Manchester United had just started to show some improvement, but they suffered another defeat in the 22nd round of the Premier League. In their home match against Brighton, Manchester United conceded a goal within the first five minutes and ultimately lost the game. Brighton players Kaoru Mitoma and Mac Allister scored and assisted each other, while Luton scored, leaving Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes unable to save the team with his penalty kick. The final score was 1-3, exposing Ten Hag's favored player: passive defense and an own assist, earning him the lowest rating of 5.5 points on the field.
Currently, in the Premier League standings, Manchester United has accumulated 26 points after 22 rounds, placing them at 13th position. Liverpool, at the top of the table, has 50 points after 21 rounds, far ahead of Manchester United. Manchester City, ranked 4th, has 38 points after 22 rounds, and Aston Villa, ranked 8th, leads Manchester United by 10 points. Given Manchester United's current form, their chances of securing a spot in European competition are slim. Fortunately, they maintain a comfortable 10-point lead over the relegation zone, ensuring a relatively smooth path to avoid relegation.
Based on Manchester United's performance, it is clear that they are currently a mid-to-lower-tier team in the Premier League. Even the club's manager, Amorim, openly stated, "We may be the worst-performing Manchester United in history." This version of Manchester United has limited fighting power, which disappoints Amorim. The team's poor state is closely related to Ten Hag's questionable recruitment and team-building strategies. Ten Hag consistently brings in high-priced but low-level players, significantly undermining the team's strength.
In the match between Manchester United and Brighton, the worst performer was Onana. Brighton had six shots with three on target, yet Onana made no saves. He bears undeniable responsibility for the last two goals conceded by Manchester United. In the 60th minute, facing Mac Allister's cross, Onana had the opportunity to come out and punch the ball away, but he chose to watch as the cross reached the back post without making any attempt to save it. Under Onana's passive gaze, Mac Allister assisted Kaoru Mitoma to score, and when Mitoma shot, Onana remained unresponsive, watching the opponent score. In the 76th minute, Onana failed to handle a harmless cross, spilling the ball and inadvertently assisting Luton, who gratefully accepted the gift.
Onana's goal-line technique and saving ability have been questioned by fans, and his passing accuracy in this match was only 54%, compared to Brighton's goalkeeper's 61%. Is he really adept at playing the ball out from the back? During Ten Hag's tenure, he signed his former player Onana for a transfer fee of 50.2 million euros, but Onana's actual performance at Manchester United is worth no more than 30 million, possibly even less. Other "transfer masterpieces" under Ten Hag's leadership include Antony for 95 million euros, Hojlund for 73.9 million, Mount for 64.2 million, and Joor for 62 million. Manchester United, despite their wealth, cannot afford such mismanagement.