Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

[Big Ben Foster]

I'm just saying, his "prototype" is exactly what we should be looking for.

Fair enough then

 

[RedSky]

It's been 14 years of shite football, let's be real.

Oh, this is a whole new brand of shite football. Barely scraping a positive goal difference in over 50 PL games is a new low in a decade of lows.

 

[chris123]

I don’t get your logic here. FDJ and Amrabat are completely different profiles. FDJ wouldn’t be sitting making tackles. If anything we now have his profile with the emergence of Mainoo

Someone who is comfortable on possession, sitting deep, dropping in between the two defenders, but also carrying into midfield, is I suspect what Erik wants in that role. Amrabat was fine at it, but there's clearly room to upgrade on what he did for us in those last few games.

 

[IWat]

But but would you say the same if he had won Copa Del Ray

Madrid sacked Rafa while 3rd in the league, having topped their CL group and only getting knocked out the Copa due to fielding an ineligible player after 25 games, so yeah they probably would - Before he even had the chance to win it.

 

[croadyman]

So is the review finished then or what?

Depends who you believe doesn't it

 

[devilish]

I can taste the tears. Don't worry kid hel probably get sacked.

I assure you that its not the case. I am not angry with ETH. Anyone would fight for his job. To his credit he sold his 1 great game of the season to the max and had the fickle fans forget how humiliating it was being kicked out of one of the easiest CL groups ever and to end up 8th with a negative goal difference. What I am angry about is INEOS. They are supposed to be this football 'experts' guys who plan ahead and they hire the best in class. Thus if they planned to keep ETH then they should have handled him a contract long ago. If not then they should have fired him irrespective of his win. This U-Turn makes us look the same knee jerk idiots that we've always been under the Glazers. And yes that makes me angry.

 

[Dominos]

He's had two years and spent a fortune and not been able to do it. Why do people think its going to magically click in year three?

I'm not keen on him staying, but if he does stay he needs zero say in transfers in and out. Let competent people construct the squad for him, and maybe there's a small chance he can develop a style of play with the right players.

Whether we actually have the right people employed to make the right decisions on transfers, remains to be seen.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

I like the guy. He needs to fix the glaring issues in the way we play. That's all that matters to me. Next season there can be no excuses.

Yes i.e. he needs to do his job to an acceptable standard.

To me 18 months of not doing so is unacceptable.

 

[Sandikan]

One game is starting to turn the tide. What about the other 50 we all had to suffer through. Only a handful of games I could say he did a good job at coaching.

It's astounding how so many posters have totally changed their mind on one game.
They should probably revisit the season gone, all the fury on here, the records broken in a bad way, the minus goal difference, 8th place, getting battered by the likes of Palace etc. Not to mention from day 1 - when we did have everyone available, getting run off the pitch by Wolves at home.

Yes we had some injuries, but not really in the attacking positions. Imagine if we'd had a couple of attackers out for 2months on top. Would they be excusing 12th or something?

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

So your saying you would rather have Chelsea's season? And be playing in the conference next season?

League season absolutely, why are we all of the sudden acting like we were better because we won a cup?

Either way I don’t want Poch, just saying that acting like he can’t do better than Ten Hag when he literally WAS better this season in his first year with similar injury issues is hilarious.

 

[Amarsdd]

Its evident that INEOS were planning to replace him only to pull up the brakes because he won the FA Cup and the fickle fans turned in favor of him. Which kind of kicks all this 'planning' theory nonsense out of the window

That hasn't happened yet, and feel its very unlikely. But, it happens then yeah I'm with ya.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

My sentiment exactly. Also, the positively of winning the cup might be what is needed to bring the squad together and maybe also to build a stronger relationship between the manager and the squad. People can talk all the want about player power, but the moment the players lose their belief in the project, the manager is done, that's just the way it is. I saw enough heartfelt support for Ten Hag after the victory for me to change my vote. Give him another try, and if we are mid table and miserable come Christmas, bring in McKenna.

Why are posters in here so nonchalant about the prospect of writing off entire seasons?

 

[golden_blunder]

Am I the only one who would feel for him? With this never seen before injury crisis, no manager in the world (beside the top 3) would have taken us higher than 6th. Also the CL group stage exit was solely Onanas fault, if it was for Eric we would have at least reached last 16.

