Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

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What is finally a bonus, is that there’s no way - short of actual relegation territory at Christmas - that he gets the boot. If there’s one thing we can count on the club to do, it’s to not make changes, or to make them agonisingly slowly You think they want to go through a process of finding another interim and all the googling that will entail?

So all the negative nancy’s might as well give full support and optimism to the new manager as nothing will change for months anyway.

I don't know.
Something feels exceptionally wrong already.

What if we lose the next 3 or 4?
The pressure starts to get very Moyes-esque, and they might decide if Poch is available to leap to him in Jan.
 
Completely agree it was about desperation but nonetheless it happened. It's incorrect to say we can't carry out numerous deals at the same time. This club has no problem buying and selling lots of players.

We just can't buy the right one's.
We clearly have issues selling players and we clearly have issues closing deals as we have seen over various summers in the past 10 years
 
Comes across as very naive, what moron backs Rashford, Sancho and Martial as a long term solution to anything but mediocrity.
 
The biggest disappointment for me is that he apparently was meticulously analyzing our weaknesses before joining, yet has persisted with them in the first two games. Brighton targeted the space behind Maguire, Brentford putting our defence and CM under pressure. The first warning signs was there when he ignored Ralf and told everyone we have a good squad and pointed to the 2nd place finish. Hopefully that was just for show and that he is working on the open heart surgery needed behind the scenes.
Imagine he drops Bruno , Shaw , Maguire , Mc Fred in first few games and we lose with similar margin. The outcry would have been horrible.
If he is smart ,after Liverpool game he will drop all the players who are not playing well and try to build a team with the players he trust and include the youngsters. We will definitely lose more and may be in longer run we will build a good team.
 
But he actually got the side to work harder during preseason. He got the side to play to his instructions. It's the current actual season (which is 2 matches) that he hasn't been able to do that. Therefore, we're discussing 2 matches in which he hasn't been able to get them to play to his instructions.
So what's happened then?
 
With the current squad, we should line up something like this:

Ronaldo
Bruno ------------ Sancho
Malacia ---- Fred ---- Eriksen ---- Dalot
Martinez - Varane - Maguire
DDG
With signings:

2 CMs such as Rabiot, Guido, De Jong
RWB like Dumfries
One or two attackers, such as Morata, Zaniolo

To replace/compete with Fred, Eriksen, Dalot and the front 3.
Has EtH ever used this formation I wonder? I'd like to see this as it would help out Martinez and Maguire; despite the criticism our centre backs get i think there is a lot more talent there than the defensive midfield and full back positions which are appalling.
 
Imagine he drops Bruno , Shaw , Maguire , Mc Fred in first few games and we lose with similar margin. The outcry would have been horrible.
If he is smart ,after Liverpool game he will drop all the players who are not playing well and try to build a team with the players he trust and include the youngsters. We will definitely lose more and may be in longer run we will build a good team.

The outcry would be because he would just replace them with a different underperformer. If, let's say, Iqbal and Savage were given chances instead of being left out completely after a positive pre-season, then more would have accepted losing points.
 
I don't know.
Something feels exceptionally wrong already.

What if we lose the next 3 or 4?
The pressure starts to get very Moyes-esque, and they might decide if Poch is available to leap to him in Jan.
Yeah tbf you do worry, it’s like a curse at the moment, the way de gea let in a clanger and you can almost visibly see the belief evaporate. Still positive though, there were spells in the second half of quick one touch passing like we haven’t seen forever. He seems like a smart guy and so I hope he’ll figure out certain features of the league, I just hope the press pressure cooker doesn’t cause him to fold before he had a chance.
 
With the current squad, we should line up something like this:

Ronaldo
Bruno ------------ Sancho
Malacia ---- Fred ---- Eriksen ---- Dalot
Martinez - Varane - Maguire
DDG
With signings:

2 CMs such as Rabiot, Guido, De Jong
RWB like Dumfries
One or two attackers, such as Morata, Zaniolo

To replace/compete with Fred, Eriksen, Dalot and the front 3.
For Liverpool , We don’t have an option really. For today’s game it does not matter if we had back 5 it were mainly individual mistakes. First we need to fix leaking goals before thinking of scoring and winning games.
 
