Erik ten Hag | 2024/25 | Sacked

[Cheimoon]

@Cheimoon, I must say I am confused. We have a new thread which is meant to move past the bickering and have a real conversation, and then you put up a sack/back poll after 3 games?
It is nonsense. The time to sack was in summer, but he was backed, and now we have to approach the new season calmly and rationally.
If there definitively is not a time to sack a manager, it is now. The targets and expectations are defined and will have to be monitored, a terrible result today but of course if the decision was to continue with Ten Hag it won't be questioned because of single games.

Anyway, long story short, I'd be interested to know the standing of the poll but I refuse to vote in it at this point. Can someone tell me? I was for sacking him but it feels moronic to vote for sacking him in September.

That wasn't me, I don't know who made that poll. I don't think it serves much purpose either: even if 100% of posters agreed that Ten hag should be sacked, there is no way Ten Hag will be sacked just after he was kept on and given half a new first XI. Club management will want to see more of how Ten Hag uses those players once they're fully bedded in before deciding either way.

I mean, people can have whatever opinion they want, of course; but I think it's unrealistic to expect a sacking before November. (Well, except if everything really goes only downhill from here on out.)

 

[dubplate warrior]

Too many of our supporters are prisoners of the moment. If we beat Southampton in two weeks the poll will be back to 50/50.

He should have been sacked after the 4-0 defeat to Palace last season. That was the worst I've ever seen us.

Coventry was the tipping point for me.

 

[Jed I. Knight]

Think his only chance of remaining at the club for years to come was to come out flying this season. Nothing he's shown in his time here suggests to me that he's going to turn it around from here.

He'll be gone by Christmas. It's a certainty. Unfortunately, we'll probably get a result here and there to prolong the inevitable. Which means it's yet another write off season.

But hey, there's always next season.

 

[Leftback99]

Last 15 games:

No other clubs would allow this.

Forget top 4, top 10 would be a surprise the way we have been playing over a long period of time now.

The league season is already feeling like a write off.

 

[Roboc7]

We play Southampton, Crystal Palace, Spurs and Aston Villa before the next international break. If there is more than 1 loss in there, I think he's gone. That would already be like 4 or 5 losses in 8 games. I don't think the best in class leadership team will find that acceptable anymore.

Very serious consideration was obviously given to sacking him over the summer so he may well be very close to the sack already. But even likes of Spurs would have sacked him by now so who knows really.

 

[VP89]

tough crowd

 

[2 man midfield]

Last 15 games:

No other clubs would allow this.

No away wins in 6. Less wins at home than Everton who are lucky to even still be in the league.

The scary thing is, we hugely outperformed our XG last season. I think we should’ve finished about 15th, but Hojlund finished 1 in every 2 shots.

 

[erikcred]

Team of players coached by Klopp still in their primes. Its not hard to take over see where they're at in 2 years.

Give Ten Hag until Christmas to see progress

To quote Evra, he won’t see the Christmas tree.

 

[Bobski]

I legitimately can't get over this. feck me

Will say it again, as bad as it is, it flatters the performances. Utd have been utterly inept under him for an extended period of time.

Injuries are the best thing that happened to him last season, he could point to them as an excuse even though how he managed what he had available should have terrified anyone with eyes.

 

[strandty]

Last 15 games:

No other clubs would allow this.

Unforgivable

 

[Thom Merrilin]

Of course but I don’t see how it is silly to sack him after three games but not silly to give him until Christmas. I cannot understand the cliche of wait until Christmas, piss a season away just hoping for the best. It’s that type of indecision that just wastes everyone’s time.

Even if he is the right man for the job, which is apretty ridiculous idea at this stage, giving him until Christmas is essentially pointless. He either needs another year or more or he has to be sacked.

I think it's silly to sack him after 3 games because he was backed in the summer by the new regime, there's a new coaching set up and new signings that haven't even played yet. I'm trying to approach it as if EtH has just been hired over the summer. Every manager deserves more than 3 games to show their worth but not forever obviously. I think Christmas time is the clichéd sacking point because it gives the new manager coming in enough time to turn things around plus a transfer window.

