Yes, I do. Don't think we'll act for a very long time with this.
Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24
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Yes, I do. Don't think we'll act for a very long time with this.
If he finishes 8th he’s gone. That will be a season with 20+ losses there’s no chance he stays on
High press, aggresive center backs to close the space behind the forward line when pressing. Try to turnover the ball and instantly hit a killer pass. Depending on the phase of play do so in the opponents third or failing that regroup and do so from inside our half. Most of the time have 1 fullback come into the midfield to try and make a box midfield and where possible ask the centre backs to pass it through the lines.
All the above doesn't mean it's the correct way to play with this team in the prem. I can see it working but I feel like you really need the right players for it and I just don't know if we have enough of them to do so. I'm also not the greatest fan of the way we setup our high press. Ten Hag has commited to this way of playing for this season and its on him to show us something. I'm not sure with these group of players and these tactics that we will ever be able to really control games this season, though I hope EtH can prove me wrong.
The football Spurs played today at Old Trafford, was the football I thought we'd see under ten Hag. Don't get me wrong, I didn't think they were anything special, especially given the amount of possession they had, but they bossed the game, and that's what you'd expect us to be doing. You also have to take into consideration their starting midfield three wasn't available. I mean, Hojbjerg had more passes (84) than our whole starting midfield three (78). I understand that possessions not the be all and end all, but to me, that stat alone is quite embarrassing.
Fans were snubbing their nose up at the thought of hojlberg, him and skipp in midfield ffs. Injuries to their players. There is no way they should have outplayed us as much as they did. We had totaly no idea how to attack other than hit it over the top from half way line and hope. It was hard to watch.
Im Convinced our players are a lot better than what we are seeing.
Im Convinced our players are a lot better than what we are seeing.
Well there is a style of play it's just not a very good or effective one. The Villa game and parts of this one pretty much show the one-dimensional style of play he wants: press high, force errors, knock the ball into space for forwards to chase and leave a titanic sized gap in the midfield that every team in the league seems to exploit. There's just nothing else there. It really isn't that different from the style Ole used against the big teams (ball over the top for Rashford/Martial to chase).
It's a shame because there was a period last season where we actually looked half decent in possession at times. Seems a long time ago.
I was very much a ETH in fan but you cannot ignore our football this season.
There is virtually no real excuse for it.
Its just one insipid performance after another.
He can have until the end of the season to turn things around but I think he is not capable of doing it.
There is virtually no real excuse for it.
Its just one insipid performance after another.
He can have until the end of the season to turn things around but I think he is not capable of doing it.
But we don't do that, like at all. Not even try. The amount of space today between the attack, midfield and defense was unbelievable. This was probably Spurs' easiest game all season.
Anyway coming back to our set up, I see the lack of compactness and the lack of backing of press by our full backs as our biggest issues. Which he consistently fails to address.
He will almost definitely leave in the summer and Ratcliffe and the new people in charge will see it as the perfect opportunity to have a clean break and fresh start.
We don't do a high press but even if we did, we don't use a high line which means that if we did use a high press it would be a moronic idea since the team would be by default stretched beyond reason. We also don't a play a box midfield, you can just check the passing networks, there is no logic or clear geometry to the positioning of our midfield which is exposed by where and how our players receive/don't receive the ball in midfield.
What we do works nowhere, there isn't a single league where this type of structural disorganization work and that's even when you have superior players.
I have zero doubt about that.
Last year we were greater than sum of our parts. This year we are much worse than sum of our parts.
Who do you think will replace him?
That's what i see every week.
When watching us I honestly can’t belive how wide open we look, the gaps between our players for spurs to play into today was ridiculous
That's part of the no logic. We don't press high but we do position our block in the most stretched way possible which is moronic because the midfield is wide open.
He is basically combining things that should never be combined and there is no reason for it.
Today we've been sitting deeper and they still were passing through our lines with ease, winning the second balls and caging us back for long periods. We're terribly disorganized and one second late to everything. Those who can't still see this ship has sunk they never will.
A Spurs team without their main midfielders and attacking players, but still operating like a well oiled machine all around the field. Passing under pressure, finding their players behind our midfield, the pressing, set pieces, everything. Any excuses about the injures have been liquidated today.
The team is completely mismanaged and has been for many months, tactically lost and devoid of confidence at this point. He has to go.
A Spurs team without their main midfielders and attacking players, but still operating like a well oiled machine all around the field. Passing under pressure, finding their players behind our midfield, the pressing, set pieces, everything. Any excuses about the injures have been liquidated today.
The team is completely mismanaged and has been for many months, tactically lost and devoid of confidence at this point. He has to go.
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No idea. There's loads of managers out there who would be interested to take over at United under a new (and hopefully competent) structure. Being the man who will be the face to fix Manchester United is a huge feather in anybody's cap. There's loads of managers out there who are doing a great job and are worth bringing in though based on the way they've coached their current sides. De Zerbi, Xabi Alonso are 2 who we should obviously be going for, but there's others out there too.
Can't blame him today. Spurs have better players than us.
Its pretty clear when Martinez plays that is what he does, he's very aggresive into the midfield looking to win the ball there. The issue is without him none of our other defenders are capable or brave enough to do so. We pretty much always press high, we just don't do a great job of it which I've highlighted as an issue even if the stats have us as one of the best teams in high turnovers. We still are pretty easy to play through. Regarding the box midfield you clearly see in games one of the fullbacks popping into midfield with bruno and a mctominay for example going ahead of them. Now saying we do that is not the same as saying we do that good or even consistently!
