Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

[BenitoSTARR]

Dont like to patronise but how old are you? YOu saying that ETH is not a problem? YOu realise there can be and indeed are more than one problem. ETH is utterly lost, his signings are woeful, and he has no idea how to set up a team. Point 4, really? Why did we pay £82m for Antony, or £60m for Mount? The list goes on. Our senior management are crap. we know that and they are being replaced.

If you don’t mean to patronise then maybe don’t ask how old someone is before making a low quality post yourself.

Why is ETH lost? Other than Antony I can’t see an ETH signing that’s “woeful”.

He clearly has an idea how to set up a team. He’s made an entire career out of football management. He wouldn’t be in that career if he wasn’t able to do as you suggest.

We paid that much money for those players because we have a poor footballing and recruitment structure that makes us weaker in negotiations and results in us overpaying for players.

 

[Ish]

If you don’t mean to patronise then maybe don’t ask how old someone is before making a low quality post yourself.

Why is ETH lost? Other than Antony I can’t see an ETH signing that’s “woeful”.

He clearly has an idea how to set up a team. He’s made an entire career out of football management. He wouldn’t be in that career if he wasn’t able to do as you suggest.

We paid that much money for those players because we have a poor footballing and recruitment structure that makes us weaker in negotiations and results in us overpaying for players.

Ouch

 

[Wolfbot]

Man Utd don't score enough goals.

Solution: Hire a manager who's teams are best known for their inability to score goals.

I'm not saying Potter is the man but could it be that we don't score many goals because we barely have the ball?

I don't think Potter would take us where we want to go but I'd rather watch his brand of football than the utter shit we've been served under Ten Hag.

 

[pocco]

Young, Valencia, Fletcher and Rooney were all 26-28 when Moyes took over.

As you say some very key players were the wrong side of 30 but its a bit of a myth that the squad in general was aging.

Ferguson didn't replace key players as in his words he wanted his successor to be able to build his own team. Moyes and Woodward dithered too much, he should have signed 4-5 players that summer.

If I recall correctly Rooney was looking pretty far from the player he was, hence LVG trying to make him into a midfielder at times, and others like Valencia were struggling with injuries and also not quite the level they were as a result.

 

[pocco]

Man Utd don't score enough goals.

Solution: Hire a manager who's teams are best known for their inability to score goals.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't his Brighton team massively underperform against xG on a regular basis? I vaguely remember a discussion about it. Think he had Maupay up front who missed chances for fun.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't his Brighton team massively underperform against xG on a regular basis? I vaguely remember a discussion about it. Think he had Maupay up front who missed chances for fun.

I think the conclusion there was that they create chances for fun but lacked a center forward who could finish them. EtH’s problem has been that the side fail to create any chances.

 

[pocco]

I think the conclusion there was that they create chances for fun but lacked a center forward who could finish them. EtH’s problem has been that the side fail to create any chances.

Yeah that's it. Then they started scoring when they got Mitoma, Ferguson, J. Pedro etc into their attack. Even under Potter they would sometimes put away their chances, think they scored 4 against us once or twice. Both Pep and Klopp have talked about how good a manager he is and how highly regarded he is in footballing circles, yet people on here talk as if he's some Sunday league level coach.

 

[Oranges038]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't his Brighton team massively underperform against xG on a regular basis? I vaguely remember a discussion about it. Think he had Maupay up front who missed chances for fun.

And Chelsea? Blame the forwards there too?

Didn't Brighton start scoring more goals under De Zerbi after he left, with pretty much the same forwards?

 

[devilish]

I actually have no issues with Potter to be honest but I think Ineos would go for young manager who is on the up and would attempt to clear the house of all the big earners and egos whom they don't see contributing if and when we are ready to compete at highest level in next few years .

Less said about Southgate the better .

