It's really not. Look at the likes of Vinicius Jr, Haaland or Mbappe. You expect players to be more mature at this age in modern times than what it used to be back then.
Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24
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It's really not. Look at the likes of Vinicius Jr, Haaland or Mbappe. You expect players to be more mature at this age in modern times than what it used to be back then.
Since the season opener 2-1 defeat to Brighton it's been 16 home games played, won 13,drew 3 and just 6 goals conceded, the type of form that peak Ferguson's teams had in Old Trafford. Hopefully that home form can be retained for next season and big improvement on the away form especially against the top 10..
Vinicius is extremely inconsistent and has been playing on that level for slightly over a year so far. Haaland and Mbappe are absolute freaks. Expecting players in that age bracket to be still developing should be the default position and if you expect nothing of that you're going to get disappointed nearly every, single time.
Expecting them to keep on developing is different from treating them as youngsters. By this age they should be showing signs of being a top player.
Player development is not really linear and outside of generational players most teenage wonders have struggling seasons in their early 20s. I fully expect Garnacho to get those moments and comments too in few years and I'm already dreading it.
Should we save the waiting and sack him now?
As always charming words from a supposed supporter.
Have a word with yourselves, lads. Are we actually going to have supporters baying for his head if we secure 4th spot? Along with a trophy or two? After last season?
Anyone doubting him and wanting him sacked need to have a strong look at the mirror. The guy has done a solid job with this squad. Has been very unfortunate with the scheduling and injuries and yet managed to make us competitive in all the 4 competitions. With a bit more luck we would have sealed top 4 by now.
I don't think I've ever seen you post a single positive thing.
Antony rightfully starts every game. I wouldn’t bench him for any of the remaining three. We play better with him on the pitch.
That's because they haven't.
Even though I agree that he shouldn't be sacked, to say that he has done a solid job with this squad cannot be further from the truth. The truth is that this squad is decent enough and he was allowed to spend in the summer and had a full preseason.
Another point to note is that we have lost/drawn far too many games that we shouldn't and our away form is 100% on the manager. He has been technically atricious away from home.
Sorry for the small rant because you said that he has done a solid job.
It's getting more and more difficult to differentiate between this place and the comments section on Twitter and Facebook.
He started with the right team. First 20-25 minutes we were too passive but I believe it also was a bit intentional in order to settle down and don’t take unnecessary risks (after two league defeats in a row and gap to 5th place reducing).
We then increased the tempo and were creating a lot of chances while at the same time restricting Wolves to 0 or 0.5 chances.
He couldn’t have changed anything earlier as we didn’t have any better finishers on the bench apart from Garnacho who just came back from injury. But as we were under control and still creating chances it wasn’t necessary to make changes earlier. He then brought on subs including Garnacho to run at tired legs and it worked out.
If our players could finish from 3 yards or didn’t shoot directly at the keeper we could have scored two more goals.
Note: I won‘t talk about WW as I have decided to pretend he doesn’t exist.
I am just surprised that you are so focused on the word brilliant. I could have also written (very) good. I mean if we played badly and lost and I had written „terrible“ game management, would you still be here asking why I wrote terrible and not „bad“/ „not very good“?
You might want to read the article… he’s saying there’s a difference this summer from last.
Accordingly, almost none of your examples are relevant.
Well, if there's one DNA statement I'd agree with, it's that we always, always make it 'interesting' for the neutrals and a nightmare for our fans
I think he can and will reach that level. I might go as far as to say he already is.
City shoot a lot less from long range than we do. Their average shooting distance is a full metre less than ours. Only Southampton have a higher percentage of their shots outside the area than we do (40% vs 39%, City's number is 32%).
So no, we most definitely shouldn't shoot even more from long range.
Salah flopped at Chelsea at 22, signed for Roma at 24 and blossomed there. De Bruyne was rotting away at Chelsea at Antony's age.
Sadio Mane just left Salzburg for Southampton at 22. Lewandowski left Poznan at 22 and had an underwhelming first season at Dortmund. Modric only left Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 23.
Players develop at their own pace. There will always be precocious prodigies as well as late bloomers.
So fecking stupid how this place is letting the ETH is shit narrative build up with reckless abandon. Ridiculous. You would have all taken top 4 and a trophy at the start of the season. He’s class and the right man for us ffs.
Classic Twitter army. Same lot want casemiro gone and anyone else who’s been good for the club this season.
He's not there yet but he might be some day, hopefully with us.
Well the United team more or less picks itself, doesn't it? Especially after Rashford injury. So while I see your point, this shouldn't be an aspect where bonus points should be handed out. And for context, to call something brilliant, for me something has to stand out positively. Something deserved bonus points.
Might be. But could also be connected to Wolves having anything planned in the first 30minutes. The goal we scored also relieved a bit of pressure on us. So, while I would agree to the observation, there isn't much to conclude that there is direct connection to the managers gameplan. At least not in my view.
Hmm. Not sure about it. I thought, the match was relatively even, with both teams having a few spells of passing and so on but quality in final third was lacking. With Wolves more than with us though. We created a few chances today, but most of them weren't exactly tap-ins. We had four good chances and finished 2 of them. The rest (based on understat.com) were in the region of 0.08-0.12 xG wise. Big number of the shots coming from distance and quite a few of them weren't exactly close.