I don’t believe any of that. I think a competent manager could have got top 4 with this squad. IF he had played a setup similar to what he has finished the season with in every match we would have had less defeats and more points.

whilst Onana made the gaffs in the CL again the real gaff was how we setup.

his setup for 95% of the season is what’s undone the results, not all the other narratives doing the rounds,

Should he stay, I hope that he has been ordered to change it

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

So you're one of the ones that doesn't classify the FA Cup as a trophy worth winning, top 4 and CL qualification is all that matters I'm guessing, well I consider winning a trophy more important tahn winning nothing at all

No I’m one of the ones that doesn’t judge an entire body of work off of a single cup win. Chelsea were a better team than we were this season, that doesn’t mean I would rather “not win a trophy” or whatever stupid thing you’re trying to imply.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

I'm not keen on him staying, but if he does stay he needs zero say in transfers in and out. Let competent people construct the squad for him, and maybe there's a small chance he can develop a style of play with the right players.

Whether we actually have the right people employed to make the right decisions on transfers, remains to be seen.

Dan Ashworth is not going to come in and explain to him that playing 1 player in central midfield and a deep back line will leave constant gaping holes and ruin our season.

The structure won't change that, Rodri could have played in a midfield set up by Ten Hag this season and would have looked hopeless.

 

[sirAlexsglasses]

For the people who want him to stay, do you actually believe Ten Hag will win us a premier league or champions league before he leaves this club?

Logically, I can't imagine a scenario where the manager to take us back to our glory days, is someone who after 2 full years has made the team worse, and has us performing to the standard of a 14th/15th placed side. I just don't see the rationale behind it. It would be a fairytale story to make us worse after 2 years and then go and win us a league title, but fairytales aren't real unfortunately.

I think people are being sentimental, and ultimately they think it's mean to sack someone who they feel sorry for. And being nice is more important than the success of the football club to some fans.

i don’t think he will win the prem next season, but I do think he should have the chance for another season with the correct structure at the club and hopefully not have to resort to using 16 dif combinations in the back four. if he improves us massively then good, if not…….well then he’s had fair chance, and we can look for a quality manager that will be available and not simply rushing for any in experienced manager because we need one, without having to pay yet more compensation.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

My sentiment exactly. Also, the positively of winning the cup might be what is needed to bring the squad together and maybe also to build a stronger relationship between the manager and the squad. People can talk all the want about player power, but the moment the players lose their belief in the project, the manager is done, that's just the way it is. I saw enough heartfelt support for Ten Hag after the victory for me to change my vote. Give him another try, and if we are mid table and miserable come Christmas, bring in McKenna.

Christ, we weren’t losing football matches because players weren’t trying. We were losing because we defended the opposition at a relegation level standard. This is just romantic waffle.

 

[GreatDane]

So is the review finished then or what?

Yeah, but Ten Hag is on holiday and is refusing to pick up his phone.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

So you're one of the ones that doesn't classify the FA Cup as a trophy worth winning, top 4 and CL qualification is all that matters I'm guessing, well I consider winning a trophy more important tahn winning nothing at all

So it doesn't matter in any way how food we are as a team on a week to week basis?

We win an FA Cup and it wouldn't matter if we finished 16th because we won a domestic title?

 

[spwd]

Very pleased - been told he's staying

ETH stays. Great news.

He stays. Good. See the project through instead of starting another fecking one.

Looks like he’s staying. I’m not actually against I’ve changed my mind a bit. Last chance though, need a strong start to the season or he really is done.

He is staying. Looking forward to another season of struggle for top 4, decent cup runs and shit on a stick football.

Can't wait!

Where's all this shite coming from?

 

[VP89]

I assure you that its not the case. I am not angry with ETH. Anyone would fight for his job. To his credit he sold his 1 great game of the season to the max and had the fickle fans forget how humiliating it was being kicked out of one of the easiest CL groups ever and to end up 8th with a negative goal difference. What I am angry about is INEOS. They are supposed to be this football 'experts' guys who plan ahead and they hire the best in class. Thus if they planned to keep ETH then they should have handled him a contract long ago. If not then they should have fired him irrespective of his win. This U-Turn makes us look the same knee jerk idiots that we've always been under the Glazers. And yes that makes me angry.

Fickle fans, knee jerk, etc.

Give it a rest and stop being a wimp, plenty of fans had wanted him to be given another season before a ball was kicked in the final including and not limited to some big name supporters such as Neville and Andy Mitten.

You don't speak for fanbase reasoning, stop crying about their sentiment. Subsets of those wanting the manager out are so insecure it's embarrassing. They want polls reset when they don't like the stats, or theyl moan or bitch about it being reset and asked at wrong times, or claim it's just opposition fans etc.

