Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

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Escobar said:
Our team B is shit. He will need 3 transfer windows to get a proper squad ffs
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True but, more positively, things can still get relatively good before we reach that point.

For example when Liverpool reached the CL final in 2018 they had Karius and Lovren as starters with Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Moreno, Lallana, Can and Solanke on their bench. Not exactly a stellar line-up. And sure enough that team was beaten in that final and just finished 4th in the league but still, you could see they were on the up.
 
Good result for him, it’s a shame he loses the squad after the weekend, stupid to have a WC now. Hopefully he can identify cheap targets that help him set up the squad how he likes more consistently.
 
Dec9003 said:
Good result for him, it’s a shame he loses the squad after the weekend, stupid to have a WC now. Hopefully he can identify cheap targets that help him set up the squad how he likes more consistently.
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Its a blessing if he's allowed to make some transfers in January (outs and ins).
 
Need a break. Too many injuries . Glad that WC is now. It would help us this season.
 
Borys said:
In the first half a lot of players (Fred, Rashford, Maguire etc) did very simple mistakes which were caused by nerves. We never really settled in the game.
First half was just plenty of simple mistakes, miscontrols, bad passes etc. Nothing ETH can help with really.
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Mistakes and Fred go hand in hand... a bad technique can not be hidden at this level.
 
Gets bumpy when we have to fall back on the players from the previous years, just too much dross on the pitch at once and it just crystalizes the mess we've been in trying to find a way forward with such poor players.
 
TheNewEra said:
Its a blessing if he's allowed to make some transfers in January (outs and ins).
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Yeah I doubt we’ll make any signings, I’d take a bit of Harry Redknapp style wheeling and dealing, how many of ours do you think it’d cost for another midfielder that can pass the ball. :D:wenger:
 
the_cliff said:
That front 3 in the last 30 minutes was how we should've started in the league.

Hopefully Ronaldo is done and the DVB experiment is scrapped.
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This is why I was saying the excuse about injuries allowing Ronaldo to play 4 games in a row unsubbed didn't add up. If we really wanted to play Ten Hag ball then we needed energy, runners, pressing and all that. Ronaldo isn't going to give you that but these young kids, inexperienced as they are they're much more suited to Hag's ball.
 
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I'm hoping he's learned that the likes of Fred, VDB, PR7 and the chuckle brothers at CB shouldn't be anywhere near the starting 11. Hopefully with our players coming back from injury (and remaining unscathed from the WC fingers crossed), he doesn't feel compelled to play them in key games if he can avoid it.
 
Regulus Arcturus Black said:
We looked fecking horrendous with a capital H in the first half.

The problem is that whenever we have a starting 11 that remotely resembles last season, we get a dog turd of a performance, and with every change/sub of a new player, we get better and better and better.

Once Eriksen and Garnacho came in, we looked a different team, and only got better as Martinez and Casemiro joined then. And surprise surprise, everyone elses level went up with the introductions.

Shows me just how wrong Ole had it and how right ETH has it so far.
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His point still stand though. We do indeed look exponentially better without Ronaldo when the full team is put in place. Like you said first half the McFred midfield was sub par which we've know for a long time but as soon as we put in our starting midfield we completely change. Though that wouldn't happen with Ronaldo around because we've seen us play terrible football with our main midfield involved.

The simple truth is that press was aggressive from our forward which is how we scored a couple of goals today, something which likely(most definitely going by history) wouldn't have happen had Ronaldo been on the pitch. We'd still have been ponderous, with no creativity.

Fast tempo, aggressive pressing from the front and decentralized attacking doesn't happen with Ronaldo around.
 
Also would you look at that? Ten Hag subs are back to being impactful once again when there is no Ronaldo to indulge which forces him to shuffle players out of position that ultimately leads to bad performances.
 
Kaos said:
I'm hoping he's learned that the likes of Fred, VDB, PR7 and the chuckle brothers at CB shouldn't be anywhere near the starting 11. Hopefully with our players coming back from injury (and remaining unscathed from the WC fingers crossed), he doesn't feel compelled to play them in key games if he can avoid it.
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Good one. Made me chuckle. :lol:
 
I thought the last half an hour was really good to watch and we played with a high tempo, high intensity and pressed really well. Villa were pinned in their own half and we deservedly won the game.
 
