Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager

[croadyman]

This is a mess
Interviewing other managers while Ten Hag is incharge is not the way. Players know now the only reason he’s here is cause no one is available, how is Ten Hag going to have any authority now?

INEOS looking like Glazers atm

Yeah definitely would be staying by default which looks an absolute nightmare situation

 

[Judas]

I've never really disliked Ten Hag, think its time for him to go, and I did at one point say I didn't have much sympathy for him as he's caused his own problems quite often. But at this point, if things really are as they seem, I can't not feel bad for him. You just don't treat any employees like this. Just seems very off.

 

[croadyman]

I've never really disliked Ten Hag, think its time for him to go, and I did at one point say I didn't have much sympathy for him as he's caused his own problems quite often. But at this point, if things really are as they seem, I can't not feel bad for him. You just don't treat any employees like this. Just seems very off.

Who can we appoint though?

 

[Judas]

Who can we appoint though?

I think you'd enjoy the works of Gareth Southgate the best.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

De Zerbis reputation is bigger than Red Cafe. He’s been earmarked as Peps replacement at City. If we can get him, we should.

Could have said the same 10 years ago but swap De Zerbi for Roberto Martinez, when he kept being linked everywhere

Said it before, in the real world De Zerbi doesn’t get a top job. He's a myth. There’s a reason nobody who is actually paid to make these decisions has touched him

 

[VP89]

Are these the only two occasions (Shaw and Casemiro) that have been reported or were there others?

Ten Hag has openly expressed some frustration at the medical staff and there's likely others that aren't public. Go dig up any other examples, there's probably one or two I've missed.

 

[stevoc]

Southgate would be hard to swallow for Ten Hag innies and outties both.

But eventually we'll all swallow a bit of Gareth.

 

[stevoc]

ETH and his team will take us to the cleaners during the contract negotiations if this long interview process comes up with zilch and we have to continue with him. No way he stays here without a contract extension after all this. The players will undermine him if they know he is a dead man walking.

The club have an optional year on his contract.

 

[stevoc]

Ten Hag has openly expressed some frustration at the medical staff and there's likely others that aren't public. Go dig up any other examples, there's probably one or two I've missed.

Fair enough mate, I had a look last night and couldn't dig anything up. Was just wondering if you'd heard of other occasions.

 

[Hughie77]

If he's going they'd have got rid by now...so imo he's staying until his contract runs out next season...

I'm not fussed either way if he goes .. but I will have to try and back him if he stays ?

Let's see what players come in .. and it's at least 4 quality. 2 CB a Striker and CM ..

 

[Rojofiam]

Could have said the same 10 years ago but swap De Zerbi for Roberto Martinez, when he kept being linked everywhere

Said it before, in the real world De Zerbi doesn’t get a top job. He's a myth. There’s a reason nobody who is actually paid to make these decisions has touched him

To you it might be the same as Martínez, but do you actually know anything about De Zerbi? No offense, but I've seen you voice your opinion about him several times and it's always just about the results, league standings, etc.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

To you it might be the same as Martínez, but do you actually know something about De Zerbi? No offense, but I've seen you voice your opinion about him several times and it's always just about the results, league standings, etc.

Actually watch a Brighton match. If you look beyond his sexy name, his actual football is atrocious

Has stagnated Evan Ferguson. Couldn’t get a drip out of Ansu Fati…

If you think city would actually touch him, you’re insane

 

[Aretak]

I am definitely ETH out because of his disastrous football. But the way the club handle this situation is shameful. After all these rumours, the club should come out to make a statement either sack him or back him.

You can't go looking for managers while the current manager is still here and left in limbo. This is really showing disrespect to ETH.

If Ineos can't find a replacement and go back to ETH, the players will not respect him and he will have another hard season next year. The players know that ETH is walking on thin ice already going into next season.

This is really poor start from Ineos. This is the most important appointment for the club.

Pretty much what I was going to write. The fact that this is still dragging on into mid-June is an absolute farce, and it's being handled in pretty much the worst way possible. Brexit Jim met with Tuchel in France according to the BBC... only to be knocked back by him anyway. Openly courting a replacement for Ten Hag whilst keeping him around as a backup in case all else fails is pretty low. The only part I disagree with is that this whole mess has almost brought me around to the idea of keeping Ten Hag. I wanted him gone straight after the cup final, but the fact that the upper management seem to have no better idea what they're doing than the last lot, along with the desperately poor list of remaining candidates (Gareth Southgate ffs), has made me think again.

 

[VP89]

To you it might be the same as Martínez, but do you actually know anything about De Zerbi? No offense, but I've seen you voice your opinion about him several times and it's always just about the results, league standings, etc.

Do you? Martinez had bright beginnings and implosions shortly after. Pretty football all the same. De Zerbi has shown little more than this.

 

[Insanity]

The club have an optional year on his contract.

They have to exercise that option then. They cannot have him go into the season on the last year of his contract when they have undermined him by talking to different managers.