The only two things I can think of that link Potter with Southgate is that they are both English and they are both of a similar age group. One can also say that both were hired when Ashworth were in charge. However I beg to differ on that. First of all Ashworth's role with the FA had little to do with appointing managers. Secondly Southgate was already in the FA's radar being Ashworth's predecessor in the FA director of elite development's role. Sure there will be interviews out there with Ashworth praising Southgate which is understandable considering the roles they covered. Having said that its evident that Southgate had strong connections with England prior to Ashworth's appointment. In fact Ashworth wouldn't have gotten his role with the FA if Southgate hasn't resigned from it.

Potter is different.

a- he had some level of success as manager at a EPL club level something Southgate never had.
b- he's someone who got hired directly by Ashworth and had proven to be comfortable working under him. This will further consolidate itself following his 'experience' at the Circus erm Chelsea
c- he's not a 'system manager'. His tactics are adaptable (4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 3-4-2-1, 4-3-3 etc). That will earn him points in a disfunctional United which is basically a mesh of different styles
d- Potter's ideology to football is far closer to SJR's believes as opposed to Southgate's
e- Southgate comes across as a very stubborn man whose already got issues with two of United's highest paid players (Sancho and Rashy). That's not an issue with Potter

The devils is in the detail though. For example was Potter signed at Brighton because Ashworth believed that he was one of the promising managers in the world or is it down to him being the best manager they could get at Brighton? Considering that United is not Brighton, could Ashworth decide to aim higher?

 

[adkb]

How is firing a manager poor decision making? Every club in the history of forever has done it. We wouldn't have had Sir Alex if we hadn't fired Atkinson. Liverpool wouldn't have had Klopp had they not fired Rodgers. Chelsea would not have won the European Cup had they not sacked AVB. I could go on and on.

None of the managers we've sacked have shown it was a mistake to dismiss them. I'm fairly sure it will be the same with ten Hag.

Firing a manager is not poor decision. Firing the manager with our context is a poor decision. We are a team that has no identity. If we need to create one, we need to clean up our act. The structure of the club is not fit for managers to flourish. We have seen it over and over again. Firing ETH now is giving these players a life line, which should not happen IMO.

 

[Gordon Godot]

If you don’t mean to patronise then maybe don’t ask how old someone is before making a low quality post yourself.

Why is ETH lost? Other than Antony I can’t see an ETH signing that’s “woeful”.

He clearly has an idea how to set up a team. He’s made an entire career out of football management. He wouldn’t be in that career if he wasn’t able to do as you suggest.

We paid that much money for those players because we have a poor footballing and recruitment structure that makes us weaker in negotiations and results in us overpaying for players.

Sorry youre talking rubbish. Just another ETH fan boy. ETH wanted and was given almost full control of transfers. Its unprecedented for any major team in any major league to have signed so many ex players or players from the home league of the manager. Sure negotiator were poor but these were ETH targets.

Do you actually watch United? You know what good football looks like? You say, 'He’s made an entire career out of football management' - Well so have over a couple of hundred people in the UK alone, before considering rest of Europe. How many of those are good enough for United?

Did you watch the Wolves game at start of season, and then the Fulham game recently? Both times we're carved open by bang average teams, first match with a fully fit squad and strongest 11. Then we put 11 players behind the ball at City. Wow, just genious.

Woeful signings, other than Antony (honestly just terrible, from day one he looked incredibly limited), Weghorst, Amrabat (£8.5m loan fee), Mount (£60m and in hibernation). Malacia, lacks physicality for PL and now also disappeared.

Honestly, its embarrassing. How standards are so low and the excuses for dire football and performances. Are you a Ten Haag fan or a United fan, its hard to tell

 

[DRJosh]

I bet ETH knows he won’t be here next season. Just got to see out the remaining games now. We’d have very little to play for after we get knocked out of the FA Cup against Liverpool.

 

[devilish]

A few thoughts...

1 - If we all really think ETH is the problem, then we are saying that our roster is good enough to finish Top 4 & good enough to win the Champions League...is ETH the problem?

