NATHAN SALT: Man United have an innate ability to give their opponents hope when they should have NONE… Their hollow victory against Coventry showed, once again, that Erik’s team ten Hag is a tactically flawed team.

“We can play at very high levels in the same match, and we can also reach very low levels in the same match,” mused Erik ten Hag in the bowels of Wembley Stadium.

“It’s not explainable, but it has to do with game management, taking responsibility, taking responsibility for each other. I have to teach my players clearly. We have to do better on such occasions (after having conceded) but the hardest thing to do is put ourselves in a position to win, the latter thing is much easier.

Are you still teaching after two years in office? Easy to convey these instructions? Don’t be ridiculous, Erik.

The problems that led to United’s dramatic 30-minute collapse at Wembley – arguably the most damning of the Ten Hag era – were so familiar. This demonstration was so damning that the teaching might well be interrupted before it even reached summer school.

United snatch victory from the jaws of defeat to beat Coventry on penalties in the FA Cup

Rasmus Hojlund scored the winning penalty as United won 4-2 on penalties.

While United kicked and screamed their way to the final via a 4-2 penalty shootout, going from 3-0 to 3-3, then extra time where the “nail” of a Haji Wright was all that saved a 4-3 defeat. , lost leads to Brentford, Chelsea, Liverpool and Coventry in the space of a month.

Here sat Sir Jim Ratcliffe, fresh from a personal best at the London Marathon, Sir Dave Brailsford, as well as a rare appearance for Avram and Joel Glazer. Jason Wilcox, the club’s new technical director, was also present in the stands.

Trust Ratcliffe, who arrived at half-time, to miss the first-half celebration when United got everything they wanted. All he could see was a chaotic team devoid of any sort of identity.

There were some Coventry team staff at half time talking about enjoying the day and the challenge. Trailing 2-0 and barely troubling Andre Onana, they looked defeated. What they should have known is that Ten Hag’s United has a habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

When Bruno Fernandes scored United’s third goal after 58 minutes, it was expected that United might soon turn to a youth bench and introduce the 250th academy graduate to play for the club.

It was only almost immediately after this goal that United, as is often the case, regressed. Fast.

Ten Hag’s team regularly falls into a confusing low block, inviting pressure and allowing the team behind to push forward and dictate.

Lethargy sets in with pressure that becomes confusing. An inability to keep possession allowed Coventry to break at will and an overload down their right side quickly ended with an unmarked Ellis Simms conversion in the penalty area.

Scotty McTominay would put United ahead after 23 minutes, tapping in from close range

Harry Maguire would double his lead before half-time before Bruno Fernandes got the third

But United failed to maintain the advantage, perhaps due to their poor tactical setup.

A consolation, you thought. Fake.

Alejandro Garnacho, replaced five minutes before this goal from Simms, and Kobbie Mainoo, a minute later, were withdrawn in favor of the experience of Antony and Christian Eriksen. Both moves were head-scratchers in the moment and became even more confusing as it progressed.

In recent weeks, United have regularly shown no ability to keep the ball. Once they establish what should be an unassailable lead, they fade, with the players desperate and the composure they possess in the first hour of play disappearing.

“He took Kobbie Mainoo away, which I was really confused with. Same with Garnacho, I would have kept those two,” Ian Wright said.

“That’s how it descended into chaos. You could see Coventry thinking, “We can get something out of this.”

United find themselves overwhelmed too often, caught between trying to hunker down and be compact, to stop pressing as high as before while leaving gaping holes between defense, midfield and attack.

Eight minutes after Simms’ goal, United were still falling back, lax in the press and Callum O’Hare had far too much time to fire a speculative shot from the edge of the box, with Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka making none. not enough to close. him on the ground.

Inexcusably, Wan-Bissaka turned his back, the ball deflecting towards him and passing on Onana.

It was from there that United were reduced to wasting time against a Championship side in a bid to limp through to an FA Cup final.

That’s the problem with United. They have an innate ability to give teams hope when they shouldn’t have any.

United’s inability to keep the ball proved costly, with Ellis Simms shooting from inside the box.

Callum O’Hare’s deflected strike would see Coventry pull another back in the 79th minute

In dramatic circumstances, Haji Wright scored from the penalty spot to level the score at 3-3.

Coventry looked to have won in extra time, but Victor Torp’s late goal was ruled offside.

Coventry were dominated for an hour, then after Simms scored it was as if United were a boxer on the ropes desperately waiting for the bell to ring.

At Chelsea, they conceded two in stoppage time; at Brentford, they coughed up what should have been a resounding victory after Mason Mount’s injury-time goal; against Liverpool they were left to defend relentlessly to give up their lead. All of this has happened in the last month alone.

Ratcliffe, Wilcox, Brailsford et al are watching closely and, for now, are keeping their thoughts to themselves.

But what they and the fans now see regularly is a team that looks tactically flawed when trying to close out games.

Ten Hag’s desire to play high-intensity, high-pressing football seems both naive in the climax of games and also beyond most of the personnel at his disposal. A failure to adapt to this, even with individual errors beyond his control, proves a mark against his name.

The wingers offer little to no protection and the central midfielders are exposed with too much ground to cover. Eriksen, sent for Mainoo, no longer possesses the energy to cover the necessary ground and so it is not at all surprising that O’Hare is one of those who significantly improved his game after Mainoo became addict.

“They (Man Utd) know they were lucky today, they won the game 3-0. They were almost embarrassed to win in the end,” fumed Roy Keane after the shootout allowed United to qualify.

There was a lot to think about for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who had just completed the London Marathon

United escaped defeat once again, but it seems they continue to show that the team is tactically flawed.

Roy Keane says ‘United were lucky’ against Coventry and they were ‘almost embarrassed’

United have a worrying ability to give opponents hope when they should be closing out games

What should have been a dominant, routine victory turned out to be anything but – and that sums up United right now.

“They’re in the cup final, they’ve done the job. But every time I see this Man Utd team I don’t like what I see.

“They’re hard to like, they just play at times. We talk about leadership, character – I don’t see any of that in this Man Utd group

“Team management when you’re up 3-0… you don’t give a championship team any hope. But that’s what they do, they give up chances, they give up goals.

“We’ve seen it all season, so I don’t know why we’re so surprised. My God, they got lucky in the end.

That’s what they did. It was about as hollow a victory as United had under Ten Hag, one that produced more questions than answers and seemed to seal their fate. The same mistakes always cost them dearly – and the evidence that they are moving in the right direction seems unacceptable.

What should have been a dominant, routine victory turned out to be anything but, and that pretty much sums up Manchester United at the moment.