Erik ten Hag | 2024/25

[Red Star One]

This is really insane, we can only move forward moving on

 

[edgecutter]

People are so unable to objectively ingest football. We played well and controlled large parts of the game, we are a very unlucky team. That’s what happened yet again today.

Baffles me how anyone could write this after watching the game. Brighton deserved the win and were the better team. We didn't even test their keeper today and our manger is in his third season and theirs only his second game in top flight football. How anyone can bury their heads in the sand and pretend there isn't major concerns after today and all of last season makes me very worried about our fanbase.

 

[NK86]

Our disallowed goal is incredibly unlucky which completely then affects the rest of the game. Also, at the end is on the players, football is about in game intelligence and not enough of those players smelled danger. The manager can’t do anything about that.

Dalot made a goal line clearance and then the cross bar saved us when Danny Welbeck almost headed it in. We had a goal disallowed due to offside. Considering these chances, how is it that we were “unlucky”? In fact Brighton deserved it considering all the chances in the game.

 

[RedSky]

We were. Simple as that. Draw probably fair but in no world did we deserve to lose.

We weren't. Simple as that.

 

[BluesJr]

It’s very obvious to me just how many people can’t see what is in front of them and cannot be objective, blinded by agenda and past results. For the record, I’d have wanted us to change the manager in the summer.

 

[Rockets Redglare]

He’s a 30 odd year old, very inexperienced, brand new manager who just beat a manager who has 10+ years in the role.

This was his second ever top flight match. Of course it matters.

Pep won the treble in his first season as a manager. In his 30’s, with no previous top flight managerial experience.

 

[Mickeza]

We were. Simple as that. Draw probably fair but in no world did we deserve to lose.

We weren’t the better team second half.

 

[justboy68]

xG is absolutely awful for determining who was the better team or who 'deserved' to win any given game.

That Garnacho goal for example is zero xG because it'd technically just be an offside 'pass' to Zirkzee.

Shots, passes in opponents half, touches in opponents box, duels won. These are all in Brighton’s favour. I think early season optimism is just fooling people. Draw would have been fair, but it was still not anything to feel positive about because Brighton didn’t really look that good, just your run of the mill mid table team.

 

[BluesJr]

Dalot made a goal line clearance and then the cross bar saved us when Danny Welbeck almost headed it in. We had a goal disallowed due to offside. Considering these chances, how is it that we were “unlucky”? In fact Brighton deserved it considering all the chances in the game.

That clearance wasn’t really a dramatic moment certainly wasn’t last gasp and the chance off the bar is a very low percentage effort. We were unlucky in this game. Doesn’t mean we’ve always been unlucky.

 

[Shinjch]

Wild and predictable response in here. Long season ahead.

 

[evil_geko]

Baffles me how anyone could write this after watching the game. Brighton deserved the win and were the better team. We didn't even test their keeper today and our manger is in his third season and theirs only his second game in top flight football. How anyone can bury their heads in the sand and pretend there isn't major concerns after today and all of last season makes me very worried about our fanbase.

They deserved feck all, they were very lucky.

 

[Irwin99]

I don't think those 3 coming in will change the overarching plan though, which is my point and the same reason I rolled my eyes at people using the injury excuse last season. It's not like I'm watching us constantly make individual errors where better personnel might have done differently. Sure it happens occassionally but not so consistently to be a pattern. I'm watching this gameplan consistently amount to us blowing our load of energy in the first hour of a game, and then when we struggle to score (due to having to play Mount in the first place to have this pressing shape come off properly), we throw caution to the wind and turn every match into a coinflip. It's utterly unsustainable unless you are rolling out prime CR7 and co in attack and know they'll be lethal enough to just win you games, but when instead you're rolling out young attackers still developing in the PL you need to be giving them the best platform possible to succeed, not just saying "hey you'll get 2 chances to bag us a goal in these isolated scenarios, but in return we'll be conceding chances on the other end so don't feck up!".

I've had the same complaint about Ten Hag since the start of last season: it never seems like he knows how exactly he wants his team to function. Half the time we are trying to be this high pressing unit playing technical, intricate stuff while the other half we are looking to play hyper direct and put teams to the sword within 4 or 5 passes end to end. The end result becomes a team that doesn't really excel in either game state and results are predictably hit or miss.

