It summed the entire reign up didn’t it? Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United travelled to Villa Park prior to the international break and they took to the pitch without a wave of the Dutchman’s signings.
Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt were dropped after the debacle in Porto. Casemiro was on the bench, as too were new signings Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan had started just one Premier League match before being forced to sit among the subs. It’s not ideal, really.
Without that glittering away of talent, United actually did well. A 0-0 draw against an Aston Villa side who had just beaten Bayern Munich on the same ground in the Champions League was impressive to be truthful.
Yet, it can’t really have helped Ten Hag’s cause. The team are underperforming which is down to a host of reasons but the attack are unable to fire and the goals are not flowing.
Man United's attacking numbers in 2024/25
This has been a sorry old campaign to date for the Red Devils. It’s the worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign after seven games with Ten Hag’s side sat in a dismal 14th place. Things will get better, surely? Who knows at this point?
United are performing pretty well in defensive areas, believe it or not, with Andre Onana registering the most clean sheets in the league.
They have shipped eight league goals – as many as Chelsea and Manchester City – but they have scored just five times, the second-lowest number in the entire top flight with Crystal Palace. Only Southampton (4) are worse off.
Zirkzee scored a dramatic late winner on his debut against Fulham but it hasn’t been plain sailing for the Dutch signing. The striker has failed to score since.
It’s not been much better for Rasmus Hojlund either. The Dane did start 2024/25 injured but he has not set the world alight after returning. The young centre forward was way off the pace against Villa a week ago, completing just five passes and amassing fewer touches than goalkeeper Onana.
Minutes played
64
Touches
15
Accurate passes
5/6 (83%)
Key passes
0
Dribbles
0/2
Crosses
0
Duels won
1/5
Fouls
1
Shots
0
It says it all that a player they let go many moons ago is now outscoring the two of them. In fact, he’s outscoring the entire club this season. Enter cult hero Danny Welbeck.
Danny Welbeck's form in 2024/25
Once of the famous Manchester United academy. Welbeck made the grade, rather impressively we must say, under the great Sir Alex Ferguson.
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The striker played 103 times under Fergie’s tutelage, playing alongside some Old Trafford greats in the process.
The list of players Welbeck has played alongside is quite incredible really. From Wayne Rooney to Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, it’s safe to say he was part of the side when they were a significantly better football team.
Ultimately, though, the England international found it difficult to earn regular starts and eventually signed for Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal for £16m in 2014. Ten years later, he’s no longer a Gunner but he is in mighty fine form.
Man Utd
142
29
17
Brighton
133
30
9
Arsenal
126
32
13
Sunderland
28
6
1
Watford
20
3
0
Preston
8
2
2
The 33-year-old didn’t have a bad record with the north Londoners, scoring 32 times in 126 games but a horrific broken leg injury all but ended his time in the capital.
Welbeck eventually moved to Watford and now he’s at Brighton where he’s enjoying an Indian summer.
In the twilight of his career, the veteran is on fire having found the net four times in seven Premier League outings. Typically, one of those goals came on the second weekend of the new term against United.
“He’s in better form than any of the United front players, by far. Danny Welbeck, to be fair, should never have been let go at United.” – Gary Neville on Stick to Football.
It would be silly to suggest that they will regret letting him leave a decade ago but it does just about sum up the state of affairs at Old Trafford that a 33-year-old former Red Devil is now outclassing those in United colours. He is streets ahead of both Hojlund and Zirkzee at the moment.
The Seagulls may have had Joao Pedro out with injury but Welbeck has more than justified his inclusion and believe it or not, is now Fabian Hurzeler’s number one striker. It’s great to see him still going strong.
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