His head is shinier too. Feck Pep
Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24
- Thread starter sewey89
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Exciting times but I have a concern that the players are giving it a 110% in no small part due to an eagerness to prove last seasons shit show was about management and not them and that they that will ease off and put the feet up after a few games once they have proved their point - remember Oles interim spell? Pogba was outstanding, once it was accepted that it was all Jose's fault, the players stopped working.
Hope I'm wrong but I just don't trust a lot of these players and I'll need more then a few training videos and one pre season game before I start believing in them again.
Hope I'm wrong but I just don't trust a lot of these players and I'll need more then a few training videos and one pre season game before I start believing in them again.
Happy days! Regardless of reaching top 4, trophies and all the other nonsense, I think it's safe to say we now have a proper manager. Seen enough already to know whatever is coming our way, it has to be a massive step up in how the team will be coached and what we'll see on the pitch. Everything else is gravy.
Yup.
Likewise, I’m far from convinced that Donny is going to make it at United, but it’s quite obvious that a lot of posters are champing at the bit for him to fail so that can tell us they knew it all along. The fact that they repeat themselves at every available opportunity suggests that it isn’t remotely subconscious though.
I think as fans we have every right to feel like this. We always seem to come good after a break for 2/3 games.
Its the PTSD in us fans to be negative because we have seen it happen so many times.
No Ronaldo might be significant though.
Mainly Dutch posters
You’ll know better than me, but people from the Randstad regard those from outside it as a load of uncouth bumpkins; even those from brainy towns like Groningen.
Ehm mm I prefer football to be played on the pitch, Rangnick had a lot to say but the football didn't look like it.
Yup totally correct. The thing also is that we Dutchies pride ourselves on being the best non native English speakers, so when one of our own speaks English like Ten Hag does, it's not a good look.Mainly Dutch posters
You’ll know better than me, but people from the Randstad regard those from outside it as a load of uncouth bumpkins; even those from brainy towns like Groningen.
There is truth to that I think, it was really ridiculous. Probably a huge bias, but I never made a big issue out of the way he speaks anyway.Mainly Dutch posters
You’ll know better than me, but people from the Randstad regard those from outside it as a load of uncouth bumpkins; even those from brainy towns like Groningen.
Newspapers were writing about it, its laughable.
Yeah not saying it's a big deal, performances on the pitch is what counts. Plenty of footballers are dull as dishwater. Probably part of the reason he has such a big PR team.
Yeah I’m a bit sceptical about that as well.
Bear in mind though that a major reason the players have given up in the past was because they haven’t been fit enough and after a while have just found it all too hard. Ole called them out for it but was never able to improve the fitness levels. ETH has been onto it straight away; I do believe it’ll pay dividends later on.
Poch’s English, by way of contrast, was fabulous before he even set foot over here.
Oh wait…
Ole ran his players to the ground, didn't sub or rotate majorly because he knew any change alters the balance massively because there was never a universal idea.
Plus many have forgotten but in the first half of his first full season we ran a lot. It was after he altered his midfield bringing Matic into it during lockdown and Pogba (return from injury) and Greenwood getting into the side.
It brought about the best run of result so he decided to stop being Klopp 2.0 from then on.
After the mauling at Tottenham the start of the next season he reversed the midfield again this time attempting to blend the two concepts he achieved second and then he went to sign Ronaldo further reducing the running ability of the team the rest is history.
All good points, but it remains the case that we’ve almost invariably collapsed at the end of every season ever since Jose was appointed. That’s got to be fitness related.
The notable exception was 19/20, when there was an enforced break courtesy of Covid.
Yes I believe this is due to our let the talent do the attacking so we sit back and wait to get on the ball idea of Ole and Mourinho.
Pressing teams build fitness and recruit players with running power because its fundamental to their philosophy, its something we overlook and underestimate.
Varane and Rashford already talking about how physically demanding ETH football, not surprise because Madrid are similar.
I think previously training most have been less intense than games.
Oh I'm sure you're right.
It couldn't be relied upon though even without the pressing. Lots of our players (Pogba, Martial, even Lukaku) looked knackered half the time. Fans were quick to label them lazy, but I reckon it went deeper than that. Same with De Gea's crap distribution; the managers were clearly happy with it. Now we have a manager who isn't, it's suddenly improved.
Love that ten Hag is all about movement and he likes players to commit forward. Should score lots of goals next season! Can’t wait for it to start!!
Hope your right. I'm excited by the future and particularly if FDJ arrives. It will start to be ETHs squad. I'd like to see a few more departures yet also, squad still somewhat unbalanced.
Rashford, Maguire and Shaw and indeed Sancho have it all still to prove. Varane and Bruno also need to dramatically improve from last season. Right back remains a big weakness for us too.
In football you must run either way, if you press and have the capacity to keep the ball its at least isn't mentally draining, if you sit back you still have to close people down else you'll concede, you can play this way if the players see themselves as genuine underdogs but if they don't its only a matter of time before people start mourning, soon they don't close down their markers and then they start conceding and heads dropping.
Its a mix of the physical and mental exhaustion that led to the dowfall of Ole and Mourinho, in Mourinho case his toxicity as well.
he seriously won’t allow it. He’s the type of manager that would play kids before that happened. Ole didn’t rotate enough, he would bring subs on at 85 minutes.. I’m hoping ETH will do better in that regard as all the best teams rotate meaning fresher more energised squad. The way our squad was managed was actually pretty poor.
