Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

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Di zerbi inspires no confidence in me at all, wish we continued with ten hag if he's the alternative.

If the reports are true I wish him well, from all the post SAF managers he had the highest highs and lowest oft lows with some absolutely ghastly records broken this season but two trophies and that barca tie were highlights.

Think he'll be the only manager that we've sacked will still be able to get a high profile job afterwards as well.
 
Who is ignoring anything ? People who want to give him another year aren’t ignoring anything , they are looking at all the variables, not just the negative ones being relentlesssly repeated on social media and pundits.

- everybody has injuries - no in depth research to back up that uniteds injuries have been any different.
- every manager has to deal with player issues - what manager at a top club has had to deal with 4 serious player issues (very public)
- every manager has to deal with problems - what other manager has had to deal with their club being for sale and their and others future were up in air most of the time they are there
- lots of money spent - over double spent by Chelsea in the same time , nobody is blaming all their managers for them doing no better then us

SJR has bought the club to change how it’s run. He said flat out that every single United manager was let down by the structure in place. This includes recruitment, identifying, buying , contract negotiations and selling.

Given all this , I think season 1 was good to deserve some credit. Season 2 felt like an experimental one in many ways and probably should have been season 1 (club that needed open heart surgery).

I’d share concerns that others have mentioned but don’t feel whatever happens next season or in transfer window will hurt us as there is a longer term plan in place. So don’t see another year of him as a big risk ,

These are all valid points, they all make sense and would usually be a strong argument for giving him another year. To me it is more than results, what we were seeing on the pitch week in, week out, for months on end was inexcusable, comically inept structure and set up, something that had no chance of working, to me it was effectively self sabotage. Now maybe that it too dramatic but I just found it unfathomable that he would persist with it for as long as he did, makes me dubious about his approach moving forward.
 
They could have simply by giving him another season. They could just have said there have been lots of changes behind the scenes, it wasn't the right time to also change the manager. If he was a success, they win. If he did poorly, never mind, the structure is now in place etc.

As it is they've made themselves look as bad as the Glazers and put themselves under huge pressure to hire a manager who is clearly better. If the new man doesn't achieve top 4 now, they'll all look prize plums.

Even with all the changes INEOS have made my concern is ETH has lost the changing room.

You could argue they fought for every ball in the FA Cup final, but thats one game and a trophy was on the line. Over a season, they've thrown in the towel so many times. ETH's better than the majority of names we've been linked with, but when your players stop giving 100% every game, you have no choice but to change the manager. (or change 15+ players, which wont happen)
 
I agree that we had a very poor season, but as I mentioned there are several factors to consider before making any drastic decisions. Injuries to key players, off-field issues, etc. We have seen glimpses of what he can achieve with a fully fit squad. He has a track record of success, and a commitment to youth development. It's essential for INEOS to look at the bigger picture and give him the time needed to build a team capable of competing at the highest level. Winning trophies while building the future team with the likes of Kobbie, Garnacho, Hojlund, Martinez, Dalot, Shaw, Onana, Bruno, etc is a progress for me.


We didn't just have a very poor season, we had a historically bad season by our stature. Humiliating defeats became standard. Injuries or not, there was no progress at all in terms of style, tactical setup, transfers, getting most out of what is available. A back-against-the-wall-win against City doesn't change that.
 
If we do sack him, i'd say it should be Mckenna to replace him. A risky young manager with massive upside, rather than a more known entity like a Poch or De Zerbi that will more than likely be safe hands at best.
 
So who do you recon then?
I don't know. What I do know is that the press are saying McKenna one day. Southgate the next, then Poch, then Tuchel and now De Zerbi.

What that tells me, is that they haven't got a f*cking clue who it's going to be.
 
On a side note assuming the rumors are true, do we hold the record for most managers sacked after a fa cup win?
 
This whole deal was about desperation. Erik had asked for a striker initially and was then made to make do with a wide forward. Given our start to the season the club then became desperate to placate the fans. It was a perfect storm for Ajax to maximise the fee and our lot were too stupid and desperate to see it/stop it. I sometimes wonder if ridiculous fees are worn like a badge of honour by the Glazers “look how much we can spend”. It plays into the whole Woodward Disneyland thing.

Agree re the timing and desperation, but the price? ETH should have stepped in because paying 80mil for a player worth at most 30mil, is only going to create further pressure when he inevitably does not live upto the price tag.

The Glazers enjoying spending money? You are the first to float that theory!!!
 
Even with all the changes INEOS have made my concern is ETH has lost the changing room.

I never, for a second, suspected that they were not running for him. I truly hope he stays, even though, chances are looking slim of him staying. If we replace him for the likes of Frank, Southgate, De Zerbi... oh dear me.
 
To those saying give him one more year then sack him if it doesn’t work out

he’s now into the final year of his contract. This is where you should be backing him or sacking him. If they are going to keep him on they will have to give him a new contract. Which means if they then sack him a year later it will be a costly exercise
I think you can push it to Xmas before you renew and see how he gets on. As part of the review being undertaken make it clear that if league performance doesn’t improve that will be the outcome.
Presumably ten Hag will be made to play the way the club wants, so hiring a replacement manager mid season if necessary to suit this philosophy should be straightforward enough. We will also have Ashworth in place by then hopefully.
 