2 - Name 1 coach who could come in, and do better than ETH - assuming no changes from the current roster and no changes in our injury situation...who is it & what's the cost?

3 - A cup and Champions League last year - ETH "overachieved" last year, thank you ETH...

4 - I will accept: I don't like him, he's not charismatic (was Sir Alex??), etc...and if he is a terrible coach, why did we get him & pay him that much?

Go Team Go!

I don't think that the manager is the main problem with United. Else we would have gotten that problem sorted long ago. Its evident that the main issue is down to structure. The fans accept it, SJR had talked about it and changes are currently underway to mend that.

However is the manager part of the solution though?
-Can he work with a team who doesn't constantly buy players ETH knows?
-We are suffering a ridiculous amount of injuries. Sure that's a complex issue. HOWEVER is that also down to ETH running the squad to the ground during training?
- Can he handle huge egos?
- Does it make sense to try and play two advanced CMs given that there aren't many Rodri/Keane/Robson around?

These are the sort of questions that INEOS should and will be asking

 

[adkb]

I am sorry but this is absolutely deluded. Its not about patterns. All our previous appointments pre ETH were poor, some just a joke. The bar is set very low, and the club is dysfunctional. But ETh has been given full backing with £400m to spend and a veto if not seemingly full control over transfers in a way unprecedented at a top club. People say he was set up to fail, but he wanted transfer control, if had to accept players he probably doesnt come. He wanted Antony and all the rest. Thats one of the most concerning things. He's certainly done a great job at lowering expectations wherby some seem to treat a 3-1 loss at City with 20% possession as some form of masterclass.

The play on the pitch is garbage. We are simply awful to watch, its literal chaos and we only score out of individual great play out of that same chaos. We cant retain or more the ball to create openings, so very few phases of play in the oppo half. I wont go on. But there is nothing we see

He has a high win rate as he played a full strength team in the mickey mouse cup that we won, had a fairly easy Europa draw, and so far an easy FA cup draw. Seriously get some perspective.

Thank you for calling me deluded.

Thank you for calling Mourinho, Van Gal, Ragnick, Ole a joke.

You clearly understand football very differently than I do.
I do not know who is calling the City game a masterclass, but considering Jonny fecking Evans was starting with Victor at LB, i'd say I cannot be too arsed about the result as I knew we did not stand a chance. Rashford is shitting bricks, Hojlund just started scoring, our entire attacking output is coming from Garnacho who ideally should not have so much pressure on him. Antony has been a below par player and by all means its on ETH, but if we had a fecking structure to the club where we do not simply buy randos at the request of manager then we wouldn't be in this situation. You sign Conte tomorrow and he will sign some dross from Italian league and they may turn out good or may turn out shit, but we have been through this process many times. Hojlund has been a good signing, so has Casemiro. Mainoo has shown development, and so has Dalot and AwB.

I am happy with the manager because there has been a change in the ownership and so far all the decisions they are taking look like something that should have been done years ago. I am going to trust the new owners, and they will certainly be aware of how deep ETH is as far as firing him is concerned.

That mickey mouse cup is still a win, and that win is a success story for players like Garnacho. It is important for them to aspire bigger trophies.

It seems like you were just ranting, so sorry if I rained on your parade by writing all this.

 

[MonkeysMagic]

Whilst I don't expect it to happen, Utd are too passive in these matters, I don't see any downsides to an interim appointment if it frees up the players because let's be honest with ETH we are not getting top 5!

With the FA cup, we are not winning it given the teams remaining and may even be out next round, if relegation threatened teams look for a new manager bounce, why not look for the same to get top 4/5?

 

[SteveCoppellFan]

Having a whole squad apart from a couple who treat a football like a hot potato cannot help any manager.

ETH has made mistakes and our football has been dire virtually all season so that's on him, but damn these players are just not good enough for any manager.

 

[izak]

Get him out, weren't going anywhere with him and his style of football.

 

[Solius]

Then we put 11 players behind the ball at City. Wow, just genious.

