exactly. I’m baffled by this tedious narrative about “oh how the standards have fallen” despite the clear evidence that Ineos are making big changes and demanding the highest standards going forwards.
They did their due diligence, considered several other managers but concluded the grass isn’t greener and are stick8ng with Ten Hag. You could also interpret this as great strategy from Ineos if you look at it another way. While they are trying to transform the structure things probably won’t instantly improve next season. They now have a manager that they can fire next summer easily rather than a new guy on a 5 year deal that peo0e would say hasn’t been given long enough
Exactly.
Part of the issue is people really can’t factor in that the last 2 seasons haven’t simply been a club doing everyday normal successful big club things.
What club has had:
- a manager taking over a club in crisis that needed “open heart surgery”
- people overpaying for players and continually panic buying and failing to offload unwanted or under performing players
- what manager took over a club and the future was in doubt barely 6 months into their tenure ? Even after 1st season people felt ETH position was under threat because “new owners usually want their man”. This can affect teams as players (seems to happen to United ones a lot) can lose focus if they think the manager is probably a gonner
- what other team/manager has had the kind of drama ETH in his fists 14 months , ronaldo , Sancho , greenwood , Rashford
- injuries , this is on top of all this
- one striker mostly fit, unproven in league
- needs 3 under 22 , unproven players, in starting team for an entire sessondue to injuries and no alternative options
- crippling defencive issues the season they are trying to bed in a new GK
I mean, that’s all mostly happening within 14 months of ETH taking over.
But if we sacked ETH last November things would of been vastly different?
Whatever about all this, that FA cup win, Liverpool win in fa cup and seeing the youngsters flourish has been some of the most satisfying and enjoyable moments for me in years. And there were really memorable moments in the first season aswell, not least the Barca tie.
A manager replacing ETH , maybe in November and maybe getting us 4th just wouldn’t have had the same impact for me. We’d be in CL but wouldn’t do much in it anyways. As a club we aren’t ready for that and it feels like ETH is the right man at the right time. We don’t need or want a journeyman to come in and squeeze us into the top 4, we need somebody who can work within the new INEOs process and if ETH is willing, I’m delighted.