Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed his frustration over VAR decisions and his team's inability to capitalize on goal-scoring opportunities following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham. The loss has left United in 14th place in the Premier League standings.
Jarrod Bowen scored a decisive stoppage-time penalty to secure all three points for West Ham, following a VAR review of a clash between United’s Matthijs de Ligt and West Ham’s Danny Ings. Ten Hag voiced his dissatisfaction with the decision, drawing comparisons to a previous VAR incident in United's recent 3-0 loss to Tottenham, where Bruno Fernandes initially received a red card that was later rescinded.
"Before the season they explained the process of VAR - only when (it is) clear and obvious they should interfere," Ten Hag remarked. "What they didn't do against Spurs, that was a wrong decision. Now they make a wrong decision interfering and both have big impact on the games. I don't criticise the personnel, I criticise the process."
Despite a dominant first half, United struggled to convert their chances. Diogo Dalot missed a significant opportunity to equalize, while Alejandro Garnacho and Fernandes also failed to capitalize on clear chances. United’s goal came when Casemiro scored an equalizer after West Ham's Crysencio Summerville had opened the scoring.
Reflecting on the missed opportunities, Ten Hag commented, "We created so many chances, played so good football, especially in the first half. How I want my team to play in and out of possession... Six or seven 100 per cent chances we should have scored. That is a point of improvement. But overall I had not so many criticisms of my team, apart from not scoring."
United's eight goals across their first nine league games mark their lowest return in Premier League history. With only three wins from nine games, United has struggled to secure a foothold, despite recent promising performances, such as a 2-1 win over Brentford and a 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
"At this moment the luck is definitely not on our side. Last season was not different and near the end we turned it around," said Ten Hag, highlighting the team's determination to change their fortunes. "Brentford, Fenerbahce, today, we played really good football."
Manchester United will look to rebound from this setback as they continue to face mounting pressure in the league.
