It’s been a week of disappointment for Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United.

Back-to-back defeats to Brighton and West Ham leave them just ahead of Liverpool with their top-four aspirations at risk.

Both games finished 1-0 and will each be remembered for an individual mistake leading to defeat. A Luke Shaw handball gifted Brighton a stoppage-time penalty, whereas David De Gea gave away a needless goal against West Ham which United couldn’t recover from.

The Brighton result was tough to take considering the Reds were seconds away from a good point on the road against a team bang in form. However, there were absolutely no arguments over the decisive penalty.

Perhaps Shaw has been watching the NBA playoffs in his spare time and in the heat of the moment forgot he was playing football.

It’s a shame because once again he was excellent in the game itself but there were no excuses for what he did. And to concede so late on made the result feel that much worse.

Meanwhile, I still can’t wrap my head around De Gea’s mistake against West Ham. Seemingly losing his bearings and the ability to use his hands. Not as heart-breaking as conceding a late penalty but somehow more painful to watch.

Even though De Gea has been outstanding for United over the years, there may need to be consideration for a new goalkeeper in the summer. But then again Ten Hag said right after the match that he wants De Gea to extend his contract.

Another similarity in both games was United’s inability to take their chances. That clinical edge has evaded the Reds in recent weeks, only scoring three goals in their last six games. Once again demonstrating the need for a striker for next season.

There were also signs of fatigue for United, especially in the second half of each game. And it’s likely why Ten Hag gave his players two days off following the defeat to West Ham. Hopefully, it will allow them to reset before this final stretch of the campaign.

United have been playing two games a week since the World Cup ended and finally get some rest before Saturday’s match against Wolves. In fact, this will be the first time since September that United have only had to play one game across a calendar week, not including international breaks.

They’ve already played 58 games this season, which is good because it shows they’re going deeper into competitions. But it’s also not sustainable given the lack of depth compared to other clubs. Again, United needs to invest in new talent in the summer.

Hopefully, this rest will be beneficial because the next four games are crucial. United need three wins from four to guarantee a top-four finish but with Liverpool just behind them, the pressure is certainly on. However, they do still have a game in hand over them.

Although two defeats in a row may cause fans to be worried going into the remaining games, I still feel confident that United can secure a Champions League spot. Especially after this much-needed midweek break.

With three of the four remaining games being at home, it may just be enough to get the Reds over the line.

United’s home form could prove to be pivotal with three of the four being played at Old Trafford. This resurgence of home form has been significant this season and a driving factor for their top-four push.

But first, they need to do the business against Wolves and get a win, which will ease some of the mounting pressure. All being well, they can do so without making any more costly mistakes.

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