If he had sense, he’d walk. Waste of time with this group of players, waste of time with these owners.

poisoned chalice until reform from the top - Glazers recede away into the distance like their hairline
 
With the current squad, we should line up something like this:

Ronaldo
Bruno ------------ Sancho
Malacia ---- Fred ---- Eriksen ---- Dalot
Martinez - Varane - Maguire
DDG
With signings:

2 CMs such as Rabiot, Guido, De Jong
RWB like Dumfries
One or two attackers, such as Morata, Zaniolo

To replace/compete with Fred, Eriksen, Dalot and the front 3.
A lineup like that could make a lot of sense
 
I see no improvement or game plan at all. Anyone can say we should play this way or that way but only a very good coach can develop a game plan using the players at his disposal. Our defence is no better than last season and we have no CM. We play 3 slow playermakers at the same time. He is gone in November unless he gets some successful transfers in which seems more difficult by the day.
 
What is finally a bonus, is that there’s no way - short of actual relegation territory at Christmas - that he gets the boot. If there’s one thing we can count on the club to do, it’s to not make changes, or to make them agonisingly slowly You think they want to go through a process of finding another interim and all the googling that will entail?

So all the negative nancy’s might as well give full support and optimism to the new manager as nothing will change for months anyway.
Yes.

I mean, even without all that, it is quite ridiculous for the fans to see what little they have actually seen since ETH came in and decide he’s doing it wrong, that they know better and that, hey, two games in, he’s ready for the chop.

I’ve noticed the media have been poking a finger in his chest since before the season even started. I suppose that comes with the territory but I think that sort of overtly critical coverage of the hierarchy and, I think, questioning his abilities before a ball is kicked, does pervade the wider atmosphere around the club and, given the results, it’s understandable for fans to go with it and lump on a bit. We need to give him a break and let him show us what he can do.
 
I see where you're coming from, but how many hammerings do we have to excuse in his evaluation period?
I think that if over time, like Ralf, does not attempt to change players to fit his system/instructions, it will be fair to doubt his ability as a manager. That period of length is up to every individual on this forum. I just thought it would be longer than 2 matches.

I always thought I had a short leash on managers as I wanted our past managers sacked after year 1 most of the time. But I feel like I have stuck to my guns in that I want a manager that can implement a pressing style, and have the side playing with patterns of play in both transition and against low blocks.

I'm not as hard pressed against results so long as I can see United working towards achieving those foundational aspects to a title winning side. The only time I start to really care about results is when the manager is pragmatic, because all that's left is boring football. At that point that only thing you can give to United fans is results. Because you're just relying on individual talent. Klopp did not have results at first, but you could see his imprint on the team in his first season (not his first full season, but his actual first season).

Ralf abandoned his ideas far too quickly. And all his complaints were never addressed by himself over his tenure. At that point, what are you even giving to us United fans? He's not playing the youth so no hope of development. He's not giving us entertaining football. He's not allowing his team to even learn his system over time. It's nothing, but brutal assessment of the squad.

With Mourinho and Ole, they were reliant on individual talent. There was no system that you could believe would give us future success. The players did not look coached compared to the actual good sides. All they had going for them was top 4 football results, and a challenge for the smaller trophies. United ultimately want to challenge for the biggest trophies and they had clearly shown their limit, therefore there is no point in continuing with them.

With ETH, he at the very least needs to provide United with good entertaining football. It doesn't have to be by match 2. But if by the end of the season we have more than demonstrated, but have sustained a footballing side that presses well and creates many chances with the patterns of play aiding in that, then the final standing of United won't bother me so much as it did with those other managers.

But come on man. It has to be longer than 2 matches for me to really question his ability as a manager. Do I trust the longer sample size of his past 4 seasons with Ajax + United's preseason, or do I trust the 2 match sample size in the PL? At least give him the chance to make the adjustments.

