Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager

Rista

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It really says it all about Ten Hag's United that even those who for some reason want him to stay still don't expect us to get anything out of today's game. It was never like this before, even when we knew we weren't great. We could go full Jose on them, we could raise our game for just this one match at least but it seems most agree that ETH isn't capable of setting the team up for that and we're waiting until he has no injuries and has all players on his disposal to anything. I'm not saying he needs to beat Liverpool but it's about time he shows something. You can't say we're expected to lose against big sides anyway when we're doing that against shit sides as well.
 

NLunited

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But why does he want to continue playing like this through an injury crisis when it’s clearly not working and is disastrous on both sides of the pitch?
Especially with players that should be largely gone by next summer, where’s the need to drum in a style of play that is taking so long that it looks like it cannot stick? The players who will actually play for us aren’t having it drummed into them because of the injury list so where’s the benefit?
It works some of the time, the issue is consistency.

First, the effort has to be there every time. It cannot work if or two players don’t run enough or with no intensity.

I agree Erik could have reverted in some games to more pragmatic tactics. On the other hand, that would be going backwards: if we want to be top dogs, we have to play without fear and with confidence every game.

Palace got a result against City, but should we play that way? Maybe somewhere in between.
 

cyberman

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It works some of the time, the issue is consistency.

First, the effort has to be there every time. It cannot work if or two players don’t run enough or with no intensity.

I agree Erik could have reverted in some games to more pragmatic tactics. On the other hand, that would be going backwards: if we want to be top dogs, we have to play without fear and with confidence every game.

Palace got a result against City, but should we play that way? Maybe somewhere in between.
But it simply isn’t working no matter what combination of players are out there.
Reminds me of Klopp and Liverpool when their two CBs got injured. He refused to change how they played by playing Fabinho and Henderson back there this weakening two areas and still played with high lines anyway. He finally relented and started playing Philips and kept his star midfielders as midfielders who protected the back four and supplemented the attack and finished 3rd.
Meanwhile we were crying out for Shaw as LB who comes back and plays well v Everton but is then played as CB by benching fecking Varane. It’s absurd, the consistency of selection alone isnt there to validate this stubbornness.
My biggest examples are Pelestri and Hannibal. They’re like toasties, for most of the year you don’t look near them but every so often you get a taste for how good they are and that’s all you have for 2 weeks. They played well enough when called upon to play more of a part over the last 6 weeks but they’re sent to the phantom zone to be ignore for seemingly no reason. When it goes tits up today they’ll be 100 percent brought on and it won’t be fair on them then we won’t see them again until February
 

NLunited

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But it simply isn’t working no matter what combination of players are out there.
Reminds me of Klopp and Liverpool when their two CBs got injured. He refused to change how they played by playing Fabinho and Henderson back there this weakening two areas and still played with high lines anyway. He finally relented and started playing Philips and kept his star midfielders as midfielders who protected the back four and supplemented the attack and finished 3rd.
Meanwhile we were crying out for Shaw as LB who comes back and plays well v Everton but is then played as CB by benching fecking Varane. It’s absurd, the consistency of selection alone isnt there to validate this stubbornness.
My biggest examples are Pelestri and Hannibal. They’re like toasties, for most of the year you don’t look near them but every so often you get a taste for how good they are and that’s all you have for 2 weeks. They played well enough when called upon to play more of a part over the last 6 weeks but they’re sent to the phantom zone to be ignore for seemingly no reason. When it goes tits up today they’ll be 100 percent brought on and it won’t be fair on them then we won’t see them again until February
Yes. I’m not smart enough to understand why Hannibal isn’t playing more: I like him. Maybe he is too fired up, liable to get red cards. I’d pick him over McT.

I prefer Antony over Pellistri, he is more disciplined and Pellistri is still a bit light weight. He gets a lot of sub appearances which is fine.
 

soapythecat

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3 games to save his job I think. Personally, I think we lose the next 3 games but if we barely threaten to win any game, he’s gone.
Come on Erik man, I desperately want you to come through this but you’re making it difficult to buy into your methods right now.
 

Rista

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It works some of the time, the issue is consistency.

First, the effort has to be there every time. It cannot work if or two players don’t run enough or with no intensity.