Absolutely bang on. If you had Rooney Ronaldo and Tevez or Liverpool's front three a few years ago this kind of strategy might make sense but it's just not sustainable. It relies on forwards being absolutely lethal to get anywhere. We just won't score enough goals under EtH, i'd be shocked if we improve in that regard.

As others have said, there is some positivity as we do look a bit more structured until the half hour mark and then it just devolves into a suicide charge. Our disallowed goal was a perfect example. We looked really vulnerable on a counter, got away with it (like we did against Fulham last week when Maguire saved us) and then launched a counter ourselves and 'scored'. It's just a coin flip as you say.

 

[Aretak]

Shots, passes in opponents half, touches in opponents box, duels won. These are all in Brighton’s favour.

Yeah, but try to analyse the game objectively mate (i.e. just keep saying that "we were the better team" and stamping your feet).

 

[NK86]

You watch Spurs play under their manager who is in his second season, and there’s a very clear plan and pattern to their play. You can at least understand what is it they are trying to achieve. Yet here we are after 2 seasons, still looking for excuses to keep a manager who has been instrumental in us finishing with a negative GD and our lowest ever league position.

 

[philippexyz]

Was a pointless delay of sacking. RVN as interim soon(by December).

 

[Phil]

It’s very obvious to me just how many people can’t see what is in front of them and cannot be objective, blinded by agenda and past results. For the record, I’d have wanted us to change the manager in the summer.

Yes everyone else is wrong and you the only one who sees things clearly.

How dare people use past performance as a measure to judge overall performance in their role too, the nerve.

 

[Yakuza_devils]

Last year was injury crisis. What's this year excuse? Unlucky? Yeah.. right, even though Brighton was the better team.

 

[abailey123]

Subs weren’t great today. I do think we look a hell of a lot better than we did at this stage last season but the defending for brightons second today leaves a sour taste. We have to learn to hold on for at least a point there

 

[astracrazy]

Baffles me how anyone could write this after watching the game. Brighton deserved the win and were the better team. We didn't even test their keeper today and our manger is in his third season and theirs only his second game in top flight football. How anyone can bury their heads in the sand and pretend there isn't major concerns after today and all of last season makes me very worried about our fanbase.

He is right though. We essentially controlled the first half and had no right to go in half time a goal down. With better performances from Rashford and Amad we probably would have been a goal up.

It's a second half that was a complete mess.

 

[BluesJr]

Wild and predictable response in here. Long season ahead.

It’s not often I think of myself as the voice of reason, usually very emotional and reactive but it’s incredible in here.

 

[mancan92]

Our disallowed goal is incredibly unlucky which completely then affects the rest of the game. Also, at the end is on the players, football is about in game intelligence and not enough of those players smelled danger. The manager can’t do anything about that.

What if he coaches and buys the players?

 

[Yorkeontop]

It’s horrible to watch. 3rd season with no attractive, high ball retention, high quality style of play.

It's very tactical indeed.

He is a dud unfortunately.

We'll see. We've won two trophies thus far.

 

[Pickle85]

I admire your ability twist the reality to be in favour of Erik. Ferguson's injuries have prevented him from being their preferred 9. Estupinan missed most of last season solely due to injuries (just like Shaw). He was dead-cert to start at LB otherwise. And unlike us, we managed to secure a back-up already. A 40-year old and and a player they have been looking to sell won the midfield battle today.

You're just making things up now. Even when estup was fit he wasn't nailed to start. And who was the other midfielder you said was injured? Ferguson is FAR from being their nailed 9 and it's nothing to do with injuries. He's very young and very inconsistent.

 

[bludsucker]

That was a very poor defensive display from us for both their goals. The defense was disorganized and sleeping. This is ETH’s fault through and through.

 

[Pickle85]

At some point we gotta start wanting more than this, right?

Agreed

 

[BluesJr]

Yes everyone else is wrong and you the only one who sees things clearly.

How dare people use past performance as a measure to judge overall performance in their role too, the nerve.

I am actually right. Couldn’t be more convinced.

 

[NK86]

That clearance wasn’t really a dramatic moment certainly wasn’t last gasp and the chance off the bar is a very low percentage effort. We were unlucky in this game. Doesn’t mean we’ve always been unlucky.

So just because it was not last gasp, they weren’t good chances? What are you talking about! This is just making excuses for the sake of it.

