He's absolutely spot on
Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24
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The new infrastructure could be the worst yet if they flip flop over there first decision and be swayed by 1 result.
Give him a painting of a spitfire and let him go
I haven't seen that in the main, especially in midfield he was giving players an impossible amount of space to cover, 1 pass was leaving 50 yards of space between attack and defense. A great example of this is the cup game against Liverpool, Utd started quite well, put a huge amount of running into the 30 mins, constant high intensity sprints, then fell off a cliff for the next 40 mins of the game because they just blew up, Liverpool dominated and wasted a ton of transition chances with terrible execution, game should have been long over before Utd started to recover and get some energy back.
That has happened all season, shape of the team being a mess was just giving the players no chance, exposing all their weaknesses. Ten Hag was setting up a shape that required huge mobility, running power, pace with midfield options like Casemiro, Eriksen, Amrabat and Mainoo(brilliant but not an athlete at this stage) all of whom he brought in or through, with guys like Maguire and Evans behind.
None of it made sense or suited the players he had available.
If we're letting ten Hag leave, I'd prefer McKenna and a project. Or another coach looking to make the big step up. Has Zerbini been sorted?
Not surprised to read this especially the bolded part.
Ineos have boxed themselves into a corner to sack him anyway.
Imagine tapping up replacements, their plans getting leaked, having the whole world know they planned to sack him. Then 180 on that decision due to mindless sentiment. Then he goes on to fail next season and they have to sack him anyway, but have missed out on their managerial target.
They'd look so stupid it wouldn't be recoverable. Worse than anything Woodward had done.
Imagine tapping up replacements, their plans getting leaked, having the whole world know they planned to sack him. Then 180 on that decision due to mindless sentiment. Then he goes on to fail next season and they have to sack him anyway, but have missed out on their managerial target.
They'd look so stupid it wouldn't be recoverable. Worse than anything Woodward had done.
Why have you quoted a post from about a month ago?
Why? is it not you and it is 3 weeks ago?
This is exactly my point highlighted in previous posts, Ole was in the same position he couldn't shake off the counter attack from the team, Erik spent all season attempting to modify it but he failed to make acute adjustments when the team was consistently being overrun in the midfield.
The good dimension about INEOS is they are business orientated so will read in-between the lines. The sentimental fan reacts emotionally but as I have mentioned it's how do United move forward as a collective? saying we will sign better players or there's a different structure doesn't change the instructions on the pitch, we have to critically assess and dissect the season to come up with solutions.
A cup win doesn't gloss over context.
It’s all conjecture though. We don’t know any of this definitively. All we know for sure is that the board will perform a season review (rightly so) and they have explored other candidates (again common sense). I don’t necessarily think that means they ever committed to letting him go until due process has been conducted. Regardless of what some are saying, it Is more than just one game. It’s another trophy and perhaps more importantly European football now.
Let's hope these apparent experts they've hired aren't advising them to listen to what Mark Goldbridge and Redcafe have to say then.
I don’t think approaching managers is anything other than part of the process. We’d be stupid not to at least be asking around. Personally I think the vast majority of people have said the opposite, he can’t really complain too much if he’s sacked based on the league performances, however I personally will be gutted.
Who's Zerbini?!
I’ve said myself for ages I don’t have a problem with people wanting a change, after a season as poor as this one it’s vital you have due processes in place. Personally I hope they judge him to have done enough because I still think he’s a very good coach and he’s had some rough hands this season. All of that said, what irks me the most is this holier than thou attitude some people have that if you dare to back the manager you’re somehow an idiot, or putting managers on a pedestal. It’s just nonsense, I just happen to rate him differently to others and that’s all there is too it really.
This is a blatantly obvious point. All the fuss about ETH avoids scrutiny on the transfer strategy. The DOF delay might make a big difference. Balance of power and influence at the decision making stage would be different of all these elements were integrated,
yeah I agree with you
he had his tactics, they clearly weren't working with these players but persisted with it for way too long
the PL is going to eat you alive with that approach
if you have injuries, you adapt and play a different style to get the best out of what you have. Not just keep getting cnuting all season then blame injuries at the end.
How can you not know Zerbini? The answer to our prayers!
Agree with your second paragraph that’s exactly what we need. Doesn’t mean I won’t disagree and be disappointed with the decision if he’s sacked, but I’ll also give INEOs the benefit of the doubt if they can get in a superior manager.
You seem to have missed the point of the comparison. Yes, he wasn’t sacked after the FA cup wins, only being sacked much later after not doing well enough in the league - ultimately being deemed not the right man for the job despite his cup wins.
But that still reveals a very obvious parallel with Ten Hag right now in that the club again faces a decision on whether domestic cup wins are enough to keep retain a manager despite disappointing league performances, or whether they persevere with him in the hopes things improve in the league, with the risk being having to sack him mid season if things don’t improve.