I tasted this irony through my screen.

 

[soapythecat]

Hopefully ETH knows he's toast and decides to start going for it in matches - we might look threatening. Can't get any worse, surely?
His contract expires in 2025, so in the summer when it's in the final year, sacking him becomes cheaper - I can't see them letting him go into the final year of his contract at the start of the season - it's Moyes at West Ham all over and doesn't help anyone. Unless he's been told that a new contract is coming once DoF and CEO are in place, then he must know.

 

[big_jeffstar]

It's overblown excuse really.

The only notable absence has been Martinez and he has become way, way overrated thanks to his long term absence.

Varane returned from injury and yet set on the bench for many games for Maguire anyway.

Mount was dropped to the bench to Scott McTominay even while being fit.

Casemiro has been terrible whenever he played this season yet you're telling his absence is now a crisis.

Eriksen has been terrible whenever he started a game this year and only performed well as a bench option.

Shaw returned and played games and we were still crap anyway.

Meanwhile our attacking lineup has been mostly intact with no injuries throughout the season : Antony, Rashford, Bruno, Garnacho, Martial. Yet we only scored 24 goals in 21 games.

Yeah, it's an overblown excuse, and I'll say it again, the long time out has made Martinez the most overrated player at Man United. He's a good player but he's not Maldini for his absence to be that grave, for God's sake.

it’s not that Martinez is “over-rated” as a player, he is comfortably one of our best players for sure, but it’s more the fact that with him, Malacia, Shaw, AND Casemiro out, it completely messes up the system ten hag wants to play.. he’s playing Maguire because it’s the only other viable option, Onana has to go long, but he was brought in to play out from the back, yet none of our other centre backs are capable.. we’ve almost played the entire season with a make shift team playing weird football because we don’t have any other option.. that’s why think he gets another year

 

[Sarni]

And Chelsea? Blame the forwards there too?

Didn't Brighton start scoring more goals under De Zerbi after he left, with pretty much the same forwards?

You can't possibly, because if there's one thing Chelsea are renowned for it is that their strikers are extremely prolific.

 

[bludsucker]

If you don’t mean to patronise then maybe don’t ask how old someone is before making a low quality post yourself.

Why is ETH lost? Other than Antony I can’t see an ETH signing that’s “woeful”.

He clearly has an idea how to set up a team. He’s made an entire career out of football management. He wouldn’t be in that career if he wasn’t able to do as you suggest.

We paid that much money for those players because we have a poor footballing and recruitment structure that makes us weaker in negotiations and results in us overpaying for players.

How about Onana, Mount, Malacia, Amrabat. They have all been varying degrees of woeful if you ask me with anthony being the king of woefulland.

 

[Fallon d'Floor]

And Chelsea? Blame the forwards there too?

Didn't Brighton start scoring more goals under De Zerbi after he left, with pretty much the same forwards?

That's actually Chelsea's biggest issue right now. They often create chances, but don't finish them. They created 5 big chances vs Liverpool in The League Cup final. Missed all of them. They're 8 goals worse off in the league than they should be. They're 6 points worse off than they should be as well.

Nicolas Jackson has actually had a decent season during a troubled season for them. He's still only 22, so might come good.

With Nkunku being injured for most of the season, they've lacked a reliable goalscorer. Palmer has been their main source of goals.

They should have bought a proven ST instead of the likes of Sanchez and Lavia. Lavia is good, but they didn't need him.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

We are a team that has no identity. If we need to create one, we need to clean up our act. The structure of the club is not fit for managers to flourish. We have seen it over and over again. Firing ETH now is giving these players a life line, which should not happen IMO.

Here is the issue: if you cannot judge a manager because the structure is poor, how are you going to judge the structure if the manager is poor? Surely the structure cannot deliver results under poor management.

You have to try and separate things and judge them on what they do.

