Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

[Zen86]

ETH is clearly the right man for the job, but I do think his impact has been overstated, even before today. He’s instilled strong team morale and performed some good tactical demonstrations, but most of our perceived progress is down to Casemiro coming in and Rashford having the form of his life.

 

[NinjaZombie]

Tells it like it is....he got it wrong today but he'll learn from this.

He mentioned us being "unprofessional" a couple of times there. I wonder who he particularly means.

 

[Jordan_mufc]

Exactly this. We probably should have been up at the break. Then after half time the players absolutely lost it all over the pitch. One thing I will say is that it was odd that we seemed to be still trying to be so attacking at 4 down. We should have shut up shop at that point and avoided it getting any worse.

Yeah I agree, and it's tough to know if those were instructions or desperation from the players.

I'd guess the former. Not seen a team rattled like that before in my life

 

[amolbhatia50k]

A Carabou Cup and 3rd spot in the league is a great season...... FFS

For a team that was coming off its worst ever premier league season - yup.

Obviously it’s not great relative to our history and trophy cabinet

 

[Sandikan]

I’ve no doubts he’ll be ruthless in the summer and clear out a lot of these players providing he gets the backing. He certainly doesn’t strike me as a man who’ll take suffering embarrassment well and will look to cut those sort of performances out going forward.

Not sure who needs clearing out of the 11 who started today though. That was our best lineup bar Martial up front. And arguably Eriksen in for Fred. Although you probably wouldn't start with Eriksen today.

However, if the sale of the club does go through, you'd back Ten Hag to do wonders.

 

[JustinC00]

Questions do need to be raised about allowing 13 goals to our 2 biggest rivals away. Is this gonna be a normal thing? I get playing at liverpool has never been good to us but it's never been 7-0 bad.

 

[JustAGuest]

So if we win another cup or 2 then that becomes a great season. Right now its just the Carabou Cup and we sit comfortably in a champions league spot. Thats by no means a great season. We still have to achieve those things, jobs not done yet.

I agree with that.

 

[V.O.]

After the absolute doldrums that were last season, top 4 and a cup was the absolute best anybody was hoping for.

Picking ourselves up to secure that and push for more is now the challenge, but we're still way, way up on where any of us thought we'd be by now in the summer.

 

[FootyGirl88]

 

[Sandikan]

A Carabou Cup and 3rd spot in the league is a great season...... FFS

If you're waiting for us to win a league and European cup double before being satisfied, I suspect you're in for an unsatisfied next xx years.

 

[Van Piorsing]

He mentioned us being "unprofessional" a couple of times there. I wonder who he particularly means.

Let's see who's getting dropped for unspecified amount of matches now. Interesting times.

 

[thegregster]

A Carabou Cup and 3rd spot in the league is a great season...... FFS

Liverpool will take 3rd. We are lucky Chelsea are such a mess. Its like Ole all over again. We are going to finish 4th at best due to weak rivals.

 

[Betson]

Given the position we were in top 4 and a cup is an excellent season.

Unless we win a few more cups , you cannot as a Utd fan say it is an excellent season when you lose 7 - 0 to Liverpool.

Like it of not , but unfortunately today will be remembered and talked about about among football fans a lot longer than any Carabao cup.

 

[Sandikan]

Strange question to ask.

"Yeah they said they were a bit knackered and the grass wasn't cut short enough".

 

[Lights Out]

Talk about a reality check.

I know it’s just one game but that performance has me really worried. How could we be so bad and get it so wrong?

I love Erik and what he’s done so far but it’s a massive worry on how the players will react.

Half of this lot downed tools 12 months ago

 

[V.O.]

He mentioned us being "unprofessional" a couple of times there. I wonder who he particularly means.

Multiple players had visibly given up after 2 or 3. It's not unfair to apply that to quite a few of them.

