That wasn’t true at all for Arteta, who seemed to take arsenal backwards before taking them forwards. Even leaving him aside, Pep and Klopp both inherited teams that were much better than the one Ten Hag inherited. More importantly still, they took over at clubs with a clear structure in place, something we can all agree has been severely lacking at Utd. Do you really believe that if Pep and Klopp had been dealt this hand in their second season they would fared much better?
As for the bolded, we just don’t have sufficient evidence to say this. Yes the system has been poor this season, yes we have been a frankly terrible watch and scored nowhere near enough goals. But pep couldn’t play his football with this squad, nor could pep. The stark reality is no top manager would get this team consistently competing. Fleeting moments here and there sure, but consistently, I just don’t believe it possible with the cards on the table this season.