TA on Man United and Tottenham’s problem: poor finishing

Manchester United will host Tottenham in the 6th round of the Premier League. Ahead of the match, TA reported on the two teams’ current situations and how they could return to the top, stating that if both sides want to escape their current predicament, their top priority is to improve their ability to convert chances.

Reports indicate that Manchester United and Tottenham will face each other this week. For many years, this fixture has been a clash between two of the “Big Six” clubs, whose minimum objective is to secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

However, Tottenham finished 17th in two consecutive seasons and are bottom of the table this season. Manchester United have returned to the Champions League, but just 17 months ago they were in 15th place. They made a poor start to the 2026–27 season, dropping into the bottom half of the table after five rounds.

Both teams changed managers last season, giving fans reason for optimism about Manchester United under Carrick and Tottenham under De Zerbi. 

What are the three biggest challenges facing the two clubs?

Mitten: Let’s set aside the longstanding issue of the Glazer family’s control of the club for now. First, the season has got off to a poor start; second, October’s fixture list is daunting, with a succession of demanding matches packed together; third, it remains unclear when the injured players will be able to return.

Match results determine 75% of the prevailing public narrative, and Manchester United’s recent form has been dismal. The team must improve; otherwise, the pressure on the head coach will spread from a small group of hard-line fans to the mainstream media.

Burke: Tottenham’s most fundamental footballing problem is their lack of a winning culture. In many matches over the past two seasons, the team has collapsed mentally as soon as they fell behind, almost seeming to assume they would draw or lose again. During this period, Tottenham have won just 21 of their 76 league matches, only one more than their total for the entire 2023-24 season. Secondary issues such as their lack of goals and appalling home record all stem from the team’s failure to maintain a belief and expectation that they can win. To reverse their decline, De Zerbi must help the players and supporters believe again that the team can win consistently.

O'Neill: Carrick and De Zerbi have both turned their teams into possession-dominant sides, with both averaging 60% possession per game. However, they are consistently stifled in the final third and lack the solutions to break down deep, compact defences. This issue is even more pronounced for Tottenham. Manchester United, meanwhile, lost 0-2 to Hull City in their opening match of the season and were completely unable to find a way through the deep-defending side. In the derby against a ten-man Manchester City, they likewise failed to break down the defence.

Even when the two teams manage to create chances, poor finishing continues to let them down. The data shows that both teams’ actual goals scored are well below their expected goals (xG), a figure that ranks near the bottom of the Premier League. Last season, set pieces were an important source of goals for both sides, compensating for their lack of threat in open play. Although the season is still in its early stages, their set-piece threat has now declined noticeably. In Tottenham’s 3–2 defeat to Aston Villa, Van Hecke headed home from a free kick to restore some pride, which is also the only set-piece goal scored by either team this season.

Why has the club’s long-standing problem been so difficult to eradicate?

Mitten: The aftereffects of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement lasted for a very long time. The club changed managers frequently, with each coach bringing a completely different style of play; during this period of mixed successes and failures, the recruitment team invested enormous sums in transfer fees and wages. Manchester United’s ownership structure made matters even worse, while the fans’ expectations of the team remained rooted in its glory years. Regardless of how they acquired greater financial resources, the club’s rivals used those funds more wisely.

After Ferguson stepped down in 2013, Manchester United have finished as league runners-up and third, won trophies, and produced some thrilling performances. Big-name stars have come and gone, but over 13 seasons, the team has never mounted a sustained, serious title challenge. That is nowhere near enough.

Burke: Tottenham’s injury crisis is real. Since November 2024, almost every first-team player has endured a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with a large number of key players absent at the same time. Dejan Kulusevski, who was in the form of his career at the start of the 2024–25 season, injured his right kneecap in May 2025 and has only recently returned to full training.

Interestingly, he returned to action even earlier than Maddison. Maddison suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the summer of 2025. Like Solanke and Kudus, who were sidelined for long periods last season, Maddison has returned to training and is getting closer to a full recovery. However, Kulusevski will need more time before making his comeback.

Tottenham’s head coaches—four have been appointed since the start of last season—have all found themselves hamstrung, facing one difficulty after another.

It has been 17 months since the two teams finished 15th and 17th, respectively, in the league. In what areas have they improved? And where have things gotten worse?

Mitten: Manchester United made some progress last season, unexpectedly finishing third and completing league doubles over several top sides. Carrick did an excellent job as manager and deserved to remain in the post. But public opinion can shift extremely quickly. Despite the disastrous 15th-place finish, fans had initially accepted that Ruben Amorim, who took charge in November 2024, would need time to reshape the team’s style of play.

Unfortunately, fans have heard this line far too many times and have also witnessed carefully planned projects ultimately come to nothing, with Amorim’s tenure being a case in point. Although the team’s league record in the 2024-25 season was dismal, the Europa League provided some consolation as they made it all the way to the final in Bilbao, where their opponents were Tottenham.

Burke: Tottenham’s injury situation has improved recently. Despite their poor record at the start of the season, the fans still trust De Zerbi. During Frank’s and Tudor’s tenures, neither manager’s comments nor style of play was able to inspire the supporters; De Zerbi, however, guided the team to seven strong performances at the end of last season, salvaging the campaign and forging a lasting bond with the fans.