It's very impressive that he can make Martial and Rashford run and press well. DDG playing well with his feet and coming out of the line.
All that in 2-3 weeks.
All that in 2-3 weeks.
I think the squad last season was easily good enough for 3rd. It just massively underperformed.
This season, assuming we buy a couple more ex-Ajax players to replace the outgoings, I reckon we'll have a squad good enough for 3rd again.
EtH should be aiming for Tuchel rather than Arteta or Conte, imo.
More abstractly, a total of 75 to 80 points should be the aim. Any more than that would constitute a brilliant season of progress even without a trophy.
This season, assuming we buy a couple more ex-Ajax players to replace the outgoings, I reckon we'll have a squad good enough for 3rd again.
EtH should be aiming for Tuchel rather than Arteta or Conte, imo.
More abstractly, a total of 75 to 80 points should be the aim. Any more than that would constitute a brilliant season of progress even without a trophy.
Its almost as if thats exactly what Martial and Rashford were doing in 19/20 as well.
Its the first pre-season game, lets wait for some more consistency from everyone
Agreed.
The annoying thing was that Ole seemed to recognise it but failed to do anything about it; by all accounts his Molde side was a hard working one. Maybe it was just that he was too soft and Woodward told him not to upset the players by making them work hard.
This football we played vs Liverpool makes so much sense. It's like... why should anyone play it differently? Pass and move, pass and make yourself available etc. It's the basics, but the difference is that basics are being done consistently.
It's like everywhere in life - the ones who do the basics the best, they win.
So yeah, ETH seems like a Messiah currently, but truth is that the standard of football was just utterly low. He has just brought it back to where it should be. Currently that's what I'm happy with.
This season I'd like to see more training for getting better at basics and being collective in everything on the pitch - transitions, pressing, defending, attacking and cohesion. Because there are very good players on the pitch who has tons of ability, but their basics lack the necessary standard because the team has forgotten about it. So, if we unlock the players, we can have a decent season: Top4, some amazing games (especially vs City and Liverpool), deep run in cups and EL and great emotions (good and bad ones).
What I'd not want to see is switching off mentally, lowering the standards and moaning on and off the pitch. I think it's achievable.
It's like everywhere in life - the ones who do the basics the best, they win.
So yeah, ETH seems like a Messiah currently, but truth is that the standard of football was just utterly low. He has just brought it back to where it should be. Currently that's what I'm happy with.
This season I'd like to see more training for getting better at basics and being collective in everything on the pitch - transitions, pressing, defending, attacking and cohesion. Because there are very good players on the pitch who has tons of ability, but their basics lack the necessary standard because the team has forgotten about it. So, if we unlock the players, we can have a decent season: Top4, some amazing games (especially vs City and Liverpool), deep run in cups and EL and great emotions (good and bad ones).
What I'd not want to see is switching off mentally, lowering the standards and moaning on and off the pitch. I think it's achievable.
All that negativity before that game. Now lets give him time and let him buy the players he wants. EtH above any player now and the club and fans seriously need to get behind him (and not the players)
It's amazing what a bit of fear can do. Both are playing for their future at United and if they fail here, they'll not get a chance at a top side. Seems it's obvious the manager won't accept second rate.
Whilst I do appreciate players benefit from proper coaching and a system they understand, work rate and fitness aren't based on talent so there should be no excuses.
Fully agree.
Work rate and fitness depends on coaches, not just on individuals.
Players press because they are trained to press.
That’s an eternity ago.
DDG regularly played the way he did on Tuesday under LvG. That was even longer ago.
Your comment about consistency is fair enough. I’m pretty sure our lack of it is largely down to a lack of fitness, which ETH seems determined to sort out.
I think they were motivated for different reasons -- Martial needs to be aggressive to keep his job and Rashford, the first summer he has had off in 5 yrs. A lot more refreshed.
Having watched the full game against Liverpool, the biggest noticeable aspect of ETH’s methods for me was the numerous times our full backs made under lapping runs inside of the wingers. Especially in the first half. It happened on multiple occasions and was great to see as it gave us so many options. It’s something Pep does a lot. Dalot nearly scored from one of these situations too where Sancho played him in.
and he looks like Andy Parsons.........
How often do you think he needs to shave his head to keep it so clean? And is it easy to shave by yourself or does he need someone to help? Mitchell shaves his head then ETH does Mitchell?
I really really hope you are right as that is exactly what is needed. I guess we will find out over the season.
I suspect they both sit in front of the mirror when they wake up, probably take their time. 2 hours or so as they philosophise new training techniques, carefully sculping each hair to a fine .mm
Depends how the window goes, if we get Frenkie then yeah I agree even with nothing new in attack. But the attack is looking very light with only Sancho, Rashford and Martial (and Ronaldo). Need some depth for sure. Helps being in Europa League so we can probably get by with elanga playing a bigger squad role and rotating Bruno or Eriksen wide occasionally if needed.
Generally though, yeah 3rd is very much up for grabs. A long way to go for us as we have to develop our system more and have some significant gaps at the moment (midfield and attack), while the others also have good managers with more depth and are more settled.
It’s reassuring to see a coach who knows exactly how he wants to play and the players he needs in order to achieve that.
He’s starting with the spine, from CB, CM to AM, all excellent on the ball, all excellent at breaking the lines, and all very press resistant.
He’s starting with the spine, from CB, CM to AM, all excellent on the ball, all excellent at breaking the lines, and all very press resistant.
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