Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

[Revaulx]

We moved onto the next test for him

I think it’s more a test of the players than of ETH.

Right now they need a good deal of hand holding from him in order to maintain the right mentality, and while it’s apparent that he’s doing a great job at it, it would be good if they didn’t need quite so much.

I reckon that once we’ve won a few things, we won’t fall apart in the way we did after yesterday’s penalty.

 

[romufc]

Pep is probably looking over and realising he will never get the same level of praise adulation winning anything with City.

And that's glorious.

Yup, you can see it does bug him to a certain extent. He has been critical of the support in the past, then he sees clubs like Arsenal, United with the atmosphere they generate for a team that gives it its all.

I think its one thing he misses, all managers and players want to play in big atmosphere's, City will never have that unfortunately for them.

 

[footballbite]

Maybe the plan is to control the first half with lots of pressing. Then go for the kill second half. Not saying it went that way! But could explain Wout starting.

Again, maybe that was the plan, but Weghorst simply isn't good enough to do it - he made 0 tackles and 0 interceptions in the first half (combined with 43% pass accuracy). You can't control the match with a player of his lack of ability on the pitch, he was running around a lot but getting nowhere near the ball.

No way McTominay or Sabitzer wouldn't have contributed more than him if on the pitch for instance, even if used out of position.

 

[TheReligion]

No manager has been backed more than him in their first season.

At United?

 

[No Idea For Nickname]

 

[mav_9me]

I can see a few negative posts but my response would be:

We are playing so many games, its almost impossible to be at it 90 mins of every game, especially when you are playing 90 mins.

Its also games that matter, every game for us is a must win, a final after Barca followed by FA cup and Liverpool. Big games keep coming, for me its all about results at the moment.

I have enough faith in Ten Hag to improve our play come next season when he has more of his players and another pre season.

This is ETH making the best of what he has with setting up the team in a pragmatic way.

His ultimate goal is to control games the way city and Arsenal do. That's the only way to improve your chances of winning every game. There's more transition in our game now both going forwards and back than he will want.

A new CM, CF and GK in summer will happen and then you'll see the real ETH way.

 

[Compton22]

Fergie like mind games from ETH

 

[IRN-BRUno]

Have to say that I wasn't really bothered whether we went for him or Pochettino but it's been obvious for a while now that we clearly made the correct choice. The club deserve credit for that decision, even at the point of Ole's sacking we still had a decent chance of top 4 but they pretty much sacrificed the rest of the season to ensure they got the right man. So much improvement but I think the biggest change is the mentality, that's down to him and the players he's brought in/got rid of.

Sunday feels huge now. Look at Mourinho winning this Cup first at Chelsea and what it did for them, Guardiola at City the same. You just get the feeling that getting that trophy could lead to something special.

 

[No Idea For Nickname]

 

[Scholesgoals]

Feels great winning against a big team without resorting to cowardly tactics (Solkjaer, Ferguson guilty of this)

Interesting point you raise here, Quieroz was responsible for a lot of this "neutralising the opposition" approach to our games in and around our third European cup win and this shaped our approach even after he left in 2008. His style of play is really evident in the semi vs Barcelona in 08 and against Milan in 2010.

Prior to that in Europe Ferguson was hampered a lot by the foreigners rule, but some of our games around the latter half of the 90's were actually very buccaneering. I can point to the quarter final vs inter milan in 99 as an example


or the quarter final against porto in 97

 

[2cents]

Glad somebody’s noticed and called them out for it.

 

[SAF is the GOAT]

If that's not a Fergie tactic - I don't know what is!

 

[romufc]

This is ETH making the best of what he has with setting up the team in a pragmatic way.

His ultimate goal is to control games the way city and Arsenal do. That's the only way to improve your chances of winning every game. There's more transition in our game now both going forwards and back than he will want.

A new CM, CF and GK in summer will happen and then you'll see the real ETH way.

Agreed, the one thing that stands out the most about him is his ability to manage the situation.

We all know his style of play, the fact that he has implemented a transition style of play suggests when we go against teams that sometimes are better than us, we can set up in a way that can hurt teams.

A top team has different styles of play, I think with Ten Hag, we are going to get that.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

If that's not a Fergie tactic - I don't know what is!