 

[tomaldinho1]

We were regularly outbidding and outspending Abramovich and Abu Dhabi throughout the 2010s.

We could've spent twice as much and we still wouldn't be any closer.

Not the point, I'm telling you it's the split that matters.

But let's go with what you're saying, let's look at the seasons we're regularly outbidding and outspending in your timeframe (which starts over a decade ago FYI but I'll let that slide). The brackets are our rank out of the league for spend NOT final position, currency is EUR.

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
United	29m (4th)	62m (5th)	76m (2nd)	77m (4th - Spurs spent 122m)	195m (1st)	156m (2nd)	185m (2nd)	198m (4th - Everton spent 203m)	82m (8th)	236m (1st)
Chelsea	121m	96m	109m	130m	137m	96m	132m	260m	208m	45m
City	183m	91m	61m	115m	102m	208m	216m	317m	78m	169m
Pool	97m	69m	70m	58m	151m	126m	79m	173m	182m	10m
Arsenal	23m	65m	56m	49m	118m	26m	113m	152m	80m	160m

So you are well off. We were top spenders in 2/10 seasons.

 

[glazed]

Oh, this is a whole new brand of shite football. Barely scraping a positive goal difference in over 50 PL games is a new low in a decade of lows.

Oh no van Gaal was much much worse. A lot of ETH's games have been very entertaining (not always for the right reasons.) Even SAF's last title winners were a hard watch.

 

[AndySmith1990]

Where's all this shite coming from?

They seem to think McKenna staying at Ipswich means we're keeping Ten Hag

 

[Irwin99]

Why are posters in here so nonchalant about the prospect of writing off entire seasons?

That's not writing off an entire season though is it? If by November/December we haven't seen enough progress then we reassess.

I get the impression that some fans believe we should be challenging for titles and you know 'something something Real Madrid wouldn't accept this' when we're in absolutely no position to do that and haven't been for 11 years. Next season will be a top 4 battle regardless of who is in charge. It's about restructuring the squad and making progress- a blueprint that Liverpool and Arsenal have used with their managers over the last few years.

 

[stevoc]

I'm a bit confused what you're arguing? That he told them to sit deep and the attack to push up and leave midfield empty? Or that they ignored him and did it anyway? Or that they didn't sit deep and I imagined it all?

No you were the one saying the players are not following his instructions. I'm saying obviously they are following his instructions when the same tactics and shape were used game after game for 9 months. Defence sitting deep and the front 5/6 pushing high up the pitch.

Anyway it's all academic. He's getting sacked this week and we will end up with Pochel or Thomas Frank if we're unlucky. And then he will have the same problems come August give or take a player or three.

Would actually prefer to keep Ten Hag if those were the only options. Luckily they aren't.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Oh, this is a whole new brand of shite football. Barely scraping a positive goal difference in over 50 PL games is a new low in a decade of lows.

I'm not sure if people just don't watch games.

I would bet big money that any Utd team since Sir Alex retired would have absolutely smashed this team 9 times out of 10.

This season was the absolute worst football I've ever seen from a Utd team. Completely soulless and devoid of any sort of idea.

 

[Redstain]

Im not opposed to Erik staying the final year if the conditions are for the team to challenge

Coming off a summer that will likely see United spend a further 200 million approximating 600 million under the same candidate a league challenge should be a minimal expectation. It would require the manager to find another 31 points in-between this season and the next, that should be the barometer of how INEOS move forward in keeping Eth.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Why are posters in here so nonchalant about the prospect of writing off entire seasons?

It’s incredible.

I think the only situation in which I’d be willing to accept a season of poor results would be one in which we had already gone full fire sale and brought in a boatload of exciting wonderkids that would clearly need time to gel. Even then you’d want to see glimpses of progress.

There have been literally 0 GLIMPSES of brilliance from us in the last 18 months. 0. Our best performance under Ten Hag was the spurs 2-0 that happened in fecking 2022. Even our “best wins” this season were largely scraping by or end to end coin flips where we came out on top because of better finishing. Meanwhile people in here would have you thinking we were playing liquid stuff with our fully fit squad and then just ran into terrible injury luck.

 

[Lord of Blackhaven]

The situation is a good test for INEOS because no comprehensive and competent review of the season could possibly come to the conclusion to keep EtH. By every conceivably metric the season has been a disaster. Unfortunately most fans go on vibes and after the obvious high of Saturday immediately forgot the 10 months of dross that came before it. If we lose the first game next season the same fans will be calling INEOS idiots for not sacking him.