Following this summer’s transfer spending, the squad’s depth and overall strength have improved; at the same time, Daniel Levy is no longer serving as executive chairman, and the two developments are clearly closely related.

As for where things have worsened: Tottenham ended a 17-year trophy drought in 2025 and impressed in last season’s Champions League. This season, they lost 3-1 to Liverpool in the League Cup and failed to qualify for European competition, leaving the FA Cup as their only remaining chance to experience the excitement of a cup knockout run.

O'Neill: Towards the end of Postecoglou's tenure, Tottenham's attacking numbers fell off a cliff before largely stagnating. Compared with the low point in the team's attacking creativity during Frank's tenure, there has been some recovery, as reflected in the rolling 10-match expected goals figures. The real improvement has come in the defensive fundamentals, with opponents' expected goals continuing to decline.

For Manchester United, despite a difficult start, Carrick’s side still average more goals per game than under their predecessors Ten Hag and Amorim, while conceding fewer.

Does the head coach know his best starting XI?

Mitten: It is broadly clear, but he must determine how new signing Baleba should fit into the team. Injuries often prevent Carrick from fielding his preferred starting XI, and establishing a settled lineup will be even more difficult this season — Manchester United are expected to play at least 50 matches this season, compared with just 40 last season.

Carrick needs to rotate, but the rotation against Brighton in the League Cup proved nothing short of disastrous.

Matthijs de Ligt has been sidelined with injury since well before Carrick took charge in January this year. However, Carrick himself was a season-ticket holder at Old Trafford before becoming manager, and he rates the Dutch centre-back highly. Like his predecessor, Carrick also holds Mason Mount in high regard, but the midfielder has likewise been plagued by injuries.

Burke: There is no doubt about the goalkeeping position. The only competition in defense is at left-back, where Udogie and Robertson are engaged in healthy competition. De Zerbi has yet to find a midfield setup that maximizes the ability of £85 million new signing Matheus Fernandes.

Once Maddison and Kulusevski return, this dilemma will become even trickier. In attack, Marmoush, Savio, and Solanke have all shown flashes of talent, but none has fully convinced everyone. In short: unclear.

O’Neil: The data shows that De Zerbi is still experimenting. This season, he has made an average of 3.2 changes to his starting XI per match, the highest figure in the league, while Carrick’s line-up has been far more stable, with an average of just 1.5 changes per game.

How secure is the head coach’s position?

Mitten: Five games in, with just five points earned, Carrick must start winning. The club supports him and is willing to remain patient. The senior leadership understands that the team will experience ups and downs, while Manchester United’s media environment is extremely emotional and prone to dramatic shifts. However, Carrick also needs to guide the team to European qualification for next season through their league position.

When Amorim’s results were poor at the start of his tenure, the club continued to back him. In the end, it was the Portuguese manager himself who cost himself the job. Even as Amorim came under intense scrutiny from outside the club, key figures within Manchester United continued to support him. Carrick is respected, liked, and trusted within the club, but he knows full well that results are everything in football.

Burke: De Zerbi said that his working relationship with sporting director John Long and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham is the best of his career. This summer, the three worked closely together to secure the club’s primary transfer targets.

Although the team atmosphere was good and Tottenham initially remained patient with Frank, De Zerbi cannot expect unconditional support.

How important is this match to both teams?

Mitten: This is absolutely crucial. Although every Manchester United match seems to carry that feeling, this one is particularly significant! If they fail to win, the team will have just one victory from their opening six league matches, setting the worst league start in the club’s history. Their opponents are winless away from home this season and have yet to score an away goal, so failing to beat a side like that would make the situation even worse. Yet even Tottenham, who finished 17th in the 2024-25 season and were in poor form, beat Manchester United in all four of their meetings.

Manchester United need to move beyond the mindset that every match is a do-or-die battle and establish a consistent rhythm of play over the course of a successful season.

Burke: Tottenham face greater pressure to take all three points from this match. However, the vast majority of fans and senior figures understand that Roberto De Zerbi’s tenure is only just getting started. Results are a high priority, but at this stage of the season, they are not the be-all and end-all. If Tottenham can battle their way to a 2-2 draw while posing a threat in the attacking third and showing an overall improvement in performance, most fans will not be overly disappointed.

Is there any reason to believe their results will improve?

Mitten: Yes. The squad is far stronger than its current league position suggests, as the team's trajectory from January to May this year proves. This team should not be in the bottom half of the league.

However, October’s schedule is extremely demanding, with two matches a week, including European away fixtures against Atlético Madrid and Como, followed by away games against Leeds United and Chelsea.

Burke: Tottenham have shown a strong desire to win in each of their last two Premier League matches, giving us a glimpse of the immense quality they possess under De Zerbi. Their biggest challenge is to capitalize on these highly threatening attacking spells, score a few goals, and take control of the match.

O'Neill: Yes, their finishing may eventually improve and match the quality of the chances they create. Manchester United and Tottenham both employ possession-based styles, similar to those of successful teams such as Arsenal and Manchester City. Having the majority of possession does not guarantee results, but it should ultimately translate into a higher league position.