 

[bosnian_red]

A Carabou Cup and 3rd spot in the league is a great season...... FFS

Is only a title win a great season? You are allowed perspective based on where you started. You are allowed to be happy with 3rd and cup wins, considering how the past 10 years have gone. We are allowed to think it's a great season with the knowledge that we will push on next season still and expectations will change next season.

This season's expectations were top 4, hopefully a cup, develop the system. That's it.

 

[Bocca9978]

I don’t understand waiting until half time to think of taking Weghorst off. Waste of a starting spot anyway.
Bin him. Start with first 11. Don’t make it harder until half time.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

That is one unhappy man.

 

[InfiniteBoredom]

Nonsense. Arsenal pick from around 13/14 players. Don't see them getting disgraced like we have. It's the players attitude. All wrong today. Utterly unacceptable.

6 months into Arteta’s reign, they were regularly getting done by bottom table teams. Hell, 16 months into his reign, they were 17th in the league.

Those 13/14 players needed 2-3 years of drilling to achieve that consistency, and they are doing it once a week. If you want to be as consistent and as dominant as City, which is where I think EtH wants to go, you need around 18 players of the required standard. It’ll take time, and money.

I don’t necessarily agree with his choice of trading blows with Pool at Anfield, but this is what he has to do if he wants us to someday come there and do to them what they did to us at OT last season. Just unfortunate that we are still far away enough that it turned into a rout.

 

[acnumber9]

It doesn’t feel as bad as last season’s hammerings. I’m confident Ten Hag will do what is necessary after this. Last season we just knew it would be more of the same.

 

[Suv666]

Has to take some blame for today. Strong reaction needed from the team. Will be a good test of his resilience.

The folks posting on here about sacking Ten Hag need to get their heads checked. Beyond mental that.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Unless we win a few more cups , you cannot as a Utd fan say it is an excellent season when you lose 7 - 0 to Liverpool.

Like it of not , but unfortunately today will be remembered and talked about about among football fans a lot longer than any Carabao cup.

Meh it’s one game. As pissed off as I am doesn’t bother me in the long run in that illogical a manner. Numpties who have nothing better to talk about can mention it more than actual trophy. It won’t change them being numpties.

 

[bosnian_red]

He mentioned us being "unprofessional" a couple of times there. I wonder who he particularly means.

He said it's all of them. Collectively stopped tracking back. Left back 4 exposed horrendously.

De Gea letting every shot in didn't help for sure. Useless from him.

 

[Pickle85]

Yeah I agree, and it's tough to know if those were instructions or desperation from the players.

I'd guess the former. Not seen a team rattled like that before in my life

Yeah, it was bizarre. Every time they had a chance to get at the back line in that second half we looked scared to death, when we've by and large looked pretty composed at the back this season. Playing at anfield when those scouse _____ smell blood isn't easy but to melt like that is unforgivable.

 

[Murder on Zidanes Floor]

Absolutely. But get ready to be called out for this.

Klopp has been done several times.

 

[Frosty]

ETH is clearly the right man for the job, but I do think his impact has been overstated, even before today. He’s instilled strong team morale and performed some good tactical demonstrations, but most of our perceived progress is down to Casemiro coming in and Rashford having the form of his life.

Well we don't have a striker, and our squad is still bloated and paper thin. Honestly after Brentford away I am amazed we are in 3rd, even taking account of rivals playing poorly. I think you can overstate the manager's influence, but it would be unfair not to say we look like we are going in the right direction.

 

[Murder on Zidanes Floor]

He said it's all of them. Collectively stopped tracking back. Left back 4 exposed horrendously.

De Gea letting every shot in didn't help for sure. Useless from him.

What shot could he stop ffs?! Perhaps Firmino's

 

[Drizzle]

A Carabou Cup and 3rd spot in the league is a great season...... FFS

After last season - yes, yes it bloody well is.

 

[Back To Madeira]

I'm bloody sure he won't be smiling at all

I know. T'was tongue in cheek.