 

[The Boy]

It is weird that you seem to have seriously considered Tuchel, De Zerbi and Southgate.

You could not get three more different managers if you tried, it really smacks of a lack of strategy and direction at the top. Maybe this will change when Berrada and Ashworth join, but at the moment it seems like little has changed from the previous ten years.

 

[Patchbeard]

They have to exercise that option then. They cannot have him go into the season on the last year of his contract when they have undermined him by talking to different managers.

Well they can. And it certainly wouldn't make business sense to extend it and potentially give yourself a big fee to pay if you still decide to sack after a season when you could've just let him go for free!

And to counter the argument that he would be undermined without doing this is the argument that it would be putting the pressure on him to succeed or know he's gone with no payout.

(To clarify I don't agree with all the flirting we've been doing with other managers, I wish we'd just stuck with ETH once we knew McKenna was unavailable (I was unsure if now is too early for him anyway) and then give ETH a less dick-ish ultimatum of improving big time next season or he's gone)

 

[VP89]

There would be no issue going in with a final year under Ten Hag (keeping it on the table to extend if he did well) IF Ineos didn't openly flirt with managers now. They are amateur.

 

[NotChatGPT]

It is weird that you seem to have seriously considered Tuchel, De Zerbi and Southgate.

You could not get three more different managers if you tried, it really smacks of a lack of strategy and direction at the top. Maybe this will change when Berrada and Ashworth join, but at the moment it seems like little has changed from the previous ten years.

Why would we approach managers without the go-ahead from the people that are in process of joining the club to be responsible for exactly those type of decisions?

 

[astracrazy]

Why Fletcher?

Read the question Im answering. Im not suggesting it was.

 

[The Boy]

Why would we approach managers without the go-ahead from the people that are in process of joining the club to be responsible for exactly those type of decisions?

Depends if you're playing by the rules or not. At the moment strictly it is meant to be Brailsford and Ratcliffe making the decisions and this bizarre scattergun approach smacks more of them than Ashworth. He hardly put a foot wrong at Brighton or Newcastle, so I'd be surprised if he'd suddenly become incompetent over night. Berrada I know nothing about.

 

[astracrazy]

If it's obvious to you from outside the club with limited information. Wouldn't it have also been obvious to someone working inside the club?

Yeah....which is why its being addressed.....whats your point

 

[Steve Bruce]

Thing is, you cannot expect to find a dynasty building manager in the current market when even the likes of Bayern are struggling. Names like Alonso and Nagelsmann are better but unavailable. If Ineos feels that ETH isn't taking us anywhere, then De Zerbi's style fits the type of football we'd like to play, brave attacking football. Even if he doesn't win any trophies for the next two years, as long as we're developing an attacking mentality and scoring freely again, we'd be in a much better position to move forward, bit like pool under BR then to Klopp, seamless transition.

We're writing off the next 2/3 years whatever happens. If ETH stays. If Southgate comes. If it's RdZ or Frank.

The only differences are will we be playing attractive losing football or unattractive losing football.

It will cost 10m to sack a manager to replace him with someone else not good enough. Makes no sense.

We have won trophies in each of the last two seasons, it hasn't been pretty but it also hasn't been all bad.

Also there's no guarantees that the next manager will get this team playing exciting football. ETHs Ajax played exceptional football. Yet this united team are no where near that.

Either way we need the manager situation settled or we're going to have a catastrophic summer

 

[MancunianAngels]

It is weird that you seem to have seriously considered Tuchel, De Zerbi and Southgate.

You could not get three more different managers if you tried, it really smacks of a lack of strategy and direction at the top. Maybe this will change when Berrada and Ashworth join, but at the moment it seems like little has changed from the previous ten years.

You raise a good point.

The biggest fundamental issue at play though is there just isn't that many great managers around at the moment, even less when looking for someone to fit a certain strategy/style of play.

Bayern Munich have opted for Kompany
Chelsea and Liverpool have both gone for high risk high reward options. Barca have tried to play it safe but remains to be seen if someone like Flick can handle the overly politicised nature of that club. city will face similar issues next summer if Guardiola leaves. There were a lot of rumours that Ancelotti would leave Madrid last summer and they would look for someone younger. Probably a wise decision in the end to keep him...

I can't say I'm massively keen on any of the options being linked but if a shorter option of either keeping Ten Hag or bringing Tuchel gives us a bit of breathing space (and allows us to see how McKenna develops in the Premier League) that is something I could get behind. Tuchel would be fine for two years and would probably get us back in the top 4 without disruption to the longer term plans/strategy.

 

[mythz]

Just sack him today. They clearly want him out , no point of him staying at this point.

 

[golden_blunder]

Read the question Im answering. Im not suggesting it was.

I’m asking why you mention him at all? Shaw isn’t a youth player

 

[golden_blunder]

Who can we appoint though?