There are clear signs of what EtH wants to do but that doesn't equate to him doing those things well.
Can't tell if serious.
Skipp, Hojbjorg, and Bentancur vs Mainoo, Bruno and Eriksen??
Rashford, Hojlund and Garnacho vs Werner, Richarlison and Brennan Johnson??
Back 4, fair enough I'd agree they have better individuals back there currently (as their 2 CB's came back in today), Dalot I rate over Porro but the rest would start for us. Onana vs Vicario is whatever, no real difference IMO. Today we had a better squad out there than Spurs and the entire difference was coaching.
He can’t turn it around, it’s only question of when now. If it doesn’t turn into a disaster then probably club will part ways when season ends. And we’ll avoid hiring Dutch managers again.
Compare the game at Old Trafford against Spurs last season to this one and tell me which team is going forwards and which is going backwards.
The football we're playing is getting worse all the time, that's more of an issue than results for me.
The football we're playing is getting worse all the time, that's more of an issue than results for me.
Second best to so many teams. He’s not the man for the job
We've now played two teams with more injuries than us and both times we've been outplayed. The excuses need to end. Face facts, he's a poor manager
If you don't see the difference Lisandro made when coming on, I don't know what to tell you.
The agression, the ball control, the passing between the lines.
Spurs dominated possession but deserved feck all. We should have won this.
What hurt is today was Eriksen performing horribly and Garnacho being shut down by their fullback, who had the game of his life.
The game plan was correct, the execution was so-so.
Not nearly as bad as people make this out to be. The plan clearly was to open spaces for Spurs, invite them in our half, then hit them quickly. What the feck did you expect? For us to dominate possession, go toe to toe with them? Play it into their hands? They scored because of 2 individual mistakes, not because they created something amazing.
And most importantly - the question is what happens in the future. We are well aware of every problem we have right now, we are well aware a complete STRUCTURAL and then TEAM rebuild is needed.
What happens next and when does it happen?
And finally - I honestly don't know what should happen to please people in here. If we sack ETH tomorrow and get defensive minded coach, give it a month and there will be massive moaning that we are too defensive. We don't have the players to make high pressing, high possession style work, so a coach like this won't make anything much differently to ETH.
Just be patient and wait. A lot has to happen. In the meanwhile, getting Licha back is huge, hopefully Casemiro will find some form and maybe Rashford will score enough to be sold in the summer.
Bottom line is - sacking ETH right now doesn't benefit Manchester United in any way. Maybe he'll finish 9th and win FA cup and will get sacked immediately after winning it, LVG style.
The agression, the ball control, the passing between the lines.
Spurs dominated possession but deserved feck all. We should have won this.
What hurt is today was Eriksen performing horribly and Garnacho being shut down by their fullback, who had the game of his life.
The game plan was correct, the execution was so-so.
Not nearly as bad as people make this out to be. The plan clearly was to open spaces for Spurs, invite them in our half, then hit them quickly. What the feck did you expect? For us to dominate possession, go toe to toe with them? Play it into their hands? They scored because of 2 individual mistakes, not because they created something amazing.
And most importantly - the question is what happens in the future. We are well aware of every problem we have right now, we are well aware a complete STRUCTURAL and then TEAM rebuild is needed.
What happens next and when does it happen?
And finally - I honestly don't know what should happen to please people in here. If we sack ETH tomorrow and get defensive minded coach, give it a month and there will be massive moaning that we are too defensive. We don't have the players to make high pressing, high possession style work, so a coach like this won't make anything much differently to ETH.
Just be patient and wait. A lot has to happen. In the meanwhile, getting Licha back is huge, hopefully Casemiro will find some form and maybe Rashford will score enough to be sold in the summer.
Bottom line is - sacking ETH right now doesn't benefit Manchester United in any way. Maybe he'll finish 9th and win FA cup and will get sacked immediately after winning it, LVG style.
Usual deluded post-match comments from him. Thought we played well, showed plenty of fight, etc etc.
An utterly crap manager.
Did you see their line up?
Totally serious. Just because we are Man Utd and they are Spurs doesn't mean we have a god given right to having better players than them. We don't.
Did you see ours?
With all respect, you've not got a clue what you're talking about
Yes we had a much stronger squad than there’s today?
They do but Ten Hag is to blame since he spent £400m on this dross.
Spurs transformed their back 5 to one I'd take every player over ours, in a single summer.
Regardless of your opinion on Ralf Rangnick, it does feel like a bit of a red flag in hindsight that he was suddenly axed completely and ETH was allowed free rein with Murtough.
It highlights the importance of having a good structure above the manager (something clearly nonexistent at United). Klopp wanted Julian Brandt at Liverpool. They told him no, bought Salah instead and the rest is history.
It highlights the importance of having a good structure above the manager (something clearly nonexistent at United). Klopp wanted Julian Brandt at Liverpool. They told him no, bought Salah instead and the rest is history.
We really do
Absolutely not. I'd say our starting elevens were about equal, with them having the edge in terms of physicality and intensity. Which made a big difference.
I know. I listed their starting 11 today. It was not better than ours. Not when their entire midfield trio and their 2 most important attackers are missing, then they sold their best player in the summer. They did not have a better midfield 3 or front 3 than us. Just like fecking Bournemouth didn't have a better group of players than us when they battered us 3-0 at Old Trafford. You can't always point to player quality, as most of the time it isn't down to that. That'd only be an excuse if we were playing like a CL challenger but couldn't close the gap to City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
The guys talks like we’re a plucky underdog fighting to stay in the division. Someone tell him that he’s spent more money than some countries GDP.
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