Ultimately both scenarios come down to the question of whether domestic cup wins are enough to compensate for poor league campaigns, and whether it makes more sense to bring in a new manager in the summer or risk having to do it mid season. Just because they did the latter with Atkinson does not necessarily mean that’s the right call now.
Un pequenito Zerbi.
The great Zerbini
I must've been living under a rock!
Zebrini I can get behind.
Will he work his magic with us then?!
Agreed, back to back promotions and if he gets top four / fith with some new recruits and forms a respectable playing identity it's a good basis to build from.
I think there's a real opportunity with these young managers, Eddie Howe for me is a good defensive lineup away from challenging for the league when you consider Newcastle's xG for the season and their defense in the last campaign.
The era of football being determined by the managers CV is beginning to diminish it's the data that creates optimism and hope that club's are beginning to latch on to.
This is how Real Madrid qualified against Man city ( the biggest club in the world you know), they did what united did for not 1 half, but 4 halves. Donkeys like Ogden "armchair experts" are not worth listening to.
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I think he should stay with modifications to his role, but will 100% understand if he goes also. But would not enjoy us getting a Potter or a Southgate to replace. McKenna on a project or De Zerbi on a project would be exciting. Tuchel would have us playing but at same time burn bridges and be controversial and demanding.
If ETH can adapt and change some of his ways I think it can work. He would have to let recruitment go out of his hands, but realistically still think he is goner. The negative GD is just too shocking to handle, he should have hardened the mid a lot sooner than a FA final and grind results but decided to be stubborn and fundamentalistic.
If ETH can adapt and change some of his ways I think it can work. He would have to let recruitment go out of his hands, but realistically still think he is goner. The negative GD is just too shocking to handle, he should have hardened the mid a lot sooner than a FA final and grind results but decided to be stubborn and fundamentalistic.
The average IQ for those employed at ESPN leaves a lot to be desired. They've been banging the same drum consistently during the good times and the bad times. You say elsewhere that those that want him out are the logical posters and everything else is based on emotions, which, no disrespect intended, is rubbish. There's quite a lot of in-between there. I'm not avidly in his camp, but I lean more towards keeping him on, and definitely if the alternative is Tuchel or Poch (McKenna excites me though). I see serious flaws in our midfield setup from February-April mainly, but it was a risky approach he took to play the percentages of forcing turnovers in the attacking third. Needless to say, it didn't work. And he took a long while to change tack. My two biggest gripes with him are his reluctance to give some younger player chances (Mejbri, Fernandez, Amad) and his dealing with the media saying throughout "we're Man Utd and we have to win every game" even when the house was on fire. It's placing even more expectation upon a squad - that this season - was not close to top level. He may have thought that was the way to increase the standards, but I've said elsewhere, that should be kept in-house.
In terms of transfers he's got a very mixed record. Not all terrible like some have us believe, and not stellar either. Something that I have no worries about now that Ashworth and co will be in situ. I think Onana has completely changed our buildup play but we are completely reliant upon Martinez, and to a lesser degree, Luke Shaw. Without them two we've had players with a very low technical level which has almost negated the positives Onana brings (first half of the season was alarming, but I think he'll come good).
When people say "yeah they won, but that's not how they want to win" I think that's about as lacking in context as it possibly can be. Not logical in the slightest. Do they imagine that in the course of two years we are supposed to be playing City level football and go toe to toe with them? A team that's spent a decade getting to this level? I think because of their stance all along they are incapable of saying "fair play, outstanding tactical work and execution" which unbiased people can say. Everyone knows that this is not where we ultimately want to be, but it takes time, it takes squad building, and yes, it also requires the availability of key players, especially when a few of them are absolutely fundamental to our style of play.
Imagine basing anything on one result
Like, obviously that won't be the case despite some getting hysterical. We done it once with Ole, and it was an idiotic decision based on emotion.
Bet he did it with a Dutch accent.
Thomas fecking Frank. Christ.
This has always been how you qualify vs Pep in a cup since Barca days too. Destructive high octane countering football, ideally with a high but not suicidal line and fast counters, fast defenders and tons off destructive mid workhorses to block their playmaking ability. It's common knowledge in 2024. I'm very surprised EtH abandoned his suicidal principals to do it. Makes me all the more perplexed why we didn't harden the mid much sooner to get a top 4.
This is how Real Madrid qualified against Man city ( the biggest club in the world you know), they did what united did for not 1 half, but 4 halves. Donkeys like Ogden "armchair experts" are not worth listening two.
?? United finished 2nd with Ole the season we lost that final. He was fired for a horrible first third of the season after, Europa league had nothing to do with it.
I understand very well what you want to compare, but it's false equivalence. They are not comparable at all. Ron had been at the club for 5 years, Eric 2. Ron was sacked because we were near relegation after 3rd of the season gone, Eric has never been in relegation zone.
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