.

There were even boos from the United faithful when new signing Rasmus Hojlund was substituted midway through the second half.

Erik’s got a tough job on his hands but I do, ever so slightly, feel sorry for him.

Off the pitch, the club is a mess. Up for sale one minute, off the market the next, and until that chaos can be calmed, the problems on the pitch are only going to get a lot, lot worse. VNS