Don't get me wrong, that is something I am absolutely happy with and nothing I would criticize the manager for. But considering our trajectory in the league and Wolves plus their player material compared to us, I'd tend to say that the game management part at least doesn't shine through strikingly obvious. ETH didn't create any sort of obvious mistake or some obvious tactics magic. It was a standard performance where we played mostly like we played since quite some time. There was nothing that was suprising, only exception being Rashford who ruled himself out by injury.
Agreed. It was more or less out of his control. So no bonus points again ^^
As you say, no need for changing the plan as it worked reasonably well. The subs were due to fitness I guess, Garnacho was more or less an obvious one as well. I mean, if you had asked people to put money on players from the bench who will get minutes, many would have predicted Garnacho would.
ok then lets skip this part.To be perfectly honest, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have been the only one who would have commented on the word "terrible"
I understand your point though, happens a lot that I take the words chosen for posts too literally. To me, there is a difference between "brilliant" and "good to very good". If those words are close together for you, then I guess, I made the right thing in asking you what exactly you meant. I mean, see the points above, I agree with more or less all your observations, only thing we seemingly aren't aligned is the word we'd use to describe it.
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Correct. Some good passes, a great assist, quick on the counter, good work rate, just finishing was off
I don't remember ever seeing you post anything here at all but that's how this forum works, unless you are a stalker. Focus on yourself rather than others.
I don't need your approval to prove my support for the club. Bullying users for having different opinion when no one came near you or your posts says a lot about you at the end of the day.
You don't support, you criticise. Relentlessly.
I have praised Ten Hag multiple times this season when we were actually good. I just don't care about proving or defending my stance because it's a waste of time.
Same things were said to me when I was criticizing Ole. Total and complete waste of time. If you think he does no wrong or we are great now, why does it matter for you that some random folk on a football forum is saying the opposite? You don't want to just worship the guy, you want everyone else to worship him too and outcast anyone who doesn't by continuously bullying them. As I said it was the same under Ole. Some of you are obsessed with the cult culture. You can support a manager without transforming it into a cult.
Unlike some of you I don't worship Ten Hag and any other manager who will manage us. I evaluate him on day to day basis without any guarantee for his future here, and at the end of the day I'm someone you and others don't even know what his real name is and just posting on a football forum. My opinion is hardly that important or relevant either for the club or for anyone of you. I realize this well. That's where I'm coming from you. Now do you realize this also applies to your opinion?
Excellent stuff, but can you explain the mechanics of how you're evaluating him day to day for us? I thought that was an interesting statement.
Based on the current results, football played and how he managed his squad during tough periods. Managers don't get a guaranteed future or trust at any club. They live or die according to the results they are currently achieving, and if football taught us anything, it's that things change faster than light between night and day. Managers at the end of the day are just employees for the club. That's what I view them in modern football, anyway.
For Ten Hag in particular, he was doing really well for us up till the league cup win, got us in a cemented top 4 position, improved the playing style and won that cup. He managed a tricky situation like Ronaldo pretty well. Nothing but praise for such period.
However imo he couldn't bring the players to the ground again after breaking the trophies drought and after the Liverpool result he also failed in getting the players to move on or cope with the defeat which is obvious in the team's mentality when things go tough ever since that day. His squad management of our injuries in such congested period has also been poor.
If he succeeded in securing top 4, he has earned enough for a new season.
Fickle.
This place is just nuts...... Yeah he needs to go, right fans?
"to say that he has done a solid job with this squad cannot be further from the truth" are you actually for real?! Top 4, League Cup Trophy, EL QFs, FA Cup Final - in a season where he's had to oversee the Ronaldo situation and played most of the year without a recognised centre forward, and a large chunk of it without his first choice centre backs? And you think that calling that a 'solid job' couldn't be further from the truth?
What would you class as solid job then?
Took me a while to find this thread… as expected, little bit more break, Varane back and another win. He is the future.
No doubt he’s made OT into a fortress. If he sorts out our away form next season, we’re golden.
Stat-wise Ten Hag has brought United back close to Ole's best season(20/21).
Ole - 20/21
Premier League - 74 Points +29 goal difference (73/44)
Europa League - Final
FA Cup - Quarter Final
League Cup - Semi Final
Ten Hag - 22/23
Premier League - 66 Points +10 goal difference (51/41), 3 more games to play
Europa League - Quarter Final
FA Cup - Final, yet to play
League Cup - Winner
Considering that it is ETH first season, it is par on course for a United Manager considering the money spent in the transfer window. As we played a game every 3 days for most of the season, ETH has done well enough. Goals scored in the league is a big concern though as this season will be the second/third worst season in United's Premier League history.
Ole - 20/21
Premier League - 74 Points +29 goal difference (73/44)
Europa League - Final
FA Cup - Quarter Final
League Cup - Semi Final
Ten Hag - 22/23
Premier League - 66 Points +10 goal difference (51/41), 3 more games to play
Europa League - Quarter Final
FA Cup - Final, yet to play
League Cup - Winner
Considering that it is ETH first season, it is par on course for a United Manager considering the money spent in the transfer window. As we played a game every 3 days for most of the season, ETH has done well enough. Goals scored in the league is a big concern though as this season will be the second/third worst season in United's Premier League history.
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