Everyone loves the boss that let’s you slack on work and still get paid in full.
Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24
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What a manager!! Making big decisions none of our previous managers would of made! It’s paid of. Stick to this team with a couple more additions and we’re onto something. Glad we got the win and that’s without Casemiro, him in front of that defence will be insane.
Isn’t that what he’s saying too!?
Just watched the post game press conference of his and he can't stand Jamie Jackson, gave him another death glare. 
It was a sarcastic comment on Ole's farewell interview where he kept saying he made friends.
What a turnaround from the disaster against Brentford, we have played almost the perfect game 9 days after.
He must be congratulated and I really hope we can build on this win.
He must be congratulated and I really hope we can build on this win.
He benched Ronaldo, Maguire, Shaw and seems to have resurrected Martial from the dead. Something I didn't think was possible.
I just hope this holds up.
I just hope this holds up.
Yeah this was such a strange argument. It was quite obvious post Brentford that EtH was pissed off. And the extra training session was a means to show that if the players don't follow instructions, there will be consequences.
Also Alex Shaw seems to revel in stirring shit up. I found some of his tweets strange even pre-match when we came to know that EtH dropped Maguire and Ronaldo, stating something like the club being in crisis. Danny Higginbottom put him in his place though.
Such an important game in his career I think. The main thing is to get the reaction from the players. After last week's debacle, after dragging the players in to run 13k after losing, after dropping Maguire and Ronaldo, he needed the players to turn up. If they didn't, it really would have undermined his authority. Instead they responded and no-one is questioning the decisions he made, they all paid off.
One key takeaway from yesterday's result, was that he has quite clearly walked the walk when it comes to dropping players for poor performances regardless of their stature. We got a sense that something like this was coming during his press conference, but there's a difference between just words and actions. And he certainly showed that he doesn't care.
I also liked how he brought on Ronaldo late in the game, almost for time wasting. That's the level of shithousery I can get behind.
I also liked how he brought on Ronaldo late in the game, almost for time wasting. That's the level of shithousery I can get behind.
Yes that’s true. With Casemiro it should hopefully be much more calm and also more difficult to dominate us.
Spot on.
Liverpool dominated possession with Henderson, Milner & Elliot tbf.
No, but we were noticeably pressing Liverpool high up the pitch from the start. That's very different to "Ole Ball". Obviously as the game went on with us in the lead, we started dropping deeper and relying on the counter.
At times even in the second half, we still triggered a press - which surprised them.
Liverpool had 70 percent of the ball. Of course they ran less than us. Just like when we have 70 percent possession against Brentford they ran more than us.
It’s not as a surprising stat that it’s made out to be in my opinion.
I feel I sounded a bit negative, and that was not my intention. But I felt we played identical to how we played our best games under Ole, and maybe with a bit better pressing system. That means big improvement from the first two matches this season, and the final matches last season, but not much progression in terms of moving in to a new system. Or maybe the pressing is step one, and not how we play in possession. Klopp started with getting the pressing right, then developed other aspects later. Can’t do everything at once. It will be interesting to see how it goes from here.
Probably didn't want him playing more than 45 mins coming straight back from a hamstring injury.
Lierpool still ran 110km though with 70% possession.
Comapre that to our running against Brentford when we had most of the ball.
Out of possession we were excellent. In possession, McT and Bruno and Elanga were really poor with their touches and passing. Loose is how I would describe them. So many loose first and second touches which could have turned into good counter attacks with more composure and better control.
Bring in Casemiro and Antony into that set up for McT and Elanga…and bench Bruno for Eriksen in the ten role…we then look a lot more competent on the ball than we did yesterday.
Bring in Casemiro and Antony into that set up for McT and Elanga…and bench Bruno for Eriksen in the ten role…we then look a lot more competent on the ball than we did yesterday.
I don't think he sacrificed his ideals intentionally but he hasn't got the players to produce the football he wants. That wasn't what he wants on the ball, it can't be.
Ok ok ... Hold your horses just a bit now
It will take time to train the players in to a new system, and to be more comfortable under pressure. I was actually surprised yesterday, Liverpool pressed us less than I expected but when they did, they often won back the ball. Don’t know why they didn’t press more.
And that high line doesn’t work at all right now. Could be a not up to speed fourth choice CB, and their slow midfield, and also VvD looks worse than we are use to. I reckon they will face problem in many matches.
All I gotta say is I'm sold.
He is the right man. Give him time and money
He is the right man. Give him time and money
Because when they did we also broke the press and there CBs were exposed. On a few occasions Liverpool were one dribble away or one clean pass away from being punished for their high pressing.
I don't agree that it was identical. With Ole we would usually win the ball and start the counter attacks a lot deeper. Second half and especially after the 2nd goal we fell deeper and it was more similar to Ole but with more aggressive pressing.
You just have to look at the running and sprint statistics to see that the players were a lot more aggressive in everything they did.
Got his tactics spot on I feel. From dropping captain Slowass, the Hamburgler and Mr Memememe, to being more direct to targeting the defensive weak-link, TAA, in Liverpools defense. Even the subs felt spot on.
