Erik ten Hag | 2024/25 | Sacked

[NLunited]

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?

We played high press for most of the game. For some reason we stopped pressing high for a while after 7 minutes, I think it was not intentional but it is what happened. Nerves?

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

I’m guessing the relaxed press has more to do with the game being the first after an international break and an early kick off. He clearly has an eye on the game midweek and wanted a win in second gear.

 

[Berbasbullet]

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 .

Odd thing to hope. Does that mean you want us to lose games?

 

[Matt851]

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

For now. This is third season, he is incapable of getting the team to play in a progressive way without us being horrendously open

 

[NLunited]

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 .

You wanted us to attack from the right and are unhappy we attacked from the right?!?

 

[r0663664]

You wanted us to attack from the right and are unhappy we attacked from the right?!?

I meant left.

 

[KjaAnd]

Very concerning that we seem to have completely given up pressing the opponent. Any half decent team will outplay us unless that’s fixed.

 

[Pronewbie]

We'd be daft to consistently press super high up the pitch with Eriksen and Mainoo in midfield, and later on Maguire and Evans at the back. I thought today's press at around a third of the pitch was a good balance.

 

[glazed]

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?

You'd think we'd get good at it at some point. Any decent team would have killed us sitting that deep. Even Southampton looked good going forward at times in first 30 minutes.

We played high press for most of the game.

I feel like we didn't. In the second half maybe at times, when the game was already won. Certainly the first half we spend most of the time sitting deep.

To be fair you can't really press with Erikson or Casemiro in the midfield. You need better legs. Mainoo and Bruno aren't exactly press monsters either.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Very concerning that we seem to have completely given up pressing the opponent. Any half decent team will outplay us unless that’s fixed.

We didn't have the midfield for it today to be fair

 

[mav_9me]

You'd think we'd get good at it at some point. Any decent team would have killed us sitting that deep. Even Southampton looked good going forward at times in first 30 minutes.

I feel like we didn't. In the second half maybe at times, when the game was already won. Certainly the first half we spend most of the time sitting deep.

To be fair you can't really press with Erikson or Casemiro in the midfield. You need better legs. Mainoo and Bruno aren't exactly press monsters either.

Bruno is deceptive about that. He randomly runs a lot so people think he presses but (without knowing much) I feel he is a big problem of our pressing cuz he is so random.

 

[Garnacho Libre]

Bruno is deceptive about that. He randomly runs a lot so people think he presses but (without knowing much) I feel he is a big problem of our pressing cuz he is so random.

I understand your point but that might be because he’s pressing in places he shouldn’t be. If all the players had his work ethic on the pitch United would be a much better team.

 

[Garnacho Libre]

I can’t believe some comments on here. “Won the game but not because of Ten Hag”. If that’s the case then we lose games because of the players and not Ten Hag.

We won - and convincingly. A long road ahead but there were far more positives than negatives today.

Southampton controlled the game until the missed penalty. United were the better team. We need to play with that mentality all the time and that’s what Ten Hag needs to drum into the players.

De Ligt had a good game. Rashford created chances and got a goal. Garnacho was a good substitute. Amad had plenty of the ball and in time I really think he will be a good baller.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Not sure he deserves any credit for today. We were thouroughly dominated until the Onana save and quick fire MdL goal. Thought it was a game of some really good individual performances (MdL, Licha, Amad, Zirkzee, Maz) moreso than a great team display. Our build up against their press was really concerning, didn't seem like we had an answer and majority of our attacks came from second balls or transitions. Southampton also simply didn't have the quality up front to hurt us.

Was nice to see us control the tempo in the second half though and conserve some energy. Took the sting out of the game and made it very comfortable instead of giving them a chance. If that was his call then well done.

Still think we don't have a clue how to press properly without absolute road runners like Mount in the team, nor is our build-up structure consistently effective (seems to put far too much emphasis on boundary play). But hey at least he was smart enough to not just make us press super high while having an Eriksen/Mainoo/Bruno midfield and instead had us in a mid block.