Count Binface

 

[RedRover]

This is a mess
Interviewing other managers while Ten Hag is incharge is not the way. Players know now the only reason he’s here is cause no one is available, how is Ten Hag going to have any authority now?

INEOS looking like Glazers atm

I think it's naïve to think any decently run club isn't speaking to managers before they sack the current manager.

And to be honest, Ten Hag's performance last season is what's driving the uncertainty because questions have to be asked about whether he's doing a good enough job.

The fact that it's in the press is the issue, assuming what's being reported is accurate. If none of it is coming from the club, to some degree I'd question what they can do about it. Clearly the failure to get senior executives in post as quickly as they'd probably like is causing delay.

 

[NotChatGPT]

Depends if you're playing by the rules or not. At the moment strictly it is meant to be Brailsford and Ratcliffe making the decisions and this bizarre scattergun approach smacks more of them than Ashworth. He hardly put a foot wrong at Brighton or Newcastle, so I'd be surprised if he'd suddenly become incompetent over night. Berrada I know nothing about.

A more logical answer would be that we're not approaching managers.

 

[SuperiorXI]

I don't fecking want Gareth Gates

 

[Nevilles.Wear.Prada]

If he's replaced by Poch, de Zerbi or Southgate, standards have plummeted, let alone 'fallen'

That's the crux of the matter.

Most managers, employed or not can be recruited and paid for by the club of our size. I refuse to believe after scouring whole of europe we are left with just these 3.

 

[NotChatGPT]

Most managers, employed or not can be recruited and paid for by the club of our size. I refuse to believe after scouring whole of europe we are left with just these 3.

Now that wouldn't really surprise me. Xavi went from leaving, to staying to getting sacked. Bayern have just hired Kompany..Slot to Liverpool. It's not exactly an ideal time to be looking at new managers.

 

[horsechoker]

All the other manager threads locked, I thought something happened!

 

[RedRover]

You raise a good point.

The biggest fundamental issue at play though is there just isn't that many great managers around at the moment, even less when looking for someone to fit a certain strategy/style of play.

Bayern Munich have opted for Kompany
Chelsea and Liverpool have both gone for high risk high reward options. Barca have tried to play it safe but remains to be seen if someone like Flick can handle the overly politicised nature of that club. city will face similar issues next summer if Guardiola leaves. There were a lot of rumours that Ancelotti would leave Madrid last summer and they would look for someone younger. Probably a wise decision in the end to keep him...

I can't say I'm massively keen on any of the options being linked but if a shorter option of either keeping Ten Hag or bringing Tuchel gives us a bit of breathing space (and allows us to see how McKenna develops in the Premier League) that is something I could get behind. Tuchel would be fine for two years and would probably get us back in the top 4 without disruption to the longer term plans/strategy.

Genuinely; noting that we're never going to get Klopp or Pep, who are the "great" managers who might be available next summer?

Seems to me that absent of the two mentioned above, every manager available is going to be judged on recent performance and in all likelihood, is going to have a CV no better than Ten Hag had when he came here. There's a lot of younger, supposedly up and coming managers who may or not be the next top managers, but it seems to me that's pretty much been the case for the last decade, with two or three genuinely top managers in circulation. All of the others are just potentially top managers until they're tested in a big job.

The club needs to decide what it's doing. Sticking with Ten Hag because they're not sure whether anybody else is good enough holds us back because there's little point backing a manager with a clearly distinct style of play etc. via recruitment of players to fit that style if he's gone next summer.

A well run club should be able to identify talent and be decisive when the time comes.

 

[AlexUTD]

Who knew that we needed "best in class" directors to make even worse decisions than the "worst in class directors".

I swear this feels like a bad episode of Twillight Zone.

 

[Berbaclass]

All the other manager threads locked, I thought something happened!

Same

 

[Nevilles.Wear.Prada]

The job must be unbelievably hard that only 3 people in the whole wide world are qualified to be considered.

 

[flameinthesun]

It is weird that you seem to have seriously considered Tuchel, De Zerbi and Southgate.

You could not get three more different managers if you tried, it really smacks of a lack of strategy and direction at the top. Maybe this will change when Berrada and Ashworth join, but at the moment it seems like little has changed from the previous ten years.

Very good point.

At the moment INEOS are looking a bit all over the place. The talk was there would be a plan/philosphy that we would want to take the club forward with. Yet the fact they are talking to so many different types of managers who have different styles seems like its more of the same that we had under the Glazers. I'm keeping my thoughts to myself on INEOS to give them a fair crack at the whip but what they are saying in regards to where they want to take the club from a playing standpoint versus their actions of not seeming to know what style of manager they want is not matching up. I'll judge them on their actions. Also, since when has it been okay for our club to treat a manager like this? Either let him go or tell him he has another year, not only does it make them seem like they are indecisive but its extremely disrespectful to a Manchester United manager.

 

[rimaldo]

amazing how many of you thought we could have the fergie years and get away with it.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

I've just had my morning coffee and I'm ready for another day of absolutely nothing. Let's go.