Kaos said:
I'm hoping he's learned that the likes of Fred, VDB, PR7 and the chuckle brothers at CB shouldn't be anywhere near the starting 11. Hopefully with our players coming back from injury (and remaining unscathed from the WC fingers crossed), he doesn't feel compelled to play them in key games if he can avoid it.
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:lol:
 
Did anyone note that Sky graphics had him down as ‘Erik hen Tag’ a few times tonight? :lol:

I hope old EHT is no longer having to deal with Ronalod come 1st February, because who’d have thought that we actually can score when he is not around.
 
Kaos said:
I'm hoping he's learned that the likes of Fred, VDB, PR7 and the chuckle brothers at CB shouldn't be anywhere near the starting 11. Hopefully with our players coming back from injury (and remaining unscathed from the WC fingers crossed), he doesn't feel compelled to play them in key games if he can avoid it.
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hahahaha
 
Escobar said:
Our team B is shit. He will need 3 transfer windows to get a proper squad ffs
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That is exactly where we are. We have about 14 first teamers. One or two can be back up if everyone else is there. That's about it
 
Borys said:
Our plan was OK, execution was shit for 60 mins. Villa scored more than they had, it happens.

ETH did well with the subs. Overall I'm feeling positive. Players need to calm down a bit though.
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Was saying the exact same, we were in a rush to force passes that wasn't there. No composure at all in the first half
 
That team we saw in the second half tonight was the kind of team that wins the Carabao Cup.

< Catalyna Wine Mixer animated gif here >
 
Chairman Steve said:
Did anyone note that Sky graphics had him down as ‘Erik hen Tag’ a few times tonight? :lol:

I hope old EHT is no longer having to deal with Ronalod come 1st February, because who’d have thought that we actually can score when he is not around.
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I think Sky had the work experience kids in tonight. My screen split into 4 Bruno Fernandeses at one point tonight, the sound was dodgy all game, Mark Chapman sounded drunk and they gave Dion a night off his dube.
 
He needs complete backing (or at least. 90% of the time with his targers (I mean if he wanted arnautovic, then that 10% is fine to say no :lol:))
But he needs to be allowed to bring in the options that will work for his system.

Look at the difference between the first team and second team.

DDG
Dalot Varane Martinez Shaw
Casemiro Eriksen
Anthony Bruno Rashford
Martial

Dubravka
AWB Lindelof Maguire Malacia
McT, Fred
VDB
Elanga Ronaldo Sancho/Garnacho

For sub / alternative we are ok at GK, LB, LW.
But we saw yesterday and weekend what happens when we have to play that midfield from second choice.

Our right has no alt. so we fling Bruno there. Sancho isnt it unfortunately.
Up top Ronaldo isnt good enough and / or we have to move Rashford there. We have no real RB replacement.

If hes helpe with a squad, then we dont have to overwork and rely on Eriksen for that midfield role, or putting people out of position to get something going.

We have Jones, Bailly, Tuanzebe, Lindelof and Maguire as our backup CBs. We have too many on the books and 3 or 4 need to go and we bring in somebody there (but not priority)
Striker is a priority. I think we do need a good midfielder also.

The lack of good enough replacements shows why ETH tries to keep the first team players as much as he can even if losing or things are not going our way. There is a huge downgrade especially in midfield when we have to chase or control a game.
 
Sylar said:
He needs backing 90% of the time (I mean if he wanted arnautovic, then that 10% is fine to say no :lol:).
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And even with Arnautovic, much though I was against that idea for reasons that weren't even limited to just football, you can still sort of see the logic. A cheap battering-ram of a CF would have come in useful given how thin our options are up front and how pragmatic ETH can sometimes be.

For example in the game against Sociedad when we resorted to pushing Maguire up top as an auxillary CF, you could see the gap in the squad Arnautovic would have temporarily filled..

Doen't mean it was a good idea but it does mean it was at least a bad idea that fit into a clear concept of what the team might need this season.
 
