Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

[criticalanalysis]

I said it before but he's gonna live or die with the single pivot.

Amrabat needs to play with Casemiro, not rotate or either/or. None of this 'against weaker opposition'. No, we need to dominate, suffocate and play all our games with the intention to control. That's the only way the rest of the team and players in their position can improve their game.

Right now, it's either box to box and transition or snail pace, hoping for a mistake from the opposition when we try to play it out from the back. Both ways, we're not actively controlling our own destiny and set of plays to progress the game.

I'd rather we play the same way we did last season, which was to sit deeper and play in between the boxes if he can't figure out the right balance. It makes total sense with Mount in the team, not this suicidal 4-1-5 pressing bollocks.

 

[Telsim]

We are beyond awful at progressing the ball, and in possession in general. Might actually be the worst in the league. I think Arsenal knew that and simply let us have it. That stat where we completed a bajillion passes in our third and zero in the final third was insane, honestly. And this has been something we've been awful for a long, long time. I don't understand how can an issue as glaring as this remain unsolved. There's no link between the defensive line and the forwards.

 

[Red Star One]

It's been ten years and somehow this still needs to be repeated, over and over.

When we inevitably sack ETH, I fear we'll continue with our approach of handing the new manager a nearly-blank check and telling him to rip up the squad and sign whoever he sees fit.

Correct. I’d hope one day we understand the proper structure is much more important than a messiah manager.

 

[RedRover]

I don’t think the stats reflect that - perhaps more vulnerable in away games but certainly at home we’ve been very good. I think we’ve had injuries to key players at important times of the season and this has not helped. I think team defence has been affected by forwards that don’t work hard. I think the players he has bought have been progressed the squad but we are still left with deadwood. I think with Varane and Martinez, we wouldn’t have lost today.

I agree, last season we looked good at home - although the first two home games of this season were, in my view, very poor and not a reflection of last year. That's a huge worry. We looked wide open at times in both of those games against bottom 6 sides and pre-injury issues, which are only going to compound any problems.

Maybe with those two we get a point, but what we're essentially saying is that the system falls apart without one or two players. That calls into question the system, and recruitment if you don't have players who can step in.

It was always going to be a tough job for him given the work that we needed on the squad. My concern is that despite the spend we're not actually that much better. Following a hypothetical takeover, would new owners (or the fans) trust him to spend £200 - £300 million if that was possible based on what he's done so far?

 

[Pronewbie]

Ok that's stupid, I blame him for our results but I am not calling for his sacking and anyone who is, is being delusional.

It's like me mis-reading your nick as SmallBrained. When have I called for his head? I'd rather spend my entertainment hours being entertained.

 

[Telsim]

It's been ten years and somehow this still needs to be repeated, over and over.

When we inevitably sack ETH, I fear we'll continue with our approach of handing the new manager a nearly-blank check and telling him to rip up the squad and sign whoever he sees fit.

Establish a vision requires a competent Director of Football. We don't have that (by design). So it's not going to happen.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

I agree, last season we looked good at home - although the first two home games of this season were, in my view, very poor and not a reflection of last year. That's a huge worry. We looked wide open at times in both of those games against bottom 6 sides and pre-injury issues, which are only going to compound any problems.

Maybe with those two we get a point, but what we're essentially saying is that the system falls apart without one or two players. That calls into question the system, and recruitment if you don't have players who can step in.

It was always going to be a tough job for him given the work that we needed on the squad. My concern is that despite the spend we're not actually that much better. Following a hypothetical takeover, would new owners (or the fans) trust him to spend £200 - £300 million if that was possible based on what he's done so far?

New owners, assuming a basic level of competence, will stand up a proper structure that puts specialists in charge of recruitment and leaves the manager to handle coaching.

 

[DickDastardly]

Why not also add Sancho? Get every attacker on the field, then we must be attacking. Right?
[/QUOTE]

Well yeah.

Football is pretty easy, you get player who can run, can pass, and don't have their head stuck in their ass, and you should win games.

That rules out Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial and Antony completely. They happen to tick all three boxes.

Play any of these three jokers in any capacity and the percentage to win a game of football decreases drastically.

 

[Gazautd18]

Very odd that he thought Martial had a good game and did well for the team.
Is he seeing something we're not?

 

[philippexyz]

It was mostly an even game, i wouldn't put much blame on ETH. Hojlund for Martial made a big difference. That Garnacho offside looks really suspect to me, we would've maybe won if that wasn't ruled as an offside. Injuries in defense and midfield have decimated us, and we still put up a respectable performance.

If Licha wasn't fit to continue, I understand the Maguire substitution, but I thought that Lindelof was ok to finish the match and he subbed him for Evans, a player who's not good enough to play PL football. That was baffling to me. Our center backs mostly lost us this game(lack of quality/injuries).

 

[RedRover]

Pretty sure he's still here in 5 years unless he himself wants to leave.

Him pointing to 3 situations he thinks should have gone our way immediately after the final whistle is brilliant to put the media focus on him instead of the team as we go into the international break.

Or he's losing his head under the pressure...

 

[Baxquux]

We are beyond awful at progressing the ball, and in possession in general. Might actually be the worst in the league. I think Arsenal knew that and simply let us have it. That stat where we completed a bajillion passes in our third and zero in the final third was insane, honestly. And this has been something we've been awful for a long, long time. I don't understand how can an issue as glaring as this remain unsolved. There's no link between the defensive line and the forwards.

I agree with this up to a point but think we started to look slightly more coherent with RH up there able to not only harrass but hold up and potentially drive with the ball. I think with Amrabat, whilst he's not going to be spectacular in terms of speed or driving with the ball constantly, he's positionally good, tough to dispossess and will progress it into the new phase fairly consistently if he's instructed to, as well as offering options for Onana and Licha and Cas to recycle and find an angle for the forward ball. And with RH and hopefully a mentally 'on-it' Rashford up front, we will look better, even if not as fluent as City or even Arsenal/Brighton etc...

 

[Red Star One]

Pretty sure he's still here in 5 years unless he himself wants to leave.

Pretty sure he’ll be long gone in Autumn 2028.

 

[Swordsman]

 

[JoeyJoJoJrShabadoo]

International break coming at right time. Come back with a casemiro amrabat double pivot.

Everyone over reacting, but we aren't close yet but we will get closer by end of season.

 

[Swordsman]

Very odd that he thought Martial had a good game and did well for the team.
Is he seeing something we're not?

maybe for PR purposes, behind closed door maybe he is getting the hairdryer treatment.

 

[moses]

Shit-on-a-stick football. Every once in awhile we poke into a kebab, but it is then quickly followed up with more shite, rendering the overall experience unpleasant. Might take a break if this keeps up after the International Break.

Take a break now, see how you feel in a year?

 

[Sarni]

Not much wrong with the performance today, you can’t go away to Arsenal and expect to dominate a game unless you are Man City. Fine margins, we could have as well won the game.

I don’t like his post game comments on referee’s work though. Focus on your team and iron out what led to this loss, which wasn’t referee’s errors.

 

[bosnian_red]

Spot on. Complain all you like about Spurs, Forest and Wolves performances, but this was not a bad one by any stretch.

Tbh the spurs one wasn't even bad. Well first half at least we were miles better. 2nd half we lost composure after the goal. Today was composed throughout. Forrest we battered them after the 5th minute when we were already 2 goals down and deserved the win... Of course you can't keep making mistakes and excuses, but it's early days. I'm far more optimistic for the season after today than I was before the match. I was fearing a last season at emirates level performance.

If there's something to very reasonably shit on Ten Hag for, it's set pieces. Whatever he's doing is not working. We are among the worst in the league at both ends.

 

[SmallCaine]

It's like me mis-reading your nick as SmallBrained. When have I called for his head? I'd rather spend my entertainment hours being entertained.

Actually genius you are the one mis reading it, I never said you whoever you are or anyone specific are asking for him to be sacked just saying anyone asking for him to sacked is being delusional that sacking ten Hag will fix this.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Shit-on-a-stick football. Every once in awhile we poke into a kebab, but it is then quickly followed up with more shite, rendering the overall experience unpleasant. Might take a break if this keeps up after the International Break.

It is not bad football. We play good football. But we do need to work on some things.

 

[bosnian_red]

They lost their best player by a distance, and Ten Hag has had more time and money. I feel like it can be done.

I agree with you about the rest. I think it’s just that my fears about these concerns are very loud right now.

As for the losses, it’s the consistency of those losses against big sides that is the issue. It’s a very worrying trend that could stop us doing anything noteworthy under his coaching.

I agree, I do think it's gonna change though. For Spurs my point was to let's not ignore that they actually spent 250m, Kane or no Kane. Early days is always different. Teams always have a rebound from a shite situation. It's harder as the year goes on. But for our losses... Yeah it's gotta change, I think it will though. I look at performance levels first for a team in development, and we still are that. Performance level today was much better than last season. My concerns are set pieces at both ends (shambolic as always), and injuries. The first should be able to change with a different specialist coach and isn't that much manager related unless he is blind to it, the 2nd could be a mix of things. Could be ten hags methods, which he'd have to adapt. Could be a result of last season's overload, which probably won't stop til after the new year and if so, will be a long season. Could be bad luck in which case will turn around.

 

[fallengt]

Nah he is right here, ref destroyed us.

Nah other than Garnacho's offside goal, which could've been onside or whatever because the tech ref using is very flawed so who knows.
Other soft decisions didn't go our way, boohoo. You can't blame that for the loss, it's petty.
Arsenal was better team, even though they were not that good. It's United's special that turns every team into prime Barca.

A real stoicist would ask why the heck team lost 10/11 vs away team. Not these

 

[Castia]

He’s being forced to use players he wanted sold. He’s having to drop big players because their attitude isn’t right.

The changing room must be toxic as feck it’s a mess from top to bottom isn’t it

 

[flameinthesun]

I have a feeling things will click. We have been terribly unlucky with injuries but I think when everyone is fit and the team get a bit better at the tactics things will click.

 

[RedRover]

New owners, assuming a basic level of competence, will stand up a proper structure that puts specialists in charge of recruitment and leaves the manager to handle coaching.

You would like to think so.

 

[Lay]

It is not bad football. We play good football. But we do need to work on some things.

Do we? outside of a couple of counter attacks, I don’t see a lot of good football

 

[Pronewbie]

Take a break now, see how you feel in a year?

I'll wait for some of our key players to return. Also for the new signings to bed in. We had a dreadful start of the season last year too so that's my current hopium.

Actually genius you are the one mis reading it, I never said you are asking for him to be sacked just saying anyone asking for him to sacked is being delusional that sacking ten Hag will fix this.

Stop doubling down. You've gone completely off point.

 

[Blood Mage]

His away record is scandalous, you can't defend it. Nowhere near ready to give up on him yet but questions have to start being asked.

 

[Judas]

He’s being forced to use players he wanted sold. He’s having to drop big players because their attitude isn’t right.

The changing room must be toxic as feck it’s a mess from top to bottom isn’t it

This I don’t see or agree with. We don’t play like a troubled or toxic group.

 

[Lash]

Tbh the spurs one wasn't even bad. Well first half at least we were miles better. 2nd half we lost composure after the goal. Today was composed throughout. Forrest we battered them after the 5th minute when we were already 2 goals down and deserved the win... Of course you can't keep making mistakes and excuses, but it's early days. I'm far more optimistic for the season after today than I was before the match. I was fearing a last season at emirates level performance.

If there's something to very reasonably shit on Ten Hag for, it's set pieces. Whatever he's doing is not working. We are among the worst in the league at both ends.

Fair rebuttal, but there were bigger warning signs of poor performances within those that would grant people a right to moan. Today the goal was to improve on last season performance and not lose (in my opinion). We did one of those things, I am gutted we couldn't draw or even nab it.

Yep, although today I think the only reason we concede that last goal was because of the chuckle brothers CBs we had on. We did a good job otherwise, I thought anyway.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

Pretty sure he's still here in 5 years unless he himself wants to leave.

Him pointing to 3 situations he thinks should have gone our way immediately after the final whistle is brilliant to put the media focus on him instead of the team as we go into the international break.

Very doubtful. Even the most successful managers only tend to last ~3 years. Pep, Klopp, and SAF are very much exceptions rather than the rule.

 

[2 man midfield]

I feel like the big moments hurt us, and it’s definitely a mentality issue which Ten Hag needs to address.

We go one up, then immediately concede 35 seconds after. I’d rather we just didn’t score and the game stayed 0-0, as the goal seemed to light a fire under their arse. We should know better than to switch off after scoring.

Garnacho thinks he’s won it at the death, gets ruled out. Again, I’d rather it just not happen as arsenal basically felt like they’d scored a goal.

We need to react better. As weird as it sounds, I feel like if we didn’t put the ball in the net at all, we’d be coming away with a point. Which is as bonkers as it sounds, and implies deep lying issues with how we’re wired.

 

[hobbers]

Thinks Martial had 'a very good performance'....

Probably serious as well. What the feck is wrong with everyone at that club.

 

[el3mel]

Pretty sure he's still here in 5 years unless he himself wants to leave.

Him pointing to 3 situations he thinks should have gone our way immediately after the final whistle is brilliant to put the media focus on him instead of the team as we go into the international break.

No way Qatar are going to endure 5 years of this shit.

If they get charge of United before this year ends, I expect him to be sacked comes the end of the season, if the best this team achieved is another top 4 (which is very doubtful, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and City look miles better than us).

Unlike many of our fans who like the manager even while being shit because he looks cool, Qatar won't endure mediocrity.

 

[bond19821982]

Not much wrong with the performance today, you can’t go away to Arsenal and expect to dominate a game unless you are Man City. Fine margins, we could have as well won the game.

I don’t like his post game comments on referee’s work though. Focus on your team and iron out what led to this loss, which wasn’t referee’s errors.

Its okay to call them out once in a while. Evans foul can't be missed !

 

[Pronewbie]

It is not bad football. We play good football. But we do need to work on some things.

Oof I've happened to watch a fair bit of football the past few weeks (even the Saudi League's El Classico) and I would rank our football this season amongst the most boring and frustrating. Chelsea's pretty dire too but at least they're clowny.

Again, we're ravaged by injury and have some new players bedding in, so that's definitely a factor. But at the end of the day the manager is responsible and hence my posts here.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Do we? outside of a couple of counter attacks, I don’t see a lot of good football

We defended with active play most of game. It is Arsenal away and we played even game with them.
Also, having proper striker up front changes way of play completely (that is why i was for spending all transfer budget on Kane or Osimhen). Lets see how we will look now with Hojlund In attack. First game looked promising.

We have issues of course and that is on Erik to resolve.

 

[big_jeffstar]

He’s being forced to use players he wanted sold. He’s having to drop big players because their attitude isn’t right.

The changing room must be toxic as feck it’s a mess from top to bottom isn’t it

yes. And it probably won’t change while we have the Glazers dithering about absolutely everything

 

[Red Star One]

No way Qatar are going to endure 5 years of this shit.

If they get charge of United before this year ends, I expect him to be sacked comes the end of the season, if the best this team achieved is another top 4 (which is very doubtful, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and City look miles better than us).

Unlike many of our fans who like the manager even while being shit because he looks cool, Qatar won't endure mediocrity.

I guess we’re not getting sold this year and there will be little to no pressure on ETH. Top5 and CL R16 would satisfy majority of the fans.