I feel sorry for Erik after that result. However, the focus is all on the next game with him. I'd imagine there will be an inquest tomorrow for the players to see what went wrong (everything). Then all energy will be directed towards Thursday's match. I hope those who are calling for his head are also being facetious. We have improved in many aspects but this humbling shows there is still a lot of work to do.

 

[bosnian_red]

Unless we win a few more cups , you cannot as a Utd fan say it is an excellent season when you lose 7 - 0 to Liverpool.

Like it of not , but unfortunately today will be remembered and talked about about among football fans a lot longer than any Carabao cup.

Let them talk about a win. Do we talk about beating Arsenal 8-2 or do we talk about losing the title that season? Do we talk about losing to city 6-1 or losing the title that season? Individual games yeah it's banter here and there but the thing that matters is the prize. The cup win was a far more important game than any single league game this season. As was the Barcelona tie. Because it says a lot more about our progress and where we are going.

 

[JustinC00]

and 3rd spot in the league is a great season

Mate, we ain't getting 3rd if we continue to progress in Europa and the FA Cup. Fixtures are still going to be piling up. We are in the midst of a Thursday-Wednesday-Sunday-Thursday-Sunday-Thursday-Sunday stretch and ETH has made it known he's going for Europa and the FA Cup.

 

[RedBanker]

Yes he can. The spirit he’s instilled isn’t suddenly going away due to one bad half.

There was no spirit on display today. It was an utterly unprofessional performance and a big feck you to the manager by some of the players.

 

[bond19821982]

Overconfidence, wrong team, wrong subs - everything on the wrong side today.

He started 4 midfielders against Arsenal but stick with 3 in our toughest game of the season. Garnacho is a baby and was wrong to be subbed in against a roaring Liverpool/Anfield side. Dalot shouldn't have started .

Just forget and move on. Lesson learned.

 

[Drizzle]

What shot could he stop ffs?! Perhaps Firmino's

No way Gakpo's second should go in from that angle. He has to be saving at least a couple of those shots. He basically let in every shot that was on target.

 

[Stack]

Is only a title win a great season? You are allowed perspective based on where you started. You are allowed to be happy with 3rd and cup wins, considering how the past 10 years have gone. We are allowed to think it's a great season with the knowledge that we will push on next season still and expectations will change next season.

This season's expectations were top 4, hopefully a cup, develop the system. That's it.

Make a list of Utds 20 greatest seasons and this one wont make that list. The word great has meaning. This season isnt a great season on what we have done so far. It might become a great season if we win a couple more cups but right now its not a great season, a good season relative to where we were but absolutely not great. thats not hard to comp[rehend.

 

[crossy1686]

Just goes to show you can’t trust this lot, they’ll get you sacked playing like that. Be ruthless

 

[Sandikan]

It doesn’t feel as bad as last season’s hammerings. I’m confident Ten Hag will do what is necessary after this. Last season we just knew it would be more of the same.

No?
Those were 4 and 5 nillers. To lose 7 nil to a worse team is worrying.

However, I sort of agree that we can quickly forget this and get it going again on Thursday.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

There was no spirit on display today. It was an utterly unprofessional performance and a big feck you to the manager by some of the players.

One half vs more than half of a season. I know what I put more faith in as far evidence goes.

 

[cyberman]

Go and watch our first 2 games of the season again...or go and see how he got Ajax to play when they were at their very best in 2019 and then 2022.

Ten Hag tried to stick to his philosophy vs Brighton and Brentford, but the results and overall performances showed that he doesn't yet have the players available to do that. After those first 2 opening games, he changed things up...when we sign a technical GK and a new #8 for next season and see how we play then, you can come back to these posts of your claiming that he doesn't have a possession-based philosophy.

Also, pressing high and quick transitions are both features of most elite teams these days, even City and Arsenal, who are both possession-based as well.

I’m watching how he plays and how Ajax played. He is not a possession manager. He is all about quick transitions and creating overloads. What you’re saying simply isn’t true.
He may talk a good game about controlling play etc but he’s more Klopp and prime Jose than some possession side