 

[BenitoSTARR]

Sorry youre talking rubbish. Just another ETH fan boy. ETH wanted and was given almost full control of transfers. Its unprecedented for any major team in any major league to have signed so many ex players or players from the home league of the manager. Sure negotiator were poor but these were ETH targets.

Do you actually watch United? You know what good football looks like? You say, 'He’s made an entire career out of football management' - Well so have over a couple of hundred people in the UK alone, before considering rest of Europe. How many of those are good enough for United?

Did you watch the Wolves game at start of season, and then the Fulham game recently? Both times we're carved open by bang average teams, first match with a fully fit squad and strongest 11. Then we put 11 players behind the ball at City. Wow, just genious.

Woeful signings, other than Antony (honestly just terrible, from day one he looked incredibly limited), Weghorst, Amrabat (£8.5m loan fee), Mount (£60m and in hibernation). Malacia, lacks physicality for PL and now also disappeared.

Honestly, its embarrassing. How standards are so low and the excuses for dire football and performances. Are you a Ten Haag fan or a United fan, its hard to tell

A fan boy who would have zero issue with Ten Hag being replaced if that’s what INEOS decide to do…. Right ok?

Going going Godone.

I don't think that the manager is the main problem with United. Else we would have gotten that problem sorted long ago. Its evident that the main issue is down to structure. The fans accept it, SJR had talked about it and changes are currently underway to mend that.

However is the manager part of the solution though?
-Can he work with a team who doesn't constantly buy players ETH knows?
-We are suffering a ridiculous amount of injuries. Sure that's a complex issue. HOWEVER is that also down to ETH running the squad to the ground during training?
- Can he handle huge egos?
- Does it make sense to try and play two advanced CMs given that there aren't many Rodri/Keane/Robson around?

These are the sort of questions that INEOS should and will be asking

Absolutely and good questions that need serious thought. He’s not necessarily the problem but is he the solution?

I think we’ll keep him till end of the season and my preference would be give him a chance under the new structure as I think there is enough in him to potentially be that solution with support of others and time.

How about Onana, Mount, Malacia, Amrabat. They have all been varying degrees of woeful if you ask me with anthony being the king of woefulland.

I’m going to say how I feel and prepare for the backlash. Onana has been really good recently and is being severely limited by the back line constantly rotating and not being comfortable on the ball like he is. I think he’s a good signing. Not a great one but I think for how we want to play long term he will be a good signing.

Mount is a very good player who we haven’t really seen play for us. So too soon to say success or failure. Annoying he’s been injured so from that perspective it’s been terrible luck.

Malacia was a cheap and great option last season. He has been very good value but again unlucky this season with injury. He was being regularly praised last year for his contribution and his aggression.

Amrabat hasn’t worked out but is also a loan signing so not someone I consider a proper signing rightly or wrongly. In the same way I wouldn’t class Weghorst as a proper signing more an emergency/ stop gap.

Antony while I agree hasn’t performed as we’d hoped has had some good games and were he cheaper wouldn’t be subject to as much derision. But he can be considered failing right now.

 

[VP89]

Sorry youre talking rubbish. Just another ETH fan boy.

I think it's all well and good having reasonable debates with the other side, but it's just posts like these calling people "fanboys" that just can't be taken seriously.

 

[Sarni]

How about Onana, Mount, Malacia, Amrabat. They have all been varying degrees of woeful if you ask me with anthony being the king of woefulland.

Onana has been much better recently, and Mount has barely played.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

it’s not that Martinez is “over-rated” as a player, he is comfortably one of our best players for sure, but it’s more the fact that with him, Malacia, Shaw, AND Casemiro out, it completely messes up the system ten hag wants to play.. he’s playing Maguire because it’s the only other viable option, Onana has to go long, but he was brought in to play out from the back, yet none of our other centre backs are capable.. we’ve almost played the entire season with a make shift team playing weird football because we don’t have any other option.. that’s why think he gets another year

Right. But isn't this missing the forest for the trees?