And trust me, I wish he didn't have the confidence that made him believe he can polish McFred, de Gea, Shaw, Dalot, Bruno, Rashford, etc... into a side that doesn't get beat by Brentford 4 goals to nil. But he made that mistake, and it's up to our entire transfer team and himself to work around that initial mistake.
 
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hopefully he’s showing maguire videos of phil jagielka on the bus ride back to manchester.
"Observe this clip."
"That's Phil Jagielka curling one out on the toilet...?"
"Yes, and his defensive play as he does it is still better than you on the pitch, you FECKING SLAB HEADED TWUNT."
 
The outcry would be because he would just replace them with a different underperformer. If, let's say, Iqbal and Savage were given chances instead of being left out completely after a positive pre-season, then more would have accepted losing points.
Iam sorry but I honestly don’t think that would have been the case. He would have been blasted in the media and by fans for trusting youngsters. But now , he might be less scrutinised even if we lose with higher margins.
 
So what's happened then?
I already answered that. It likely stemmed from his mistake of him having the utmost confidence in himself being able to mask these jokers through his system, but their broken mentality have demonstrated to everyone that it will take longer than 2 matches if he can even do that.
 
I don't know.
Something feels exceptionally wrong already.

What if we lose the next 3 or 4?
The pressure starts to get very Moyes-esque, and they might decide if Poch is available to leap to him in Jan.

I think the people who are talking about accepting this sort of run of games, forget the human aspect of it all.

If ETH ends up on a run like that, his own self belief would be shattered. The collective confidence around the club would be broken. That's partly why we're suffering - the squads confidence is so fragile at the moment, partly because the club let them get broken the way they did under Ole. There's a reason other clubs, choose to just stop the bleeding rather than let their team get humiliated game after game.
 
Yes.

I mean, even without all that, it is quite ridiculous for the fans to see what little they have actually seen since ETH came in and decide he’s doing it wrong, that they know better and that, hey, two games in, he’s ready for the chop.

I’ve noticed the media have been poking a finger in his chest since before the season even started. I suppose that comes with the territory but I think that sort of overtly critical coverage of the hierarchy and, I think, questioning his abilities before a ball is kicked, does pervade the wider atmosphere around the club and, given the results, it’s understandable for fans to go with it and lump on a bit. We need to give him a break and let him show us what he can do.
100%
 
Didn’t take long for some of you whoppers to jump on ETH with the blame game.

Hes going to stick with his way until he gets it right or we lose too many games and he doesn’t make it past Christmas. I hope he does, because if we change a style of play to fit a bunch of lazy players like Ole and Ralf opted to do, then nothing will change.

He will pull through this but it’s going to be ugly.
 
He called the players naive. I think he's the naive one for thinking himself some sort of magician. I'll say this again and again and I don't care what anyone thinks: Rangnick was right and deserves an apology. We do need a new starting 11 and I firmly blame ETH for pandering to the Glazers and allowing us to start like this.
 
"Observe this clip."
"That's Phil Jagielka curling one out on the toilet...?"
"Yes, and his defensive play as he does it is still better than you on the pitch, you FECKING SLAB HEADED TWUNT."

:lol:

“look how alert he is to his surroundings? the moment he spots danger by hearing some keys jangle in the front door, he pinches it off and hides from the homeowner.”
 
For Liverpool , We don’t have an option really. For today’s game it does not matter if we had back 5 it were mainly individual mistakes. First we need to fix leaking goals before thinking of scoring and winning games.

True re: individual mistakes, we just need extra bodies defensively to cover for mistakes, and players in positions/roles that will minimise their mistakes.

I wasn't even thinking about the Liverpool game, I'd probably go something even more defensive/counter attacking for that. 3 CBs and 3 CMs.
 
Squad needs stripping, when I mean stripping I mean stripping.

ETH won't be allowed that time and looking at his body language today I'd say he's already shellshocked. During the first half water break he looked lost, I hope and pray the guy has the balls to drop some of these players because they aren't trying or giving enough effort.
 
Squad needs stripping, when I mean stripping I mean stripping.