SAF had a quiet word with him over dinner. 'Make sure referees are on their toes'.

 

[Rolaholic]

 

[jackal&hyde]

If that's not a Fergie tactic - I don't know what is!

Sounds like it.

Mister perfect at the moment. The training must be very good going by the individual performances and some of the patters of play and he is just fantastic with his tactics; can change games by creating different dynamics in the team so well.

 

[AltiUn]

If that's not a Fergie tactic - I don't know what is!

Genuinely wouldn't be shocked if this is a direct result of their meal the other night.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Nice choice of photo to go along with it also.

Sticking 2 up to the rest of Europe

 

[Crashoutcassius]

He's doing a great job. Mad that so many wanted Conte for the sake of a few months. ETH can build his story here. Hope the club has the recruitment part sorted this summer

 

[Solius]

I think he's been smart in the way he's approached the fixture congestion. A different manager might have prioritised a certain competition but the momentum he's given us by going for every game has really helped, and I think will stand us in good stead for the final.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Disappointing to see such tosh from yourself.

So it's not true? Because I distinctly remember posters screaming unsustainable for months when the team was consistently turning matches around a couple of years ago.

Ten Hag is very astute and has shown the ability to reshuffle at half time and get results and it's great but it would be better to see the team come out fired up and ready to play. It's an area where he needs to improve because there are teams out there at the top level that will not allow us to play this way and win.

 

[Solius]

So it's not true? Because I distinctly remember posters screaming unsustainable for months when the team was consistently turning matches around a couple of years ago.

Ten Hag is very astute and has shown the ability to reshuffle at half time and get results and it's great but it would be better to see the team come out fired up and ready to play. It's an area where he needs to improve because there are teams out there at the top level that will not allow us to play this way and win.

It's not true, no. The unsustainable part was the way we were playing. We'd play shit for basically the whole 90 minutes apart from a few moments of individual quality which won us games.

The way we play and attack is much more sustained now. We had a poor first half but that happens all the time. The entire second half was excellent, as was the entire second half against Leicester. We've also had really good first halves and poor second ones. The more we progress I think the more consistent that will get.

Our foundations are very strong imo. We actually play really well as a team now.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

We had a poor first half but that happens all the time.

And for me this is an issue that ten Hag needs to correct. Madrid and Bayern won't let us get away with this kind of performance. So while things are going great there are areas that we need to improve.

 

[AltiUn]

So it's not true? Because I distinctly remember posters screaming unsustainable for months when the team was consistently turning matches around a couple of years ago.

Ten Hag is very astute and has shown the ability to reshuffle at half time and get results and it's great but it would be better to see the team come out fired up and ready to play. It's an area where he needs to improve because there are teams out there at the top level that will not allow us to play this way and win.

Coming from a goal down due to a dodgy penalty against Barcelona is a tad different to having to rescue points after going 2-0 down to bottom feeders like Southampton. There's barely been any smash and grabs under ten Hag, every week felt like a smash and grab under Ole.

 

[Solius]

And for me this is an issue that ten Hag needs to correct. Madrid and Bayern won't let us get away with this kind of performance. So while things are going great there are areas that we need to improve.

Of course. But no team plays well every single half of football. Also why Madrid and Bayern not letting us 'get away' with it but Barcelona (8 points clear in La Liga) did?

I think it goes without saying there's always room for improvement but this just feels like such a pessimistic view on a great win.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Coming from a goal down due to a dodgy penalty against Barcelona is a tad different to having to rescue points after going 2-0 down to bottom feeders like Southampton. There's barely been any smash and grabs under ten Hag, every week felt like a smash and grab under Ole.

See Leeds, Leicester and the first leg against Barcelona, too. That's why I'm mentioning it. Basically I just want him to say whatever he says at halftime before the match.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Of course. But no team plays well every single half of football. Also why Madrid and Bayern not letting us 'get away' with it but Barcelona (8 points clear in La Liga) did?

I think it goes without saying there's always room for improvement but this just feels like such a pessimistic view on a great win.

It's the Europa League. It's not the top level. We'll be back in the Champions League soon and at that level and against the best sides in the premier league you don't get away with bad first halves. These are the competitions we aspire to win so seeing the team start better is something I'd like.