Managers aren't hired to implement systems. They are hired to win football matches and trophies. The systems they implement are just a tool to achieve this goal. If the manager only has one tool in their toolkit then that is very bad.

 

[Chumpsbechumps]

How about Onana, Mount, Malacia, Amrabat. They have all been varying degrees of woeful if you ask me with anthony being the king of woefulland.

Onana seems to be growing into the team. Considering he’s never had a settled defence on front of him it’s been a tough baptism for him.

Mount and Malacia have been injured most of the time so it’s stupid to call them woeful.

Amrabat is a last minute loan signing , not sure how that tells us much regardless as it’s not like we spent a forgiven on him or weghorst. I really don’t get why people make so much of these kind of things instead of wondering why our managers have to bring in these Ighalo level signings. That’s a bigger issue.

The Anthony one is the worst but what manager hasn’t made at least a couple of bad signings?

Regardless, the transfer policy of the club is the problem. No United managers since SAF having a solid squad and solid options on the bench is a club issue, not a manager issue

ETH is probably unlikely to last past the summer but this “his signings are crap” is nonsense. If anything we’ve probably gotten more out of his signings then we have out of any other managers transfer Windows the last 11 years.

Martinez, Casemiro , Hoijland and more recently Onana have not been as bad as some of the other ones like Sancho , Ronaldo , Di Maria , Van der beek, Lukaku , Pogba (after 2nd season), mikitharian, Martial , schneiderlain.

Mount hasn’t played so you can’t judge him even if we did overpay.

Harry Maguire could be on that over spent list but this season under ETH he’s probably increased his sell on fee, not to often we can say that about players.

There’s plenty to be concerned about with ETH, I think transfers is a red herring focus of attention.

 

[pocco]

And Chelsea? Blame the forwards there too?

Didn't Brighton start scoring more goals under De Zerbi after he left, with pretty much the same forwards?

Well what do you think? Do you rate the Chelsea forwards he had? Some good players but none renowned goalscorers. Felix, Sterling, Havertz, Pulisic, Mudryk etc. Not to mention that he was coming into a disaster of a situation with Boehly, all the upheaval of many new signings and mostly young and unproven players. Look at Chelsea now after a further £250m of investment, are they much better? Palmer signing is their saving grace, unless some of the younger signings come good.

Yes, Brighton did. I don't dispute that Brighton are more attacking under De Zerbi, but both are good managers still. De Zerbi also now has Mitoma, Ferguson, Joao Pedro, Adringa, Ansu Fati...of course they will score goals. No comparison to Maupay etc, who did get the chances due to their build-up play and system, which Potter should take some credit for. There's also a case that Brighton could do with a bit more control over games at times under De Zerbi, which is an approach Potter favoured over De Zerbi. Whilst his style of play is great to watch, they've been dropping points for a while.

 

[Robbie Boy]

I would genuinely rather keep ETH than go anywhere near Potter.

 

[Shinjch]

I would genuinely rather keep ETH than go anywhere near Potter.

Same, in the desperation to get rid of the current coach people will paint a picture of the grass being automatically greener no matter who else is in the dugout now though. I understand that, but putting someone with Potter's standing into the job will mean we are in the same position in 18 months time when he is having a tough spell.

 

[pocco]

I think Potter is mostly being discussed as there's a lot of talk in the media about us going for him and his connections with Ashworth.

For me personally, I do rate him as a manager but I think he needs to go off and prove himself elsewhere. I'd like to see him at a West Ham type club, or even back at Brighton if De Zerbi leaves.

 

[Laurencio]

Right. But isn't this missing the forest for the trees?

Managers aren't hired to implement systems. They are hired to win football matches and trophies. The systems they implement are just a tool to achieve this goal. If the manager only has one tool in their toolkit then that is very bad.

He clearly has more than one tool in his toolkit. He adapted Ajax multiple times over the years, and took some pretty big scalps by adjusting to the opposition. He just seems to have forgotten how to do that here and completely underestimated the physicality of the premier league. That or our players are poor and we genuinly have the 8th best squad in the league.

