Any manager will be (or definitely should be) better with better players, that's just obvious. You haven't cracked some code there if it ends up being true.
I've long said quality of players is more important than any manager.
But, it doesn't excuse just how bad we are under Ten Hag even when nearly all players are available.
We don't need stop at 'better players'. Get a better manager too.
You don't think anyone could have made significantly better recruitment decisons for £400m than Ten Hag? Wow.
So should we not address the personnel issue that is clearly not up to the levels that top football demands first?
We still don’t have our best defence and we haven’t had a LB now for 70% of our season.
We have issues with Rashford who benefits massively from having an overlapping fullback (as do most wide forwards who want to cut inside).
We have issues with our defence and midfield gaps which having Shaw and Martinez (both better defenders and comfortable stepping into midfield) would help resolve.
Is Ten Hag head of recruitment too now and is responsible for deciding the fees we pay?
For someone who claims to not care about managers, you sure do seem to really want Ten Hag to stay no matter what he does. I don't think I've even seen you criticise him, you only criticise everything around him which implies he's not responsible for anything. There's no balance in what you say for it to be taken seriously, which is why people take the piss
I’ve said many times now if he leaves I don’t care. I’ll back the next appointment made.
Ive criticised him plenty. I just dont moan incessantly about things that im not sure are his sole responsibility. And when they aren’t his sole responsibility I also acknowledge that context.
I know my position and I’m not happy with this season or 100% convinced on Ten Hag. I know that I enter every discussion in good faith and make an effort to respond, contextualise and clarify my opinion. It’s not a popular one.
People take the piss because they lack the ability to debate the points I make and so it’s easier to try and characterise context as me being Ten Hag, his dad, agent or whatever else.
I maintain you add a CDM and CB of the correct physical and technical levels, and keep the best players we have fit for more of the season like Arsenal and other have and you’d see a significant improvement.
The core problem on the pitch is that objectively our setup and tactical structure is not good enough but Ten Hag wants it exactly like that, because he keeps implementing it. The reality is that 'better' players will not change that. That is what I am so puzzled and disappointed about.
Ten Hag's work is by no means the only problem we have, and you could say he has been hard done by with the fact his tenure fell into a time when the whole club was in executive limbo, and, yes, aggravated by injuries, but there is no doubt that he has become a massive problem too. He is burnt, he is now becoming defensive and irritating, it needs to change. Next season would be no different at all. You are contorting yourself and every argument to make excuses for him, and I think you are severely fooling yourself for some reason.
What exactly is the tactical issue in your view. And how much of that is tactical and how much is down to player quality?
Where do you draw that distinction?
What football could we play right now that you believe is better and achievable?
Hasn’t Ten Hag fallen out with too many people or is it okay when he does it?
Exactly my point. Ten Hag tries to instil discipline and it’s used against him. I believe Ten Hag has made the right decisions with Ronaldo, Sancho, Rashford and Garnacho. Do you n
Tuchel has the same issue or worse (again read up on his season) and nobody wants to mention it?
If we’re going to change managers then we also need to understand why and what the concerns may be. Because you’ll find the parallels in terms of criticism is very similar the difference being Bayern have a better squad, are better set up regardless of manager to dominate their league and still he’s had two seasons where he’s struggled.
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