On a side note assuming the rumors are true, do we hold the record for most managers sacked after a fa cup win?

Might be. Remember Chelsea sacking Conte after winning the league and FA Cup in two seasons, maybe they have done it before also. Real sacked Heynckes after winning the CL and who could forget Del Bosque's ending at the same place after winning the lot during a few years.
 
You're fooling yourself mate. They weren't told to sit deep, they did it themselves because when they didn't they gave away goals like at Palace. Maguire and Evans are slow as paint and turn like oil tankers. And the only place you can play a high line with slow players is Italy and Germany. Try it in the EPL and you get what you're given.

So all the defenders, Maguire, Lindelof, Evans, Varane, Kambwala and even Casemiro just decided amongst themselves to go against the managers instructions and sit deep? This carried on for 60+ games and Ten Hag never said anything about it?

How likely do you think that is mate be honest, who's really fooling themselves here.


Do you actually think ETH told the team to leave midfield empty except for Casemiro? Does that sound like a sane thing to do?

So it extends beyond the defence now. The entire squad regardless of who plays just plays the same way, every game for months on end. Against the managers instructions, and ETH says nothing.

Come on mate, that's not remotely likely.
 
We didn't just have a very poor season, we had a historically bad season by our stature. Humiliating defeats became standard. Injuries or not, there was no progress at all in terms of style, tactical setup, transfers, getting most out of what is available. A back-against-the-wall-win against City doesn't change that.
Agree to disagree. I expect 'Breexit' Ratcliffe to choose Southgate as the next Utd manager for his track record of leading what is arguably England's most promising generations of players, to "Zero" trophy.
 
Even with all the changes INEOS have made my concern is ETH has lost the changing room.

You could argue they fought for every ball in the FA Cup final, but thats one game and a trophy was on the line. Over a season, they've thrown in the towel so many times. ETH's better than the majority of names we've been linked with, but when your players stop giving 100% every game, you have no choice but to change the manager. (or change 15+ players, which wont happen)
Did you not watch the post final celebrations, these weren't players who didn't like him, he clearly has a good bond with a lot of guys there?

We know the players there have been rumoured issues with, Sancho (loan), Varane (leaving), Martial (leaving), Ronaldo (long gone), De Gea (gone), Case (hopefully leaving), Eriksen (didn't really fall out but gave an interview saying he wanted to play more). He's basically been going through the top earners like a dodgey curry and a few lagers, clearing the squad with the three exceptions in this high earner bracket being Mount (injured and his signing), Bruno (he publicly backs him at every opportunity + made him captain) and Rashford (gave him new deal, has kept him on side through some negative media/dropped).
 
Doesn't Ole have the best record of any manager against Pep or something equally ridiculous? One off games aren't representative. We have 18 months of shite that is far more telling.

Well 2 things i would say about that: first, it was a different City team then - very good team still but not really the best in the world juggernaut they've become more recently. Second, were any of Ole's performances against City as good as the one yesterday regardless of scoreline? I don't remember many of the games personally but just looking at the formations in those games they look like park the bus tactics. Which is fine but also requires some luck to win, whereas I though United were the better team in that FA cup final.

One-off games are representative of what they are, no more no less. You need to be good at one-off games to win knockout competitions but they're far less determinative in league campaigns. I think Ten Hag has deficiencies in league competition but obviously he can get the tactics right for big knockout cup games.
 
I think you can push it to Xmas before you renew and see how he gets on. As part of the review being undertaken make it clear that if league performance doesn’t improve that will be the outcome.
Presumably ten Hag will be made to play the way the club wants, so hiring a replacement manager mid season if necessary to suit this philosophy should be straightforward enough. We will also have Ashworth in place by then hopefully.

what's that then, we're interviewing Frank and De Zerbi, admiring Southgate.. all over the shop
 
Agree re the timing and desperation, but the price? ETH should have stepped in because paying 80mil for a player worth at most 30mil, is only going to create further pressure when he inevitably does not live upto the price tag.

The Glazers enjoying spending money? You are the first to float that theory!!!
Agree to disagree. I feel the price is squarely on Arnold and Murtough, and their lack of negotiating talent.

As for the Glazers, who doesn’t love spending money that isn’t theirs?! ;)
 
You can't argue against his sacking with the season we've just had, sorry.

If EtH's own words:

"Then you don’t understand about managing a football team. When the players are not there, I can’t train them, I can’t coach them so they can’t perform and they can’t develop, and we will not get the results we want."
 
if what the dailymail have just said is true then the story will be running hot by everyone!
 
ETH hasn't been great this season and should really be moved on, but there is no one that excites United fans enough to replace him with.

I dont know about that. McKenna, Poch and Tuchel would all have us playing more watchable football, scoring tons more goals and I doubt any would do worse than 8th.

But if they did somehow do worse, then sack them and try again. I'd rather keep rolling the dice.
 
If EtH's own words:

"Then you don’t understand about managing a football team. "

Spoken by the same man who managed Antony and Kudus for 2 seasons and chose to sign the former and ignore the latter who cost half the fee.
 
Perhaps those Tuchel rumours are true then, or at least United have been in talks for a while. Would be tough on Tuchel if we've gone for McKenna late on after he rejected Bayern on a promise he's coming here.
 
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