Sylar said:
He needs complete backing (or at least. 90% of the time with his targers (I mean if he wanted arnautovic, then that 10% is fine to say no :lol:))
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I thought the same but Arnautovic is currently 1 goal off being top scorer in Serie A (he has 7, top is 8). Considering what a disaster Ronaldo has been, perhaps Ten Hag had the right idea there
 
sullydnl said:
And even with Arnautovic, much though I was against that idea for reasons that weren't even limited to just football, you can still sort of see the logic. A cheap battering-ram of a CF would have come in useful given how thin our options are up front and how pragmatic ETH can sometimes be.

For example in the game against Sociedad when we resorted to pushing Maguire up top as an auxillary CF, you could see the gap in the squad Arnautovic would have temporarily filled..

Doen't mean it was a good idea but it does mean it was at least a bad idea that fit into a clear concept of what the team might need this season.
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FrantikChicken said:
I thought the same but Arnautovic is currently 1 goal off being top scorer in Serie A (he has 7, top is 8). Considering what a disaster Ronaldo has been, perhaps Ten Hag had the right idea there
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Oh no, i defo think he had the right idea. I was also happy it was nixed cos sometimes things are bigger than just him scoring a goal.

I can just about take Brunos twatishness, but I think arnautovic would have been a step too far for me.
I mean I want to back the club and am happy they win. But I also think we need to be thinking long term as well.

IMO weve had too many short term strikers (Zlatan, Ighalo, Cavani, Ronaldo). We really need to just get a striker for the long term. But I completely understand why ETH wanted him given the options. I think thats where the 10%and 90% comes in. Im happy for them to say no to a specific player for reasons like this, but the other 90% still needs to be there. ETH clearly evaluated we needed a striker. So if we cant get Arnautovic, then surely they can still get him another option thats similar. Or at least suggest it (minimum and then ETH can decide, actually we will wait a year and make do)

If that makes sense....
 
Escobar said:
Our team B is shit. He will need 3 transfer windows to get a proper squad ffs
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To be honest , if we are smart enough, we won't need 3 windows.
Tielemans, Timber , a defender like Salisu and spend big on a striker - next summer. That would actually make us a completely different team.

2024 summer, spend big on midfield again that would make us title challengers.
 
It really saddens me about Greenwood, imagine what ETH would have at his disposal for the next 5 years with Greenwood, Garnacho, Sancho,Anthony,Rashford,Martial and Elanga to rotate.
 
mav_9me said:
That is exactly where we are. We have about 14 first teamers. One or two can be back up if everyone else is there. That's about it
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I agree, if we don't have injuries we can put together a good 11 and have a couple of good players on the bench who can make an impact.

We need to get to the point where we have sold or don't have to ever rely on Maguire, Fred, Lindelof and Ronaldo. We need to replace them asap. Ronaldo can be released and replaced in January hopefully, with Fred and Maguire sold and replaced in the Summer. Perhaps De Gea could be upgraded by the Porto keeper and then we're set to challenge for a top 2 position next season.

Starting GK, CM and ST, CB and RB for squad, you can then start judging Ten Hag fairly.

Yesterday vs Villa was last years starting 11 besides Malacia, the change was night and day when his new signings Casemiro, Eriksen and Martinez came on supplemented by an academy product in Garnacho. IF and it's a big IF, the Glazers and the board back Ten Hag with the 5 or so signings he needs then I believe he could be successful. He seems to know what he's doing at the back and midfield. The only bit left for him to sort out properly is the attack but he can't do that until we buy him the striker he and the squad needs. My vote goes to Osimhen. Fast, strong, direct and aggressive in the air. He would change our attacking capabilities, Martial can stay as the backup Striker while we grow Charlie McNeill and see what happens with Greenwood.
 
bond19821982 said:
To be honest , if we are smart enough, we won't need 3 windows.
Tielemans, Timber , a defender like Salisu and spend big on a striker - next summer. That would actually make us a completely different team.

2024 summer, spend big on midfield again that would make us title challengers.
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Thats not smart...
 
bond19821982 said:
Actually it would be very smart. We are not signing him for first team. As a backup option to Bruno or Eriksen , there isn't a better option than Tielemans for free, next summer.
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I think he's playing for a contract this year. Too many times Ive seen him drop his head when things aren't going well, and I just think we should avoid these types of players even if they're cheap or free. I'd rather give that spot to someone like Zidane or Mainoo, because big wages + big commercial club means we'll be calling him tubby tielemans in two years, nailed.
 
