Obviously ETH has to ensure that we reach Top 4 this coming season. All of the managers had the same stipulation with the exception of Ole and Mourinho, who left due to other circumstances (Mourinho lost the dressing room and publicly caused a negative image, Ole resigned because he felt he could not change things around).
Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24
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He can’t be expected to finish in the top four when the club has refused to back him in the transfer market. As it stands, this is where we are.
We signed an Ajax defender for close to 60m.
We have backed him adequately. The problem is that us fans have a different interpretation of how many signings we need compared to the manager. So far we have delivered Martinez, Malacia and Eriksen while we are waiting for FDJ to sort out his salary issues. In terms of critical areas, that is pretty good. As for attacking positions, we are well stacked though most of the forwards need to improve on their finishing skills, so there is no urgency in that area.
What’s your point? We needed at least six signings this summer and have added three to the tune of around £50 million net. As it stands, that’s shite, and the squad is not good enough to get top four.
They haven't refused though have they?
The club disagrees. And we went after the targets ETH wanted over our scouts picks, paying through the nose to get his man and engaging in the biggest clusterfeck the transfer world has seen to get him the midfielder he wants. We absolutely backed him, maybe even more than we should.
We’re an illness to Jadon Sancho away from starting Anthony Elanga or Tahith bloody Chong. Well stacked my arse.
Our top goalscorer last season has deliberately gone on strike for the entirety of pre season and our alternative at one point was to play a 19 year old Hannibal or Amad up front.
In no way, shape or form has this squad been improved adequately.
And if he doesn't?
Poch baby
Poch baby
fair enough.Thought Ole was sacked?
Then it will depend on overall performances and whether he wins trophies. It also depends if the club is confident of finding a suitable replacement.
The club is wrong then. I take no satisfaction in saying this, but you’re in for a horrible season if you genuinely believe that this squad is in any sort of competitive position.
The De Jong situation is on the club ultimately. If it doesn’t go through then it’s a reflection on the collective thinking of all involved.
Having 4th place as the minimum is so stupid. He'll be out the door and Poch will come in. No-one wants that.
He needs time, and the top-6 are as strong as they have been. The squad is still inadequate.
He needs time, and the top-6 are as strong as they have been. The squad is still inadequate.
As it stands is the operative phrase. A free transfer and a defender isn’t what I’d call backing.
TH wont get sacked if the football, style of play etc has improved and we dontvfinish top 4 this season. Murtough has already said that he is in it for the long haul.Next season could be different though, if he doesnt.
It’s ludicrous and unreasonable, particularly if the team is more organised, which I expect that it will be. Ten Hag can only work with the quality that is available to him.
A lot of superficial assumptions here. Pre-season is to give the entire squad a chance to build their match fitness, but what the final squad will look like is unknown. ETH has various ways of using the attackers where it won't always be a triple forward shape.
Do they? ETH has publicly said it is vital we add attackers if we want success. He has said that whilst also saying Ronaldo is staying - ergo regardless of Ronaldo we need at least one attacker. So if the club disagree they aren’t backing ETH are they? I don’t think they disagree at all. We aren’t willing to pay the money without raising funds and selling others would be my assumption - signing FDJ puts us at the 120m budget we supposedly had.
There is nothing superficial about stating the facts of what happened. Sancho got sick and Elanga played instead. He is our first reserve in the event of injury or illness to Sancho and Rashford, and he isn’t good enough.
As it stands, the players available to Ten Hag aren’t good enough to guarantee fourth place. This was true back in May and it remains true as of now.
They wanted to give him time till the Chelsea match but after the Watford result he told Murtough that he was not confident of turning it around. Obviously the press have been running countless stories of him being sacked ever since the Leicester game, but the situation was much different.
Please, Ole was sacked, he did not resign. Lets not make things up.
But they haven't refused as far as I can see. ETH has very specific targets so we're not being aligned with every single player. The board have seemingly given him everything he wants so far.
We can’t continue the scatter gun approach to signing players that come available or have a big name, we have to sign players that fit the way we want to play. If we continue to do that we’ll be back on track in no time.
A manager who is sacked wont get a interview on the official channel. Unfortunately most of you guys only read the media and believe what is said there, so let's agree to disagree.
All i have read was he was sacked. He was adamant he could turn it round.he kept saying. Have you a link where it says he told Murtough he couldn't?
He’s been in the press screaming out for new players.
He wanted FDJ and Antony - and possibly Nunez. He hasn’t been given his key midfield target or key attacking target - so not sure how they’ve delivered. Obviously that can change but since he was specifically asked where do you need players and he said midfield and attack - we’ve signed Eriksen and nothing else for those areas.
It's been widely reported that we're looking to make at least two more signings and ETH himself has made it clear that more signings beyond FDJ are needed.
We may well get those signings before the window closes but as it stands he obviously hasn't been given everything he wants. Rather he wanted what he has been given, and more beyond that.
Correct.
Unfortunately you won't get a link about this. The best I can do is to point you towards Ole's interview where he hints about it around the last part (before he mentions about Carrick).
I don't think they've refused to back him, we signed 3 players and are in negotiations for Frenkie - that would be an outlay of £120+m should we sign Frenkie as well. I just think the squad is in need of 6 players to make top 4 and we can only afford 3 or 4 players so top 4 isn't looking great in my opinion.
On a side note - I also think we are just utterly shite at transfer negotiations and haven't got our transfer strategy up to the level of say City / Liverpool / Madrid. Hence every deal we do ends up taking longer than others and we over pay.
For example, we paid over the top for Martinez and then reading about a clause the we have to pay them £56k every match he plays for us, up to 30 a year for the remainder of his contract - that's an additional £10m - is a joke. Haven't heard of having to pay a club on top of the transfer fee for every match he plays. Now we're reading we are willing to pay Barca's debt to Frenkie just to get him here. Stories are stories but if true, then we are the mugs of transfers.
I'd say that's the best outcome and should be the goal but pushing/challenging for 4th with a big improvement in our play (albeit inconsistency!), hopefully compete/win a cup and i'd say that should be enough for him to continue his work. Fans should be patient. We still have gaping holes/lack of depth in our squad.
Agree. I am excited about the upcoming season regardless. Can't wait for the new season!
I think we all need to look back at the first 20 pages of this very thread. The expectations generally weren't Top 4 or die. But mainly to show progression for the first 12-18 months and to be challenging by year 3.
Not sure why it's now suddenly Top 4 or sack/failure.
Not sure why it's now suddenly Top 4 or sack/failure.
I think he will too. He’s gonna bench him a fair bit this season is my guess
And I am pretty sure then, that Ronaldo will start to find his own group to undermine the manager.
Agreed. I think ETH is the right man, so hopefully he proves me/us right!
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