 

[JPRouve]

I've had enough

At the risk of exposing the fact that I may be an asshole. Every single fan that actually backed him at the end of last season need to be quiet for a while. You can't ignore 2 seasons of BS from the manager just to have enough after three games in the third season. Especially when many of us made that point at the time and it wasn't received at all.

 

[crossy1686]

Just go and get McKenna and have done with it. If you want to give someone time the give it to him

 

[erikcred]

He's had two christmasses

Not on Jupiter he hasn’t.

 

[Berbaclass]

At the risk of exposing the fact that I may be an asshole. Every single fan that actually backed him at the end of last season need to be quiet for a while. You can't ignore 2 seasons of BS from the manager just to have enough after three games in the third season. Especially when many of us made that point at the time and it wasn't received at all.

I'll say what I like buddy.

 

[TheNewEra]

At the risk of exposing the fact that I may be an asshole. Every single fan that actually backed him at the end of last season need to be quiet for a while. You can't ignore 2 seasons of BS from the manager just to have enough after three games in the third season. Especially when many of us made that point at the time and it wasn't received at all.

I backed him, but I think Christmas is when ultimately a call is made.

Give new players a chance to integrate and the older players to get used to the new tactics laid out by INEOS if there's no progress in December then make a decision.

 

[Rista]

Come on. Ten Haag didnt have any control over the transfers this past window. There is no point in sacking him now. The new transfers (Ugarte, De Ligt) havent even player two games together yet. If Ineos wanted to sack him they would have done it last year after the FA cup win, because there is zero difference between the squad now, and the squad back then. If any, he got you guys to play better football with the same players compared to the last season. You guys were just unlucky to not score goals versus Brighton or Liverpool. There is no shame in losing to Liverpool really. They have been comfortably the better team over the last 10 years or so. Even Man City loses to them from time to time.

Look at Tottenham and see how they are doing. Are they in a better place than they were under Conte? There is always the new manager bounce. If you replace him with someone, the new manager might get you guys to a top 5 this season, but in the long term, I dont see any option better than Ten Haag. And the cycle restarts again.

Give him until Christmas at least.

Unlucky... where have I heard all these excuses before This is not about this and that game, we've been playing this same horrid football for a long, long time now. Expecting anything different to happen is very silly.

 

[daveskimufc]

Is tuchel still out of work??
Let's go get him!

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Will say it again, as bad as it is, it flatters the performances. Utd have been utterly inept under him for an extended period of time.

Injuries are the best thing that happened to him last season, he could point to them as an excuse even though how he managed what he had available should have terrified anyone with eyes.

Well, injuries and this



Oh and Ortega handing us a goal.

 

[Sarni]

It’s the new excuse. “How can you sack someone after three games?”

It’s not even worth engaging

He has also set the bar for progress so low that you can genuinely see us still be mediocre come Christmas, but good enough for his fans to scream progress.

 

[tjb]

But INEOS toured Europe looking for a new manager 2 months ago...who is now available that wasn't before?

I think if INEOS found someone they liked then EtH wouldn't be here now...I can't get onboard with throwing the season's plans out the window after 3 games.

I think that's why they got Ruud as the contingency plan. I doubt if we hadn't won the FA Cup, other managers not being up to par would have been used as a reasoning. I truly believe that the fan reaction and the backlash they would face sacking him at that time forced their hand. In addition, they waited to bring Ashworth and Berrarda and co in. That is done now.

For me, we cannot afford to waste another season. I think we have to be quick and decisive with things like this, instead of waiting till our season is over before acting. Last season, with this manager, we had our worst league campaign, so I don't think pivoting now, after a full preseason with a backroom staff you can trust is nearly as scary as keeping him in place and struggling financially as a result of consecutive bad seasons.