 

[Herschel Krustofsky]

All this press height debate, anyone considered you refine your tic tacs to suit the opposition?

Or is everyone that high on the high press kool-aid that it’s no lionger ‘acceptable’ to not have 6 men on the oppositions keeper at all times? (and then complain about gaps in midfield!)

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

I can’t believe some comments on here. “Won the game but not because of Ten Hag”. If that’s the case then we lose games because of the players and not Ten Hag.

We won - and convincingly. A long road ahead but there were far more positives than negatives today.

Southampton controlled the game until the missed penalty. United were the better team. We need to play with that mentality all the time and that’s what Ten Hag needs to drum into the players.

De Ligt had a good game. Rashford created chances and got a goal. Garnacho was a good substitute. Amad had plenty of the ball and in time I really think he will be a good baller.

Not sure what's so hard to understand. It's entirely possible to win a game due to structure or tactics, just like it's entirely possible to lose due to poor individuals and vice versa. We went on a run after Christmas last season in a similar way where our forwards were running hot even though nothing really changed tactically, and then when we cooled the results tanked again.

 

[The Hilton]

Very concerning that we seem to have completely given up pressing the opponent. Any half decent team will outplay us unless that’s fixed.

We've done nothing of the sort, we're just getting smarter with our pressing and setting traps rather than tearing after the ball and getting disjointed.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

All this press height debate, anyone considered you refine your tic tacs to suit the opposition?

Or is everyone that high on the high press kool-aid that it’s no lionger ‘acceptable’to not have 6 men on the oppositions keeper?

I think it's fine but I'm not sure that's what really happened considering Southampton have had serious issues playing through the press this season so far. It's moreso that he wanted to start Eriksen but knew if he did that theres no way those three could press effectively.

 

[glazed]

All this press height debate, anyone considered you refine your tic tacs to suit the opposition?

It wasn't the opposition it was the Erikson

We've done nothing of the sort, we're just getting smarter with our pressing and setting traps

Well that completely passed me by. Looked like Southampton were firing wave after wave of attacks in the first half culminating in a penalty which luckily we saved. Then we started the fast transition stuff (aka hitting them on the break.)

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

Some of you really need to take a day off. We started very poorly, but in the end won deservedly and convincingly. And Liverpool lost. Just have a beer and enjoy it.

 

[Herschel Krustofsky]

I think it's fine but I'm not sure that's what really happened considering Southampton have had serious issues playing through the press this season so far.

It wasn't the opposition it was the Erikson

Yeah, I was more saying that people seem obsessed with a high press for EVERY game.

That’s not always necessary or realistic.

 

[TrivelaDeBruno]

I think it's fine but I'm not sure that's what really happened considering Southampton have had serious issues playing through the press this season so far. It's moreso that he wanted to start Eriksen but knew if he did that theres no way those three could press effectively.

And past the first half hour that doesn’t remotely represent how today’s match unfolded. We didn’t concede a single shot after the penalty and created opportunities with fluid passing moves before the red card.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

And past the first half hour that doesn’t remotely represent how today’s match unfolded. We didn’t concede a single shot after the penalty and created opportunities with fluid passing moves before the red card.

I’m not sure what this has to do with my point on switching to a mid block due to starting Eriksen

 

[KjaAnd]

We've done nothing of the sort, we're just getting smarter with our pressing and setting traps rather than tearing after the ball and getting disjointed.

We will have to disagree on that one. We stood back and defended passively for most of the match. Perhaps we can find som data to give a clearer picture?

 

[Redfrog]

I can’t believe some comments on here. “Won the game but not because of Ten Hag”. If that’s the case then we lose games because of the players and not Ten Hag.

We won - and convincingly. A long road ahead but there were far more positives than negatives today.

Southampton controlled the game until the missed penalty. United were the better team. We need to play with that mentality all the time and that’s what Ten Hag needs to drum into the players.