I agree Erik could have reverted in some games to more pragmatic tactics. On the other hand, that would be going backwards: if we want to be top dogs, we have to play without fear and with confidence every game.

Palace got a result against City, but should we play that way? Maybe somewhere in between.
I don't see how is that even a maybe. Remember when Sir Alex used to field a bunch of defenders against Arsenal. Or the way he regularly set us up in Europe against better teams. You just can't play the same every game, it's tactical naivety. And if we get this new structure that people want which delegates the manager to just a coach, how can you have a coach who is tactically naive.
 

SirCactus

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I don't pick any sides, I agree this squad is terrible, but I don't agree right now that the best thing for the club now is to sack ETH. The best thing for the club is to put the structure in place, gut this squad and start over, take a few years of 7th/8th placed finishes and build a team that will peak in 3-4 years time. Utd are 6th, and still you have people who can't accept that this team just isn't any better than that. It's going to take a few years to build a winning team that will play consistently week in week out for a few seasons. Let him continue to gut it and if he can't finish the job and rebuild with a proper structure, then bring someone else in.

We'll see tomorrow about how many will be joyously thumping their chests about being right.
Today is about backing the shirt. I will be at Anfield supporting my team. Ok we are up against it but this fixture is different and form book goes out the window. Scousers think they are going to coast this and stay top of the league. That complacency can work to our advantage. Time for our leaders to step up and represent the badge
 

DomesticTadpole

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3 games to save his job I think. Personally, I think we lose the next 3 games but if we barely threaten to win any game, he’s gone.
Come on Erik man, I desperately want you to come through this but you’re making it difficult to buy into your methods right now.
Who is going to make the decision if we should lose those games?
 

bosnian_red

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I don't understand why he doesn't get more criticism for this. He's manager of Man United. It's like some people think he's not responsible for performances and tactics at the end of the day. The record, results and performance levels we have in these games are literally bottom of the league level. He's had multiple sack worthy moments this season, and I'll be shocked if we don't get another today.
 

flameinthesun

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I don't understand why he doesn't get more criticism for this. He's manager of Man United. It's like some people think he's not responsible for performances and tactics at the end of the day. The record, results and performance levels we have in these games are literally bottom of the league level. He's had multiple sack worthy moments this season, and I'll be shocked if we don't get another today.
Whether its brave or dumb will solely be based on whether he gets sacked or not I think. I get the idea of having a set tactic and sticking to it, its what the likes of Pep and Klopp have done most of their careers, heck even Ange is doing it with spurs so I get it. And tbh in a normal season this team should be able to go to anfield and play this formation and yeah maybe lose but not by 7 goals..... however with all the injuries and lack of confidence, thats where I see the issue potentially being.....

However, if you truly believe in your tactics, in theory a loss of confidence, form, injuries shouldn't make you abandon it. Yeah make small tactical changes e.g. the fullbacks not bombing on as much, the press starting a bit deeper etc but not abandoning the overall tactic. If EtH believes this will eventually succeed and make us better then fair play. Time will tell if it will.
 

Skills

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Whether its brave or dumb will solely be based on whether he gets sacked or not I think. I get the idea of having a set tactic and sticking to it, its what the likes of Pep and Klopp have done most of their careers, heck even Ange is doing it with spurs so I get it. And tbh in a normal season this team should be able to go to anfield and play this formation and yeah maybe lose but not by 7 goals..... however with all the injuries and lack of confidence, thats where I see the issue potentially being.....

However, if you truly believe in your tactics, in theory a loss of confidence, form, injuries shouldn't make you abandon it. Yeah make small tactical changes e.g. the fullbacks not bombing on as much, the press starting a bit deeper etc but not abandoning the overall tactic. If EtH believes this will eventually succeed and make us better then fair play. Time will tell if it will.
Nope.
 

Anders Agnalt

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Not sure what he actually brings to the club, I'm sure we would have been better off with a backed Ole and no Ronaldo!
 

DWelbz19

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I don't understand why he doesn't get more criticism for this. He's manager of Man United. It's like some people think he's not responsible for performances and tactics at the end of the day. The record, results and performance levels we have in these games are literally bottom of the league level. He's had multiple sack worthy moments this season, and I'll be shocked if we don't get another today.
I don’t think Mainoo starts today if Fernandes wasn’t suspended. Hopefully a bit more balance in the midfield keeps things a little less embarrassing.
 

lsd

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Anytime we play Liverpool no matter what current form is or who is missing there's always that feeling that anything can happen and we will lift ourselves and beat them.

