Marginal improvement but doesn't really merit any praise when the shots conceded are still in the double figures for 3 of the 4 opening matches.
And the only one that isn't is against a newly promoted team.
So United have faced 10.3 shots per game this season, Man City 7.3, Arsenal 14.3, Newcastle 16.8, Villa 9.8, Tottenham 8.3, Pool 7
Its like the fanbase has PTSD (I guess understandably). You're highlighting that we still conceded double figures shots which means nothing without understanding whether they are dangerous shots or not and whether its normal to concede double figure shots in a game or not. Based on the first 4 games of the season our overall defensive performances despite the results are actually good, its a narrative based on the defensive mistakes at the end of the Brighton match and giving away poor goals in my opinion vs Pool. Another narrative for example is we were absolutely dominated in the first 30 minutes vs Southampton. Southampton had more possession than us and pressed us well, yet during that time they had only 3 shots on target, 1 being when Dalot was dribbled past and the other two being the penalty shot and the tame header rebound. Yet in that same 30 minutes we had double their chances. If Southampton should/could have scored a goal in that 30 minutes of "domination", then we should/could have scored 2 during that period.
Its pretty clear that results aside (and yes results are important) that through pre-season, charity shield and the first 4 games that we are seeing signs of progress:
- There is a clear style of play/identity, the style of play was clear from last season (its pretty much how his original Ajax team set up with the exact same criticisms that that team faced), but there is a difference between having a style of play and implementing it well. So far the team is implementing it better this season although there is still a way to go
- We have one of the best presses/counter presses in the league both statistically and from the eye test. Even last season our press was up there.
- We currently, despite not taking our chances, have one of the best attacks in the league. Without even looking at the statistics that should be evident just from the silly amount of clear chances we miss, even against pool Zirkzee should have scored 2
- We have a very solid defense at the moment, if you remove the PTSD of us getting run through, our general defensive performance has been good. Again for context, people were up in arms about us being countered by Fulham a couple times, when Pool and Arsenal faced more counters in the exact same weekend and we had one of the lowest for that weekend.
- In every game bar Pool we had periods of very good possession, even against City
- Controversial opinion.....in every game (bar maybe Pool as i've scrubbed that game from my memory)...even against city....we have seen at points some very lovely passages of play.
Now that doesn't mean it's guaranteed to continue like this, maybe the confidence gets a hit and we spiral, maybe we start to take all those chances and go on a great run, who knows. However, if we are talking about signs of improvement, signs of a style of play, signs we are going in the right direction, based on pre-season, charity shield and the first 4 games, I'd say there are more signs of improvement and that we are heading in the right direction, than the opposite based on the start to the season.
The last thing is this idea that its going to take 3 seasons is a myth, its a random number plucked out of the air. It's going to take as long as it needs to take. I think if we had this start to the season in Ten Hag's second season, despite the results these signs would be looked at more positively.