 

[VP89]

That wasn't me, I don't know who made that poll. I don't think it serves much purpose either: even if 100% of posters agreed that Ten hag should be sacked, there is no way Ten Hag will be sacked just after he was kept on and given half a new first XI. Club management will want to see more of how Ten Hag uses those players once they're fully bedded in before deciding either way.

I mean, people can have whatever opinion they want, of course; but I think it's unrealistic to expect a sacking before November. (Well, except if everything really goes only downhill from here on out.)

A back/sack poll 3 weeks in is daft from whoever put it in. Like it or lump it the ownership have hit a refresh to give Ten Hag a fresh chance, and he'll likely get a decent stretch before being judged under a new structure.

I've got no issues with the many who want him out, and theyve been consistent since last year. I'm not here to tell them their sentiment on Ten Hag as a manager is wrong just because I hold a different opinion, but the back/sack poll just breeds contempt against anyone who holds a different opinion. And we're 3 games in.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

That's what kept him in his job. A dodgy var decision against a champioship side.

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

Someone really needs to tell him to stop talking about trophies, it genuinely makes him seem like a complete moron honestly. It’s bad enough when some fans talk about cup wins being bigger than league positions but him talking like this just makes him seem completely stupid. Do you really think the best managers in the world care about the fecking league cup or FA cup

Ole was no great manager but even he knew the standards

 

[strandty]

Last 15 games:

No other clubs would allow this.

In contrast, Ole’s last 15 League games…

 

[RuudTom83]

I take your point @tjb

The time to make a change was in the summer. After backing your manager in the summer you can't sack him 3 games later.

The ETH OUT camp are just going to have to wait until Christmas.

 

[yumtum]

Di Matteo didn't last long after winning the CL for Chelsea, an FA Cup win shouldn't give this guy anywhere near the same leeway (or any leeway).

If he's not gone after the next 3 losses Ineos haven't learned anything from the previous regime.

I'm not expecting perfection, Ineos will make mistakes, but they need to learn quickly when they make them and rectify them, keeping EtH on was their biggest mistake so far.

I was EtH out (and I was one who desperately wanted him in the first place) but when fans are pointing out the obvious like keeping hold of Ole too long, appointing him in the first place, keeping hold of Erik, buying Antony etc and they're right it's worrying - usually fans haven't got a clue (sack SAF, sell Giggs etc) so it seems like Ineos wanted to make a point of sticking by their man and essentially saying "we know best", which is what they should be doing, but now they need to hold their hands up and admit fault.

Hopefully there'll be a point where Ineos are successful and fans questioning their choices won't be as loud, because for the past decade the divide between supporters is genuinely sad to see, fans need ownership who are strong and can show actual leadership.

 

[Judas]

tough crowd

Surely you're taking the piss? Part of me wishes I was as easily pleased as posters like you. It would be a very different viewing experience to be able to happily stomach the shite we've witnessed for many many months.

 

[The Firestarter]

Team of players coached by Klopp still in their primes. Its not hard to take over see where they're at in 2 years.

Give Ten Hag until Christmas to see progress

Then it will be, re-asses at the end of the season. Enough is enough.

 

[VP89]

Surely you're taking the piss? Part of me wishes I was as easily pleased as posters like you. It would be a very different viewing experience to be able to happily stomach the shite we've witnessed for many many months.

Relax, I was just saying it's not a great mood in this thread.

 

[Sarni]

Thing is, even if we manage to somehow be better - which in ten Hag’s world probably means winning against weaker teams, lucking out wins against decent teams every now and again and lingering around 4th - 5th, we will always be 2-3 injuries away from being a complete joke and a disaster, as long as he is here. There is no chance that he will ever get us to a level where we are consistently good week in week out, there is simply absolutely zero chance of that happening and if we persist with him it means we accept this and are fine with it.

 

[tjb]

I backed him, but I think Christmas is when ultimately a call is made.

Give new players a chance to integrate and the older players to get used to the new tactics laid out by INEOS if there's no progress in December then make a decision.

Nah, I actually have no faith in that any more. Last season has scarred me in that sense.