However this is Ten Hag so there's none of that and just the knowledge we will get totally hammered
 

abailey123

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Hopefully the midfield looks more solid with Kobbie and Sofyan in the middle and it makes Erik think twice about playing 2 10s in front of a 6 ever again
 

bosnian_red

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Hopefully the midfield looks more solid with Kobbie and Sofyan in the middle and it makes Erik think twice about playing 2 10s in front of a 6 ever again
Let's wait and see what the instructions for the midfielders are like before we put it down to individuals.
 

edgecutter

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He continues to play wingers that have offered very little all season (in Anthony's case feck all). You would think that he would look at a different approach and pack that midfield.
 

JB08

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Anytime we play Liverpool no matter what current form is or who is missing there's always that feeling that anything can happen and we will lift ourselves and beat them.

However this is Ten Hag so there's none of that and just the knowledge we will get totally hammered
‘Anything can happen’

Except us scoring a goal at Anfield? One goal in 7 years seems pretty consistently shite.
 

VP89

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I don't understand why he doesn't get more criticism for this. He's manager of Man United. It's like some people think he's not responsible for performances and tactics at the end of the day. The record, results and performance levels we have in these games are literally bottom of the league level. He's had multiple sack worthy moments this season, and I'll be shocked if we don't get another today.
Because, and this might surprise you, it's really fecking hard to get a team playing proper football when the structure is absolutely dogshite and the culture needs fixing.
 

Turnip

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The managers
So the club let's short term managers have free reign over numerous multimillion pound contracts on their own? That's just not how large companies operate. Not successful ones anyway. Which adds up I guess.
 

ForeverRed1

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In no world is he looking at this team and thinking it’s good enough. Our midfield is abysmal. Absolutely poor for this level. Surely he can’t be watching this game and thinking mctominay and amrabat are the answer… but just look at the bench. So so poor. It’s desperate at this point.
 

united for life

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Mainly yes, or did you expect Moyes, LVG, a washed up Mourinho or Ole to be able to win the league vs Pep and Klopp?
so in your theory, it is impossible to win the league then. Pep and klopp are arguably the top 2 managers in the world

i obviously don’t agree with what you said. Our problem is much much more than a manager issue
 

gaffs

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The poster was asking if we knew that the players he ended up signing were his first choices and that is the only thing I said nobody knows for sure.
On the topic of ETH bringing players from Dutch league, I think it is a failure of the club to give ETH the power to select players, unless he was some genius who knew loads of players from around the world and then another failure to pay 50M for Onana or 90-100M to Antony. The club should have vetoed the signings just for the price.
So if he had not got Antony and Onana because the club refused, there would have been complaints that the manager wasn't getting the player he wanted.

If a manger comes in a wants players that he had previously worked with, then, I feel, it is hard to say no. Especially in light of the fact we don't have an experiences DoF.
 

Blood Mage

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This guy has some questions to answer about why Varane has been kept out of the team when he's the best player we have.
 

DJ_21

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Obviously learnt a few lessons as the last 2 games he’s kept us more compact.
 

Malone_Post

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Add Amrabat to the list of terrible ETH signings. And once again, he’s a former player of his.

His judgement of talent is absolutely horrendous.
 

Fahad Jawaid

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What a shit half, thankfully we have not conceded any goals. What a shit collection of players we have accumulated tbh, I don't remember a worse starting lineup and team for us. Mctominay, Amrabat, Antony all of them are soo shit, I think they have hardly completed 10 passes between them.

He needs to be sacked for his stupid signings. We have nobody to come and change and game as well. The last thing this game needs is a lazy, half hearted Rashford stinking up the place.
 

Castia

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Obviously learnt a few lessons as the last 2 games he’s kept us more compact.
They’re playing awful and are still dominating the game. Score 1 they’ll score 5 because we have literally no threat
 

mu4c_20le

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Absolutely on the money.

The worst thing about it though?…He said this an interview in 2020…

‘Only once in his career has Pep made a mistake – in his first year at Manchester City when he completely underestimated the power and speed of the Premier League’
That has to be a fake quote :lol: