"That is his mistake" - Jamie Carragher shares why Erik ten Hag has not been able to get his system going at Manchester United

Jamie Carragher has provided an insight into why Erik ten Hag's system has failed to fully synchronize at Manchester United. This comes ahead of the Red Devils' local derby clash this weekend against Manchester City, who won the continental treble last season.

Carragher has pinpointed the anomaly in Ten Hag's tactical setup at United, highlighting the stark absence of Dutch footballing philosophy. Writing in his column in The Telegraph, the Liverpool legend remarked:

"There is nothing ‘Dutch’ about United under Ten Hag. They bypass their midfield, play direct to their front men and seek to make the most of their possession high up the park."

"I will not criticize Ten Hag for playing this way against City, or against Arsenal and Liverpool when they meet. However, there are grounds for criticism if that continues to be the only means by which they can realistically secure a positive outcome," he added.

Carragher further mentioned how Ten Hag inherited a squad that lacked the ability to enact his tactical approach at Ajax. However, the former Anfield man noted that Ten Hag has had the time to make changes.

"At the moment, Ten Hag realizes he does not have the profile of midfielders required to build from the back as he did at Ajax. Nor does he have the personnel for a pressing game. The fact he cannot do this in his second year at Old Trafford is on him," Carragher wrote.

"He paid £70 million for Casemiro, who no longer has the legs for the job but still has four years left on a big contract, and brought in Christian Eriksen, who brings quality from the bench. The short-termism of those deals has repercussions, hence the recent signings of midfielders Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat," he added.

Carragher continued:

"Ten Hag is therefore paying for immediately compromising his principles. Without a radical shake-up of the squad he will continue to do so. That is his mistake as it was he - not the Glazers - who pursued those signings in his first summer, believing he had to hit the ground running when the club needed to consider the long-term direction."

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Manchester United have struggled under Erik ten Hag this season

In a debut season that saw Ten Hag catapult Manchester United to a third-place finish and snatch the EFL Cup to end a six-year trophy famine, all seemed well. Yet, the recent run of lackluster performances has sparked questions about the Dutch manager's tactical coherence with the club.

Historical losing streaks have been broken under Ten Hag's watch this season. Manchester United have suffered consecutive opening away losses for the first time since the 1973/74 season, falling to both Arsenal and Tottenham in North London. The team shattered another record by conceding more than one goal in four back-to-back league games, a feat not witnessed since 1979.

In nine league games this season, Manchester United have won five and lost four, putting them in eighth place, well outside European spots.