This should be a lesson to INEOS. If you know someone isn't good, don't give them the chance.

Ten Haag should have been sacked in November last season, and we held off until the end of the season. Leading us here.

 

[saik]

It's not the one result though, its the same problems with regards to control and playing without a midfield for over a year. Looking at Liverpool under Slot its clear what their team and identify is. Didn't get the midfielder he wanted, so instead he has Gravenberch looking like a baller.

Automatically we would look much better with a new manager.

I agree regarding the control. We now have the players who can control but for whatever reason ETH seems hell bent on using the high press transition cluster feck. I'm convinced it's to accomodate Bruno and Rashford who can't play any other way. Even today we controlled possession until 23rd minute when Casemiro decided to go into self destruct mode. Not excusing anything about our performance, just trying to put some context.

Slot inherited a much better team than us and didn't he say something along the lines that he's letting the pressing instructions from Klopp from previous seasons stay the same or did I imagine that? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

We definitely would look good under a new manager but I'm also concerned the problems with Bruno, Rashford and Casemiro will come to the fore again sooner or later. There's way too many missed chances and and way too many individual mistakes from our players too that is compounding this cluster feck we are in.

 

[CM]

At the risk of exposing the fact that I may be an asshole. Every single fan that actually backed him at the end of last season need to be quiet for a while. You can't ignore 2 seasons of BS from the manager just to have enough after three games in the third season. Especially when many of us made that point at the time and it wasn't received at all.

I can just about accept it from the ones who were neutral on him, even if I still don't understand it.

There were plenty who backed him vociferously and wouldn't have a bad word said against him though. Those are the ones who deserve their medicine, this is what they asked for.

 

[Roboc7]

I think it's silly to sack him after 3 games because he was backed in the summer by the new regime, there's a new coaching set up and new signings that haven't even played yet. I'm trying to approach it as if EtH has just been hired over the summer. Every manager deserves more than 3 games to show their worth but not forever obviously. I think Christmas time is the clichéd sacking point because it gives the new manager coming in enough time to turn things around plus a transfer window.

So he only gets another 14 league games to prove his worth, surely he deserves more than that especially as signings need time to adapt and get up to speed. People wanted him to stay now they want to just ship before half the league games have been played if it’s not going well.

There either has to be faith in whatever it is he is trying to do or it’s move on as quickly as possible. He has to go in the summer because this scenario was inevitable and another season will be pissed away in no time.

 

[JPRouve]

I'll say what I like buddy.

And you are free to do it. The point is that it introduces a lack of credibility especially when as far as I can remember you were vehement in your support. It's not a good look when there is nothing significant to change your mind.

But as you said you will and can say whatever you want.

 

[Thom Merrilin]

The excuses are never ending mate, the goalposts are moved for him in every discussion. The fact of the matter is that he’s massively underperformed in his role and should be fired.

I'm not trying to move goalposts. You keep on saying that there's no style of play and that we haven't improved. I simply disagree and I think I've provided examples for why I feel that way. Again, if you weren't willing to give him a fresh-ish start this season and you've seen enough then that's totally fine.

 

[GMoore23]

Where have the almost 60% who voted keep just 4 league games back gone.

He should've been sacked last winter and you lot played a huge part in him being kept on.

I couldn't understand the extended support for a man with no prior connection to the club, was backed enormously in the transfer market yet failed miserably and his tactics are sole destroying.

Even Moyes and Rangnick were better than this clown considering they never had a chance to build a team.

I have zero sympathy for him as he's become a multi millionaire in his time here and I'm sick of his iincreasingly defensive interviews, always blaming someone or something else than himself.

His sacking can't come soon enough for me.

 

[saik]

Spurs and Villa are probably better teams at present. And Palace under their new manager have been decent.

Yea, Spurs and Villa would be tight games under any manager so I think they'll be more accepting of a loss in that run of 4 games. Anymore than that I don't see him surviving.

 

[Blood Mage]

I've had enough

Finally, welcome to the party. Or should I say wake at this point.