 

[Dec9003]

That clearance wasn’t really a dramatic moment certainly wasn’t last gasp and the chance off the bar is a very low percentage effort. We were unlucky in this game. Doesn’t mean we’ve always been unlucky.

We weren't unlucky, except maybe for our ruled out goal; though you could argue Garnacho should be scoring that without needing to hit Zirkzee. We made poor substitutions in the end, our midfield needed additional legs but McT was brought on too high up the field. It also isn't unlucky to again concede a soft goal at the end of the match, it can't be bad luck becasue it has simply happened too many times now. Brighton looked the better team after the break and controlled our attack well, they played us offside fantastically with a brave set-up and ended rightful winners, on another day they could have scored more than they did.

 

[GMoore23]

I honestly believe some of his diehard fans are rival supporters.

 

[dubplate warrior]

Should have got De Zerbi.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Like it or not, our main creative force is Bruno. What was behind idea to replace Bruno with McTominay? Play long balls and pray for the best?

 

[Stadjer]

We weren’t the better team second half.

Also not the worst team. We had every chance to actually win this game.

 

[Shark]

Baffles me how anyone could write this after watching the game. Brighton deserved the win and were the better team. We didn't even test their keeper today and our manger is in his third season and theirs only his second game in top flight football. How anyone can bury their heads in the sand and pretend there isn't major concerns after today and all of last season makes me very worried about our fanbase.

Our fan base is bat shit crazy, but not in a good way. Many of them are trying to be objective and sensible but don't realize they're more so coming off like Liverpool fans previous to Klopp. Many making points about us being unlucky, Brighton not deserving the win ect.

 

[Redstain]

Baffles me how anyone could write this after watching the game. Brighton deserved the win and were the better team. We didn't even test their keeper today and our manger is in his third season and theirs only his second game in top flight football. How anyone can bury their heads in the sand and pretend there isn't major concerns after today and all of last season makes me very worried about our fanbase.

14 Shots 11 (United)

5 Shots on target 4 (United)

47% Possession 53% (United)

463 Passes 507 (United)

85% Pass accuracy 87% (United)

Objectively looking at those stats and coming away with either assessment of United not deserving to lose or outright controlling the game is discombobulating.

 

[AneRu]

I'd be interested to see a heatmap to see how the possession signified ball progression because United kept the ball mostly by recycling passes among the defense, much of the same argument could be made for LVG.

Alternatively the stats signify 53% / 47% so its still a match that was shared predominantly on an even basis. I would have expected better given the midfield of Brighton consisted of James Milner and Billy Gilmour.

I understand United have improved from last season but as the stats show we are talking increments and not substantive strides which isn't good enough for both the club's stature and a manager approaching 36 months in charge backed to the hill of 600+ million.

The thing is that 600m is an investment sufficient to mount a title challenge and we are still nowhere near it. Third season and we still have the vulnerabilities we had in his first season and can't see games out to save our lives.

 

[Resonance]

Disappointing day but if you can’t see a difference already between last season, then maybe you’ve already made up your mind about the manager and refuse to see what’s in front of you.

 

[Sylar]

Brighton scored with pretty much their first chance on goal whereas amad should have scored first half and also put rashford in (instead of playing it behind him)
Brighton also got lucky that being on the line is deemed as gaining an advantage when the ball was going in anyway, but that is what it is


Eth late late subs made no sense. Taking off Bruno when he would press or create more than the others around him. Plus unless Maguire was injured, him for de ligt screamed 'lets get de ligt involved' even though it wasn't necessary.

Antony I don't expect anything anyway.

We shouldn't have lost it but we did.

 

[BluesJr]

Disappointing day but if you can’t see a difference already between last season, then maybe you’ve already made up your mind about the manager and refuse to see what’s in front of you.

This is all this is. Shows who can watch football and who can’t. Again, I’d have changed manager.

 

[Phil]

Our fan base is bat shit crazy, but not in a good way. Many of them are trying to be objective and sensible but don't realize they're more so coming off like Liverpool fans previous to Klopp.

Yup. We’ve all forgotten or have become blind to how a good team plays football.

 

[Mickeza]

Also not the worst team. We had every chance to actually win this game.

Brighton were definitely the better team for more of the second half - they started and ended it far stronger - and our press was largely dysfunctional.