 

[DJ_21]

It's the Europa League. It's not the top level. We'll be back in the Champions League soon and at that level and against the best sides in the premier league you don't get away with bad first halves. These are the competitions we aspire to win so seeing the team start better is something I'd like.

It may of been the Europa league but it was a top level game against a top level opponent. We only conceded a penalty against them and even at there place there goals was avoidable.

 

[DutchSerb]

And for me this is an issue that ten Hag needs to correct. Madrid and Bayern won't let us get away with this kind of performance. So while things are going great there are areas that we need to improve.

We definitely need better players for certain positions. Its not really an ETH issue imo. I'd rather start with Weghorst and be shite for the first half and then bring in your electric players against a tired team in the 2nd than vice versa. That's just how it is right now sadly. When we get a quality ST and CM it's much easier to play a good full 90, since we would have amazing depth as well.

 

[Solius]

It's the Europa League. It's not the top level. We'll be back in the Champions League soon and at that level and against the best sides in the premier league you don't get away with bad first halves. These are the competitions we aspire to win so seeing the team start better is something I'd like.

It was CL quality opposition though. They’re in the Europa due to poor performance under a different manager but their some under Xavi is that of a CL side too. Just like us.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

It may of been the Europa league but it was a top level game against a top level opponent. We only conceded a penalty against them and even at there place there goals was avoidable.

I think people have a too rosy view of the first leg and need to watch it again. Barca puts us under a lot of pressure and had many good chances to win, especially near the end. Evens was probably the right result. Last night we were the better team but we need to start these matches better.

 

[JeffFromHK]

One little thing that makes him perfect fit for us - he is fluent in Dutch, English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, and we have a strong Spanish/Portuguese/French presence in our team.

 

[Solius]

I notice the goalposts have been moved by opposition fans on social media again.

Before it was “he’s not that good/Utd are lucky/they don’t look much different”

Now it’s “any manager could come in and spend that money on players and get top 4/he’s not faced any challenges”

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

We definitely need better players for certain positions. Its not really an ETH issue imo. I'd rather start with Weghorst and be shite for the first half and then bring in your electric players against a tired team in the 2nd than vice versa. That's just how it is right now sadly. When we get a quality ST and CM it's much easier to play a good full 90, since we would have amazing depth as well.

Well, he's the manager and he clearly does something to motivate the players at halftime. Maybe he can do something pre-match, too.

 

[Sviken]

It's the Europa League. It's not the top level.

Uh... what? Barcelona are the leader of La Liga, above Real Madrid. How is that not top level? Barcelona are a great team, so are many others in the EL. This isn't like 10 years ago.

 

[Adam-Utd]

It's the Europa League. It's not the top level. We'll be back in the Champions League soon and at that level and against the best sides in the premier league you don't get away with bad first halves. These are the competitions we aspire to win so seeing the team start better is something I'd like.

I'm glad you're a doctor, hopefully that means you'll know plenty good ones that you can see

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

It was CL quality opposition though. They’re in the Europa due to poor performance under a different manager but their some under Xavi is that of a CL side too. Just like us.

Except they got dumped out of the CL.

Not too impressed with Xavi as a manager. Ten Hag is much better and the tie shows that. But I want better starts from us. More intensity, more focus.

 

[DJ_21]

I think people have a too rosy view of the first leg and need to watch it again. Barca puts us under a lot of pressure and had many good chances to win, especially near the end. Evens was probably the right result. Last night we were the better team but we need to start these matches better.

I thought we created enough in the first leg to also be a few goals up. Last night just like the first leg we turned it on in the 2nd halve.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Uh... what? Barcelona are the leader of La Liga, above Real Madrid. How is that not top level? Barcelona are a great team, so are many others in the EL. This isn't like 10 years ago.

Yeah and we played them in the Europa League. A second tier competition. Because they stunk up the CL group stages. La Liga is a two horse race so them leading it is no big thing.

 

[Solius]

Except they got dumped out of the CL.

Not too impressed with Xavi as a manager. Ten Hag is much better and the tie shows that. But I want better starts from us. More intensity, more focus.

Under a different manager! Xavi came in after that elimination.