Now comes the hard part though, he needs to make sure we keep playing with the same intensity we showed against Liverpool.
Now comes the hard part though, he needs to make sure we keep playing with the same intensity we showed against Liverpool.
Not sure why you even bother to keep engaging with someone who's obviously not interested in holding a sensible convo.
Trying to act like he's caught you in some mysterious trap is juvenile at best - it's a discussion forum where folks disagree with each other regularly. Perhaps we're all caught then! Just enjoy the win
I don't get this running statistics obsession. Is it a real measure of how you are playing? If you have less of the ball then you will run more chasing it. No? So do we want high possession or do we want high run stats. Obviously you want to work hard and obviously we were downing tools at times but just looking at run statistics tells you what exactly? What we need is 70 percent possession and high run stats for the 30 percent we don't have the ball. Non possession run stats would be a more accurate measure.
We won using Ole's tactics, the only difference being the players were willing to run this time. Credit to ten Hag for motivating them, I guess.
People are referring to Ole's tactics as if it was an actual thing or as if we were coherent under Ole. The way we played wasn't that different from the way Real Madrid played against Celta, the difference being the better midfield play from Madrid's trio.
Really? I felt like we kept wining all the second balls in the first half. The first time Liverpool actually won the ball in the first half was when they pressed Bruno in the middle of our half.
Yes and that was due to Bruno making a mistake and not passing the ball
I loved Ole but why are people saying it was his tactics and his way that won us the match.
It's weird.
If you seriously expected us to dominate the ball last night with that team out against Liverpool for 90 minutes yous are mad. Thank God Hag was able to be pragmatic and brought different tactics to each half to play to our strengths.
Give us the season before I'd be expecting us to dominate and press the ball like the best about. The way the first 30 minutes went last night.
It's weird.
If you seriously expected us to dominate the ball last night with that team out against Liverpool for 90 minutes yous are mad. Thank God Hag was able to be pragmatic and brought different tactics to each half to play to our strengths.
Give us the season before I'd be expecting us to dominate and press the ball like the best about. The way the first 30 minutes went last night.
Actually its a measure of how we pressed
"They can fecking play football" should be the new thing when United do well
Those 3 players are backup gk, winger and rb i would say
It’s obviously not the final version of ETH’s tactics and I’m sure there’ll be ups and downs throughout the season. What was noticeable was how the defence (who have never played together) played like a unit. ETH mentioned in the pre and post match interviews that communication was key and that’s clearly a dig at Maguire. Whatever you think about his individual performances if he’s not marshalling that back line then it’s hard to see him making the first team on merit.
Yes Ole's tactics was an actual thing and we were also coherent. The sad thing is most of you have no idea how management works, where you naively think that all he does is tell the players to "have fun and do whatever you want". Just by observing the sheer number of comebacks during his tenure, it is very clear that he is not someone you want to mess with if you are not playing well and that the players were able to pull off his instructions. Like ETH, he puts on a different face during the interviews. Tactically he was quite versatile by utilizing different formations depending on the opponent (e.g. 3-5-2 vs PSG and Man City, 4-4-2 diamond vs Chelsea etc). The only problem with Ole was that he had tendency to trust players who had delivered for him (Shaw and Maguire performed well during the 20/21 season) and that ultimately caused his downfall.
Coming back to ETH, he certainly studied our play in the past 2 matches as well as Liverpool's playing style very well. Unlike others who think that he dropped the players because he wanted to prove a message, I feel that he made changes that suited our approach against Liverpool. Maguire does not have the composure nor the decision making to defend against Liverpool's pressing, which is why he brought Varane in. Similarly he did the same for Shaw by bringing in Malacia. As for the midfield, I would say that he brought in McTominay because Fred was not performing well in the DM role 2 games in a row and he wanted McTominay to show that drive. Ronaldo was left out because he is still not able to press very well and Rashford's way of playing was conflicting with Ronaldo, resulting in Rashford moving to the center and Elanga providing the width and aggression in Rashford's old role.
The team looked much more compact and more confident on the ball as a result. You can see that the energy and drive was strong and even Liverpool's goal did not make them feel doubtful at any point of time. Kudos to ETH because he knows how to adapt to different opponents and is very smart and confident on the way he works.
Ten Hag about Lisandro after the game;
"I think he took the responsibility and I think he showed leadership with Rapha Varane on the pitch. They make a huge difference but that is what we have to bring but not just them two, we need more leaders. When you want a winning team, you want more leaders and you need spirit what we showed today."
This is damning thing for Maguire
"I think he took the responsibility and I think he showed leadership with Rapha Varane on the pitch. They make a huge difference but that is what we have to bring but not just them two, we need more leaders. When you want a winning team, you want more leaders and you need spirit what we showed today."
This is damning thing for Maguire
Get off your high horse. Ole's tactics isn't a thing, more often than no we weren't coherent in fact under Ole we often only played well for one half. Also the tactics used by Ole weren't some sort of novelty that you should named Ole's tactics.
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