Erik ten Hag | 2024/25 | Sacked

[flameinthesun]

Absolutely. It‘s not tactics though, but performance. We stopped pressing high, we lost our nerves.

This is it, the confidence in the team is brittle at the moment add to it all the chances we miss it makes it even worse. Get some more confidence in the team, string some good results together and we will see a better more confident implementation of the tactics. That's EtH's challenge to get the confidence back into the players. Its going to be a long season.

 

[ForeverRed1]

I love him and I hope they stand by him and give him time. Finally got support around him at the club. Still loads of gaps all over the place but this season will be all about how he manages players and their minutes.

I liked the rotation today (not injuries).. but I like that he’s going to spread the minutes out more and actually utilise the whole squad. We need to avoid injuries as much as possible. It’s a long old season, lots of games.

 

[flameinthesun]

This game will inevitably buy him another 2 seasons. We still play without an identity and Southampton have a more identifiable style than us.

The team quite clearly has an identity and a play style. They are also clearly struggling with confidence and in implementing it. This there is no identity talk is silly.

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

Terrible first 30 minutes, but comfortable after the pen save and first goal. Some progress at least, but had they scored their pen it could've looked very different.

 

[Robertd0803]

I dread to think what would have happened if Southampton scored the penalty. Luckily things went our way and it was a pretty controlled performance afterwards.

 

[GazTheLegend]

An important win today. I can't see how he survives if we were outplayed and lost by Soton. But there was a performance - eventually - AND a result today. Could all have been a lot different if their penalty had gone in though.

 

[Drainy]

I swear ten hag is the luckiest man on earth! Hahahaha.

He's literally the opposite

 

[Ace of Spades]

Bad first 30 minutes, but after that it was easy going.

Still, there will be bigger challenges, but we have some easy games now to build some steam.

 

[Leftback99]

Very fortunate with the penalty but other than that deserved the win against what will soon enough be a championship side again.

 

[holdsteady]

Should he been 6 or 7. Ten Hag out

 

[Red in STL]

Well ETH has been codding us for 2 years, talking like Utd is one of the minnows trying to knock the big clubs off their perch. Instead he's floundering. It's time for someone to put him in his plaice or better yet, put his head on a pike.

Yes, it is fishy after all

 

[NLunited]

Should he been 6 or 7. Ten Hag out

Could have been. In the second half we were managing injuries instead of going for it.

 

[PINGUtd]

If we’re missing Mount then just fecking wind the club up today.

I am totally serious, our weak link today was the lack of cohesion between the lines in the first half (besides Zirkzees finishing). While both played well, Mainoo and Eriksen were not putting enough pressure on the Saints while of possession. Complaining on high standards after an excellent, dominant 3-0 win, but Mount would have been the missing piece to glue us together - which will be much more necessary against stronger opponents.

 

[Eastdog]

Would have been very bad for Ten Hag had we lost today.

Expected to win against a newly promoted side in Southampton.

Pressure still on him and a lot of work to do. Need to get consistency week in week with performance as we a probe to shocking ones.

 

[satish_united]

good game - i am happy that we did not try to play out from the back always and were happy to mix it up.

 

[crossy1686]

I am totally serious, our weak link today was the lack of cohesion between the lines in the first half (besides Zirkzees finishing). While both played well, Mainoo and Eriksen were not putting enough pressure on the Saints while of possession. Complaining on high standards after an excellent, dominant 3-0 win, but Mount would have been the missing piece to glue us together - which will be much more necessary against stronger opponents.

No, it won’t. We’ve seen this whenever he has played. They pass it around our high press and we have no answer because we’ve heavily loaded at the top end. The midfield is completely nullified with a couple of passes.

 

[Cassidy]

No, it won’t. We’ve seen this whenever he has played. They pass it around our high press and we have no answer because we’ve heavily loaded at the top end. The midfield is completely nullified with a couple of passes.

Who played around our press this season with Mount out there?

 

[lex talionis]

We did not miss Mount today.

I was worried about our tactics starting the match but once they botched their pk the gulf in class took over and we never looked back.

 

[PINGUtd]

No, it won’t. We’ve seen this whenever he has played. They pass it around our high press and we have no answer because we’ve heavily loaded at the top end. The midfield is completely nullified with a couple of passes.

Have you watched our pre-season and the Fulham game?

 

[glazed]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

 

[PINGUtd]

We did not miss Mount today.

I was worried about our tactics starting the match but once they botched their pk the gulf in class took over and we never looked back.

Mount was not necessary today ,but he will in other fictures. My statement is aimed towards the posters that pretend his transfer is a tactical mistake. He clearly is not, as he addresses our main weakness in today's game. Luckily, Saints were easily beatable nonetheless.