De Ligt had a good game. Rashford created chances and got a goal. Garnacho was a good substitute. Amad had plenty of the ball and in time I really think he will be a good baller.

Unconvincing win over one of the worst team in the league. Credit to ETH. How the standards have dropped.
We won because we had the better players. Should we give ETH credit for that ? Should we expect to lose against any decent opponent and be happy by winning against sh*t teams ?

 

[Shark]

Some of you really need to take a day off. We started very poorly, but in the end won deservedly and convincingly. And Liverpool lost. Just have a beer and enjoy it.

Agreed. Having a nice Peroni straight from the fridge now. If you can't enjoy weekends like this, stop following the sport.

 

[TrivelaDeBruno]

I’m not sure what this has to do with my point on switching to a mid block due to starting Eriksen

Not sure what's so hard to understand. It's entirely possible to win a game due to structure or tactics, just like it's entirely possible to lose due to poor individuals and vice versa. We went on a run after Christmas last season in a similar way where our forwards were running hot even though nothing really changed tactically, and then when we cooled the results tanked again.

I meant to respond to this. Hard to keep track of all the lamentations

 

[stevoc]

You'd think we'd get good at it at some point. Any decent team would have killed us sitting that deep. Even Southampton looked good going forward at times in first 30 minutes.

Not necessarily, we've been huffing and puffing away at it for over a season now. And I don't think the pressing in and of itself is the problem. I'm just not sure Ten Hag knows how to set the team up in defence and attack while maintaining the type of pressing formation he's trying to implement. It could be a personnel issue also.

 

[lex talionis]

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.

I like Mount coming off the bench for us to give us something different but once we get our engines going I don’t know you take off the starting XI that makes us stronger with Mount. Maybe Hojlund or Zirkzee, but the moment you do that we’re removing a goal scoring threat and in reality we don’t have many goal scoring threats.

I like Mount as an alternative to Bruno and I always have but that’s not going to happen very often. When Mainoo needs a rest, sure, but not as a preferred option to Mainoo.

In a unique situation I’m all for Mount getting a start to help with the press, but no chance he becomes a regular starter for us apart from an injury crisis.

 

[erikcred]

Back in the race!

 

[Bobski]

I am highly critical of Ten Hag and don't expect him to last the season but adapting the tactics to fit the players he has available rather than just playing the same way regardless is a progression from last season, so I don't get the complaining about a less aggressive press.

 

[Oranges038]

Can people not just enjoy a win?

At least for a few hours.

 

[Isotope]

Love what i saw today. We had 3-4 players on the box on so many occasions when we attacked. Although this tactic of having Eriksen and Mainoo at the base is most likely not effective against better teams.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Can people not just enjoy a win?

At least for a few hours.

Plenty are in the post match thread!

This is the Ten Hag thread, which is why I posted my opinion on him specifically with regards to today's game.

 

[GreatDane]

Some of you really need to take a day off. We started very poorly, but in the end won deservedly and convincingly. And Liverpool lost. Just have a beer and enjoy it.

I enjoyed the win, dont worry.

Still want him sacked.

 

[Red in STL]

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.

All the Liverpool game showed is that if you lose possesion needlessly in your defensive third good teams will punish you

 

[Sandikan]

We won a league away game 3-0.
This certainly isn't a day to moan about things.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Unconvincing win over one of the worst team in the league. Credit to ETH. How the standards have dropped.
We won because we had the better players. Should we give ETH credit for that ? Should we expect to lose against any decent opponent and be happy by winning against sh*t teams ?

Why so miserable?
We lost to a pool side who are better than us, we were unlucky against Brighton and have beaten the two teams who I’d class as lower half opposition.

 

[ifightdragons]

Can people not just enjoy a win?

At least for a few hours.

Doesn't seem like you can, no. You seem too preoccupied with what other people think.

Go, enjoy it!

 

[Scholsey2004]

Results aside, because early season they can be unrepresentative, the goal difference after 4 games of 0 is totally consistent with last season.