 

[Skills]

Someone like Potter is passable as a placeholder, if you're willing to sack him as soon as someone better is available.

But we know that won't happen here - because the world's biggest collective rimming will hype him up to be second coming of Ferguson himself before long.

 

[Longshanks]

Same, in the desperation to get rid of the current coach people will paint a picture of the grass being automatically greener no matter who else is in the dugout now though. I understand that, but putting someone with Potter's standing into the job will mean we are in the same position in 18 months time when he is having a tough spell.

That could happen with any of the managers that are available though. It's happened to managers with much bigger standing than Graham Potter aswell. ETH has failed that's clear to see there is no way we are achieving anything with him.

Picking a new manager is always a shot in the dark. You have no idea if a manager is going to come in and be successful, they could have the best CV in the world and compleatly flop or they could have a slightly iffy CV and actually do well. In a modern footballing structure you hire and fire managers until you find the right fit. That could be anyone that is available right now or non of them.

 

[Gavinb33]

How about Onana, Mount, Malacia, Amrabat. They have all been varying degrees of woeful if you ask me with anthony being the king of woefulland.

Malacia has been decent for a 12 mill back up did you expect prime Roberto Carlos?

Mount hasn't played all that much so a bit harsh to rush judgement on him being a bad signing

Onana has been ok in the league, woeful in the CL mind, I don't think the defense/midfield does him many favours with the amount of shots we concede

 

[Spoony]

Onana is starting to look a decent keeper.

 

[Doracle]

And Chelsea? Blame the forwards there too?

Didn't Brighton start scoring more goals under De Zerbi after he left, with pretty much the same forwards?

I would be interested in some analysis of the last 12 months under Potter compared to the last 12 months under De Zerbi. My impression is that Brighton are going slightly backwards the longer De Zerbi is in charge (although still doing a good job).

 

[Oranges038]

That's actually Chelsea's biggest issue right now. They often create chances, but don't finish them. They created 5 big chances vs Liverpool in The League Cup final. Missed all of them. They're 8 goals worse off in the league than they should be. They're 6 points worse off than they should be as well.

Nicolas Jackson has actually had a decent season during a troubled season for them. He's still only 22, so might come good.

With Nkunku being injured for most of the season, they've lacked a reliable goalscorer. Palmer has been their main source of goals.

They should have bought a proven ST instead of the likes of Sanchez and Lavia. Lavia is good, but they didn't need him.

Well what do you think? Do you rate the Chelsea forwards he had? Some good players but none renowned goalscorers. Felix, Sterling, Havertz, Pulisic, Mudryk etc. Not to mention that he was coming into a disaster of a situation with Boehly, all the upheaval of many new signings and mostly young and unproven players. Look at Chelsea now after a further £250m of investment, are they much better? Palmer signing is their saving grace, unless some of the younger signings come good.

Yes, Brighton did. I don't dispute that Brighton are more attacking under De Zerbi, but both are good managers still. De Zerbi also now has Mitoma, Ferguson, Joao Pedro, Adringa, Ansu Fati...of course they will score goals. No comparison to Maupay etc, who did get the chances due to their build-up play and system, which Potter should take some credit for. There's also a case that Brighton could do with a bit more control over games at times under De Zerbi, which is an approach Potter favoured over De Zerbi. Whilst his style of play is great to watch, they've been dropping points for a while.

Jackson is not very good and neither is Nkunku, Palmer aside their other attacking sigings have been useless. Chelsea is a strikers graveyard, we all know that. But that's beside the point, Potter's football in the PL has always struggled to turn possession into goals. Not a hope Utd should be looking at Potter in any capacity.

I've said it before, I think Marcelo Gallardo would be a better bet than any of these English or European names. With the make up of the squad the likes of Dalot, Martinez, Garnancho, Bruno even Antony would benefit from having someone who is more aligned in their approach to football.