As the final whistle blew at the London Stadium, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag stood motionless on the touchline, his face a mixture of disbelief and disgust. His side had just suffered a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United, with the deciding goal coming from a controversial VAR-awarded penalty in stoppage time. For Ten Hag, it was another opportunity to deflect blame away from himself and his underperforming stars.
VAR Takes Center Stage Again
The match turned on its head in the 87th minute when West Ham substitute Danny Ings went down in the box under a challenge from United defender Matthijs de Ligt. Referee David Coote initially waved play on, but VAR official Michael Oliver advised him to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After a lengthy delay, Coote pointed to the spot, much to the dismay of the United players and bench.
Jarrod Bowen stepped up and coolly converted the penalty, sealing a crucial win for the Hammers and leaving Ten Hag fuming. In his post-match interview, the Dutchman once again chose to focus on external factors rather than his team’s shortcomings.
In football it is not always the best team winning, and today there was clear and obvious and clear and obvious wasn’t how the VAR worked.
– Erik ten Hag on the controversial penalty decision
United’s Missed Chances
While Ten Hag had a point about the debatable penalty call, he conveniently glossed over the fact that United had enough chances to put the game to bed long before Oliver’s intervention. The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, and Diogo Dalot all spurned glorious opportunities in a dominant first-half display from the visitors.
According to a source close to the United dressing room, Ten Hag barely mentioned his team’s profligacy in front of goal during his post-match debrief, instead choosing to dwell on the perceived injustice of the penalty decision. It’s a familiar tactic from a manager who seems increasingly unable to inspire a consistent level of performance from his expensively assembled squad.
Pressure Mounting on Ten Hag
As the season enters its final stretch, the pressure is mounting on Ten Hag to turn United’s fortunes around. The Red Devils now sit a lowly seventh in the Premier League table, with only eighth-placed West Ham and struggling Bournemouth keeping them out of the bottom half. A defeat at Old Trafford next weekend at the hands of high-flying Chelsea would only increase the scrutiny on the beleaguered Dutchman.
For United fans, the sense of déjà vu is inescapable. The club has cycled through a succession of managers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, each one promising a return to the glory days but ultimately falling short. Ten Hag’s tendency to blame external factors rather than addressing his team’s glaring deficiencies suggests he may be the latest name on that list.
Time Running Out for United’s Boss
With Champions League qualification looking increasingly unlikely and a trophy-less season a real possibility, time is running out for Ten Hag to prove he is the man to lead United back to the top. While he may continue to point the finger at referees, VAR officials, and anyone else he can think of, the stark reality is that the buck stops with him.
Unless Ten Hag can find a way to get the best out of his misfiring stars and inject some much-needed consistency into United’s performances, his tenure at Old Trafford may go down as just another footnote in the club’s post-Ferguson wilderness years. The VAR controversy at West Ham was a convenient smokescreen for United’s failings, but it won’t shield Ten Hag from the harsh glare of scrutiny for much longer.