ETH won't be allowed that time and looking at his body language today I'd say he's already shellshocked. During the first half water break he looked lost, I hope and pray the guy has the balls to drop some of these players because they aren't trying or giving enough effort.
The scary thing is who does he replace them with? We are worefully understaffed at the moment it's so frustrating.
 
We clearly have issues selling players and we clearly have issues closing deals as we have seen over various summers in the past 10 years

Every club does.

But we have sold lots of players post Fergie.

We've hit the rest button a few times by selling but then restocked with the same old dross.

Granted there are a few players like Jones who are just inexplicable.
 
I see no improvement or game plan at all. Anyone can say we should play this way or that way but only a very good coach can develop a game plan using the players at his disposal. Our defence is no better than last season and we have no CM. We play 3 slow playermakers at the same time. He is gone in November unless he gets some successful transfers in which seems more difficult by the day.
We need some quality signings, everyone knows that. We may or may not get them. I agree the chances seem to be receding.

However, when the window shuts, I think we’ll see ETH start earning his money, showing us how he can assemble and develop a winning team from the players he has. He will cut out the chaff while he’s at it. It won’t be immediate but he’ll do it.

People don’t seem to like comparing our current manager’s position with Pep and Klopp when they came in. They both took time to settle and suffered pretty heavy defeats because there was work to do and it couldn’t be done immediately.

The state we are in now, when you look at the squad and results over the last year or so, is not that different to what SAF came into when he first joined here. There was a ropy squad with an attitude problem (in those days it was boozing and partying) and he had quite a job on to sort it out. There is a parallel with our current entitled, underperforming squad and these things can’t be sorted in a couple of weeks.

Having said that he may well be gone by November. The club is certainly shambolic enough to let that happen.
 
I am backing him to succeed, but he started the job early, written up a dossier of what the club needs yet is still playing the same shite players as his predecessors
 
The scary thing is who does he replace them with? We are worefully understaffed at the moment it's so frustrating.

I'm at the stage where I'd accept relegation if it removed the owners so I'd get behind him playing the kids in every game.

Never gonna happen though.
 
We are too soft. We have no fight or hunger. ETH should start provoking a reaction from the players and start dropping them in favour of the younger players. They are the ones you need to instil confidence in, maguire, rashford et al are washed up.
 
I'm at the stage where I'd accept relegation if it removed the owners so I'd get behind him playing the kids in every game.

Never gonna happen though.

Totally agree, if we're getting beaten 4-0 by Brentford let me see the kids playing and trying rather than the overpaid cowards we have currently.
 
For city, pool,.Chelsea, if the first choice goalkeeper makes the horrible show like DDG did today (twice!), he will be demoted and won’t play any game as no 1 anymore.
 
He's playing Shaw Maguire Rashford. They have got countless managers sacked.

Needs to sort that quickly

I don't care who he plays instead but they can't be worse.
 
He needs to be backed but anybody we get now is basic part of the failure of the club. To have one of our worst premier League finishes , lose about six/seven players and only adding three players is shocking

I think the biggest thing he made a mistake with was not looking to replace ddg asap as I've mentioned many times before.

Klopp got mignolet and pep got Hart out asap. The initial replacements were failures but again, moved on to get it right.
Us sticking with ddg about three or four years after his peak and beginning of his downfall says a lot about united under this regime / board.
 
He called the players naive. I think he's the naive one for thinking himself some sort of magician. I'll say this again and again and I don't care what anyone thinks: Rangnick was right and deserves an apology. We do need a new starting 11 and I firmly blame ETH for pandering to the Glazers and allowing us to start like this.
What else could he say in his interview when the board mentioned this team finished 3rd and 2nd not so long ago. Can you get them to that level again with 3-4 add ons?
No I will need 500 mill minimum to replace the whole lot of them.
NEXT!
 
One thing I didn’t like is he said in the post match presser that the plan was to go long today and beat their press. If that’s because we just aren’t ready to try and dominate the ball, fine, but I thought the whole point of someone like him was he was an advocate of a specific brand of football and that’s what we wanted to play long term?
 
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