How bad is this Manchester United defence under Erik ten Hag?

Having led on 90+9', a late Cole Palmer penalty followed by the forward capitalising on a quickly taken short corner routine saw them in a losing position around 90 seconds later.

Five points dropped in the dying moments of games in the space of five days.

Those extra points would have them within four of Tottenham, who are sat fifth in the Premier League table.

But, even if they were within touching distance of what could be a Champions League place next season, the defensive showings from Ten Hag's men highlight that it simply wouldn't be sustainable across the final eight games.

Don't take it on face value

A look at the goals conceded column doesn't cause great concern.

United are level with Tottenham on 44 against and currently boast the fifth-best defensive record. That is remarkable when we consider the performances and what other statistics tell us.

Frankly, luck has more than played its part.

Only relegation-threatened Luton (529) and near relegation certainties Sheffield United (549) have conceded more shots than Manchester United in the Premier League this season (521).

We have to mention here that the Hatters have also played a game more, meaning that United are likely to claim back second spot in this metric following Sunday's visit of Liverpool.

They've been facing some good quality chances too.

A comparison of United's non-penalty expected goals against (np-xGA) to actual goals conceded is a worrying sign. The figure sitting at -11.8 is the highest in England's top-flight by a decent distance.

In the simplest terms, that means they should have conceded around 12 more goals than they actually have. If they had, they would possess the division's fourth-worst defensive record.

From fifth-best to fourth-worst. Only the current bottom three would have shipped more across the course of the campaign.

Things are unlikely to improve

It's already a defensive season to forget for United as they've faced more shots than they have in any of the previous 20 Premier League seasons - there are still eight games to go.

While fixtures are coming against Burnley and Sheffield United - the two sides at the bottom of both the actual standings and the shooting charts - the other contests means we're going to see continued opportunities for the opposition.

Far from ideal for a Manchester United group who have also seen more shots against than any other side in Europe's big-five leagues in 2024.

Liverpool have taken the most shots in England's top division by far, while Arsenal sit third and Brighton are fifth. They all get a pop at Ten Hag's outfit before the season is done.

We have to go back to the 2016/17 Premier League campaign to find a higher figure than United's 17.5 shots conceded per game average - that being Sunderland (17.8) and Burnley (17.7) - and it's only a seriously poor Sheffield United squad preventing them for claiming top spot in 2024.

The best teams are built on solid defensive foundations - each of the last seven Premier League champions sitting third or better for fewest shots conceded highlights this.

It's a far cry from United's current situation and a problem that won't be solved overnight under current management. In a summer of expected change at Old Trafford, this could be a deciding factor in one of those coming in the dugout.

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