If we can win the next two (which are both 'should wins') we'll get to 29 points from 15 games. That's on track for 74ish points, which would be pretty good imo, given the challenges we have with the squad, first season and so forth. It'd be the second best post-Fergie season, and in line with when Ole got us to second.

Will be really fascinating to see what happens in January. I'm figuring we have no more funds, which could see a few more youth players like Garnacho getting promoted. But we still have a huge striker problem without Martial.
 
Beachryan said:
If we can win the next two (which are both 'should wins') we'll get to 29 points from 15 games. That's on track for 74ish points, which would be pretty good imo, given the challenges we have with the squad, first season and so forth. It'd be the second best post-Fergie season, and in line with when Ole got us to second.
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It's amazing when you consider the absolutely the stiff opposition we had to face so far. Obviously the Villa game was bad (new manager bump against United, how nice) but should be some smooth sailing from here on out
 
SAF is the GOAT said:
Erik put in the work

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I'd love to see this room because whenever I see these news of 'xyz spent on abc', you never really think twice of it but what on earth could £250k have been spent on realistically? How many state of the art screens at £5k or whatever a pop would you need? How many maxed out macs/computers/cameras would you need for editing etc?

Don't get me wrong, you could 'easily' spend that amount if you needed to but that is a ridiculously high budget more akin to fitting out a full scale commercial imax cinema room or something no?!

TLDR, me questions the media accuracy.
 
criticalanalysis said:
I'd love to see this room because whenever I see these news of 'xyz spent on abc', you never really think twice of it but what on earth could £250k have been spent on realistically? How many state of the art screens at £5k or whatever a pop would you need? How many maxed out macs/computers/cameras would you need for editing etc?

Don't get me wrong, you could 'easily' spend that amount if you needed to but that is a ridiculously high budget more akin to fitting out a full scale commercial imax cinema room or something no?!

TLDR, me questions the media accuracy.
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Why bother? It only costs one week of Martial in physio room. And this remodeled room does have some use for years.
 
Isotope said:
Why bother? It only costs one week of Martial in physio room. And this remodeled room does have some use for years.
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It's just a random thought/post that I hope someone with some (insider) knowledge would be able to provide some insight. I'm not concerned at all.
 
criticalanalysis said:
I'd love to see this room because whenever I see these news of 'xyz spent on abc', you never really think twice of it but what on earth could £250k have been spent on realistically? How many state of the art screens at £5k or whatever a pop would you need? How many maxed out macs/computers/cameras would you need for editing etc?

Don't get me wrong, you could 'easily' spend that amount if you needed to but that is a ridiculously high budget more akin to fitting out a full scale commercial imax cinema room or something no?!

TLDR, me questions the media accuracy.
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Didn't Moyes have a room with video scouting and iPads or something similar? I forget what the actual wording was, 8 years ago now

I trust ETH quite a margin more though!
 
Andycoleno9 said:
What a day and light regarding fan confidence and mood is between him and failed Cardiff manager. I didn't felt like this for ages.
With this guy in charge my mood regarding United is at sky again. Watching every single clip which i can find, reading every story in media, counting days until every game....i am literally feeling like a kid again.

I admit that during failed Cardiff manager era my happiness about United hit rock bottom. In his last season i would watch the game and move on until next one. Zero enthusiasm, zero optimism about present and especially about future. I was even watching games as a task, with zero reactions on goals scored or goals conceded.
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@Sassy Colin . See? :wenger: I love him but we are not RAWK ffs. If he does something wrong, it is normal to point at that.
 
criticalanalysis said:
I'd love to see this room because whenever I see these news of 'xyz spent on abc', you never really think twice of it but what on earth could £250k have been spent on realistically? How many state of the art screens at £5k or whatever a pop would you need? How many maxed out macs/computers/cameras would you need for editing etc?
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Ever remodeled a bathroom? Here in Canada paying a contractor to install a new toilet, bath/shower, sink and light fixtures, hook up the plumbing to it and re-tile everything can cost more than $40,000 CAD. This is a full room big enough to hold 40 people with state of the art A/V equipment, it's not cheap.
 
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