 

[flameinthesun]

No, it won’t. We’ve seen this whenever he has played. They pass it around our high press and we have no answer because we’ve heavily loaded at the top end. The midfield is completely nullified with a couple of passes.

This season our press has been good. Every press however will be beaten at points in a game. It's how we manage having the press being beaten on the transition which is where we have struggled last season. However, against city we beat their press as much as they did ours, against Fulham they beat the press and countered us less times in that game week than teams did vs pool/ arsenal, against Brighton one of the best teams at playing out from the back in the first half we had them kicking the ball out for a corner from our press. Against pool none of their goals came from beating our press, it came from mistakes in the build up. In general we are transitioning into a good pressing team (with obvious chinks in the armour at this stage). Whilst Mount makes the press better so far, as this game went on Zirkzee and the front line started to click a bit better.

 

[Irwin99]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

I guess pragmatism has to win for now. I believe he said he purposefully didn't revert to more defensive tactics last season (except against City in the FA cup final) because he wanted the team to grow but the Liverpool game pretty much confirmed we're fecked if we continue down that route for now. The attack and midfield just isn't up to it, and yes people will rightly say, that's still after all that money spent but it's true.

It's nice to see us have more possession again. I'd be happy for us to be solid for a while and just pick up some confidence. The importance of getting the first goal seems to be really big for this team as we can pick teams off from a secure position rather than having the game devolve into chaos as we go searching for goals in the second half.

 

[santeria13]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

That's basically what he did in the first season. Essentially set up the team the same way it was before under Ole, after the first two losses. I think after the carabao cup was when he shifted things and what led to months of bad performances.

 

[Blood Mage]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

He's in survival mode, the plan is out of the window for now.

 

[Berbasbullet]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

I thought we did press high at times? Then it seemed more of a mid block. Second half we just completely dominated proceedings so hard to tell really.

 

[Irwin99]

I thought we did press high at times? Then it seemed more of a mid block. Second half we just completely dominated proceedings so hard to tell really.

It definitely didn't seem nearly as intense as the other games, at least that's what i thought.

 

[Leftback99]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

Most of his best results have been Oleball.

 

[Berbasbullet]

It definitely didn't seem nearly as intense as the other games, at least that's what i thought.

Yeah, maybe! I don’t think we dropped overly deep though. But second half we had all the ball and just controlled the game.

 

[Jezpeza]

I dread to think what would have happened if Southampton scored the penalty. Luckily things went our way and it was a pretty controlled performance afterwards.

They’d have sat back and we’d never have scored.

Southamptons tactics were suicidal, committed a lot of men forward and played quite a high line, played right into our hands

 

[Cassidy]

They’d have sat back and we’d never have scored.

Southamptons tactics were suicidal, committed a lot of men forward and played quite a high line, played right into our hands

We would have scored if they did that

 

[Cutch]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

Think it depends on the personnel. Don't think Rashford, Zirkzee and Amad press as aggressive as Garnacho, Mount and Hojlund. Plus when we've Eriksen as the next line of defence

 

[Jezpeza]

We would have scored if they did that

I dont consider us renowned at breaking low blocks. I’m not so sure

 

[Cassidy]

I dont consider us renowned at breaking low blocks. I’m not so sure

We don’t have to be

 

[Jezpeza]

We don’t have to be

You dont have to be able to score against low blocks, to score against a low block?

 

[Lentwood]

Positives

Zirkee looks very good technically and intelligent, some raw talent there to work with

The CBs, especially De Ligt. Looks like a more mobile, more aggressive Maguire

Controlled the game in the 2nd half

Rashford getting a goal

Ugarte cameo, looking forward to integrating him

Onana penalty save

Negatives

The first half. Out-thought and lucky the missed penalty and our opener within two minutes killed their spirit.

Dalot still dubious defensively. Always prone to being done on the outside.

Bruno poor again.

 

[jderbyshire]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

It was especially strange seeing as Southampton's defence are statistically the most vulnerable to forced errors caused by pressing.

 

[Cassidy]

You dont have to be able to score against low blocks, to score against a low block?

You don’t have to be renowned against low blocks to score against Southampton who are not a good defensive side

 

[stevoc]

A bit concerning that he's given up on the high press and defended deep instead. That is getting close to Oleball. If we play like that what 's the point of all the pain?

While I get what you are saying, what makes you think there would be a point where the pain would stop and it would lead to something else?

Having said that today doesn't necessarily mean he's abandoning pressing football.

 

[r0663664]

Yes, we won with a good scoreline but I am really unhappy with this tactics. It seems we were trying to play on the left and nothing coming from the right but once the play was switched, Amad was taking on defenders and creating chances. Amad was taking on defenders and our FB provided good overlapping runs and yet we keep trying to attack on the right. Anywa, I hope I see him gone by Christmas .