 

[glazed]

They seem to think McKenna staying at Ipswich means we're keeping Ten Hag

How can anyone seriously think they're keeping ETH? You don't interview five other managers if you are planning to keep the current one. Poch seems very very likely.

 

[stevoc]

7th place. Which many here would hail as an achievement since it's better than 8th.

It would be progress I suppose.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

I'm not sure if people just don't watch games.

I would bet big money that any Utd team since Sir Alex retired would have absolutely smashed this team 9 times out of 10.

This season was the absolute worst football I've ever seen from a Utd team. Completely soulless and devoid of any sort of idea.

Pogba with the space we afforded in midfield would have created 10 chances a half and if Bruno was ahead of him he’d have created another 10.

 

[IWat]

That's not writing off an entire season though is it? If by November/December we haven't seen enough progress then we reassess.

I get the impression that some fans believe we should be challenging for titles and you know 'something something Real Madrid wouldn't accept this' when we're in absolutely no position to do that and haven't been for 11 years. Next season will be a top 4 battle regardless of who is in charge. It's about restructuring the squad and making progress- a blueprint that Liverpool and Arsenal have used with their managers over the last few years.

But if we're hypothetically outside top 4 but somewhat within striking distance come December what do we do? Or does he have to be so far away to get cut lose that we have in effect wrote off the season?

 

[Big Ben Foster]

Not the point, I'm telling you it's the split that matters.

But let's go with what you're saying, let's look at the seasons we're regularly outbidding and outspending in your timeframe (which starts over a decade ago FYI but I'll let that slide). The brackets are our rank out of the league for spend NOT final position, currency is EUR.

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
United	29m (4th)	62m (5th)	76m (2nd)	77m (4th - Spurs spent 122m)	195m (1st)	156m (2nd)	185m (2nd)	198m (4th - Everton spent 203m)	82m (8th)	236m (1st)
Chelsea	121m	96m	109m	130m	137m	96m	132m	260m	208m	45m
City	183m	91m	61m	115m	102m	208m	216m	317m	78m	169m
Pool	97m	69m	70m	58m	151m	126m	79m	173m	182m	10m
Arsenal	23m	65m	56m	49m	118m	26m	113m	152m	80m	160m

So you are well off. We were top spenders in 2/10 seasons.

I'm obviously referring to player spending, not transfer fees. Extremely disingenuous to only look at one piece of the equation.

 

[devilish]

Fickle fans, knee jerk, etc.

Give it a rest and stop being a wimp, plenty of fans had wanted him to be given another season before a ball was kicked in the final including and not limited to some big name supporters such as Neville and Andy Mitten.

You don't speak for fanbase reasoning, stop crying about their sentiment. Subsets of those wanting the manager out are so insecure it's embarrassing. They want polls reset when they don't like the stats, or theyl moan or bitch about it being reset and asked at wrong times, or claim it's just opposition fans etc.

Fans are allowed to fickle. Football is emotional and fans are its customers. Yet football people should know better. Now if the club think its reasonable for United to end up fourth in the CL group behind Copenhagen and Galatasaaray + 8th place with a negative GD then fair enough. However they should have handled him a contract extension long ago to end any rumors and bring in some stability into the club. No wonder why INEOS keeps tanking with NICE and Lausanne

 

[Big Ben Foster]

That's not writing off an entire season though is it? If by November/December we haven't seen enough progress then we reassess.

I get the impression that some fans believe we should be challenging for titles and you know 'something something Real Madrid wouldn't accept this' when we're in absolutely no position to do that and haven't been for 11 years. Next season will be a top 4 battle regardless of who is in charge. It's about restructuring the squad and making progress- a blueprint that Liverpool and Arsenal have used with their managers over the last few years.

What are we going to learn between August and November/December that we haven't learned in the past 18 months?

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

How can anyone seriously think they're keeping ETH? You don't interview five other managers if you are planning to keep the current one. Poch seems very very likely.

Yeah I still lean towards him being gone. I can’t for the life of me believe they’d have gone through all of the trouble and this comprehensive review with all of these top dog decision makers just to keep him after one win. If they wanted him to stay they’d have come out and backed him already

 

[Berbaclass]

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Pogba with the space we afforded in midfield would have created 10 chances a half and if Bruno was ahead of him he’d have created another 10.

And for anyone thinking this is over the top. Conceding 20 chances would be a good week for us.