Almost feels like a must win, or definitely not lose against Liverpool tomorrow.
Erik ten Hag | 2024/25
- Thread starter Cheimoon
- Start date
Think people need to be reminded, this time last summer, ETH was trying to get rid of Mctominay and Maguire, both to West Ham. Fortunately for him, they couldn't agree a price for either player and you could almost argue that they saved his job, Mctominay scoring some crucial goals and Maguire rediscovering his form and covering for an injury ravaged defence and playing an important role for the team.
So for ETH now to be saying he's been let down with the sale of Mctominay when he wanted him gone last summer is a bit hypocritical.
So for ETH now to be saying he's been let down with the sale of Mctominay when he wanted him gone last summer is a bit hypocritical.
It's excuse after excuse with him. Never his fault. Now also complaining about having to sell McTominay because of PSR. Maybe you shouldn't have committed the best part of £300m over 5 years on Casemiro and Antony and we might not have such issues.
Yes, but we have to remember that the hierarchy has changed.
We know that INEOS is about bringing in young players and developing them rather than spending loads on ready-made older stars, because Ratcliffe said so and we can see the ages of the player we brought in this summer.
What did the club previously want from ETH?
If a more successful manager had said the exact same thing, people would have called it 'explaining the situation'.
Because ETH isn't as successful, it's 'complaining' or 'making excuses'.
Until he finally starts getting a tune out of this squad or he get's sacked. Whichever comes first.
Did you come up with this original idea all by yourself?
Despite this, I assume you're a decent human being.
He must now deliver!!!
- He gets a third season after two poor seasons.
- The club has backed him in the transfer market.
- Sancho is gone.
I give him until the international break in October....
- To improve the results.
- And especially to improve the performances.
Otherwise we should give the job to Ruud and look for a successor (I still hope INEOS have the power for Xabi Alonso).
- He gets a third season after two poor seasons.
- The club has backed him in the transfer market.
- Sancho is gone.
I give him until the international break in October....
- To improve the results.
- And especially to improve the performances.
Otherwise we should give the job to Ruud and look for a successor (I still hope INEOS have the power for Xabi Alonso).
This is his third season, he has been backed despite having the worst league season in modern history, he has been backed with backroom staff including moving staff on and bringing in 2 managers, he has been backed to the tune of 600m+ in the transfer window, he now has a best in class management structure above him.
There is nothing more now, he's had it all to a standard that any manager in modern football would give their left nut for.
If we are a team in transition and still need years that is unacceptable. He should not be saying that.
Why do some of you guys get so worked up about this? Forget it’s United and ETH, our forward line kids + Rashford, our midfield bar a Bruno is now kids or early twenties & our back line is mid twenties + Shaw and Onana. It’s a team built to challenge in a a year or two, that’s what Ines’s will be planning. Whether or not ETH is here no one knows but it is a team that needs time.
Now remember it’s ETH, either we’re in transition (or whatever buzzword you want) or we’re ready to challenge for the title. The latter is more ridiculous.
Can't help it. I'm fuming here.
We were an decent team under Ole. It became evident that he couldn't take the next step.
We hired one of the most sought after head coaches in Europe with the idea that he would take that step. The plan felt pretty clearly outlined that he would have a free year, then some progress then he would be expected to at least challenge for the title.
He has been backed in a manner that any manager would dream of, in nearly every way. He produced the worst league campaign in modern history.
So when he has never ever for a moment said "part of last season was my tactics being wrong, I'll fix it" or taken any responsibility and then just says that as if we are silly to expect otherwise. Then yes it's annoying.
Won’t be after he leaves.
The Liverpool game feels so important because it's two weeks more of relentless negativity if we lose. A win and a new signing available soon and the fan base will swing back to optimism again 
. It feels very unstable and part of that of course comes from what happened last season.
I actually think he'll be glad when the Europa League starts as it's a game every few days and he can either bounce back quickly from a league defeat or build momentum. I fecking hate these early international breaks.
. It feels very unstable and part of that of course comes from what happened last season.I actually think he'll be glad when the Europa League starts as it's a game every few days and he can either bounce back quickly from a league defeat or build momentum. I fecking hate these early international breaks.
Calma calma...he had one bad season. Finally, the club has competent and rated people overseeing football ops and recruitment and squad coming/goings, but the job isn't done regardless of the manager.
Unless the squad miraculously loses quality and has a massive injury crisis again, think we'll see better performances like we have the first two matches and more full results. Xabi is going to Real in the near future.
Both seasons under him were poor....trophies were good and important but there was never a clear playing-style.
Sorry but our performances in the first three matches weren't really good....and to lose this match against Brighton & Hove and Mount for a hamstring injury were typical.
Ten Hag doesn't deserve months to improve the squad.....he must deliver now.
Only spent a billion, give it time!
The performances were good and promising for majority of the matches. And you're counting the Charity Shield which went to pens, that's a nothing burger. I'm sorry if you cannot see the clear improvements in style and tactics the first PL matches, I really am. Is it perfect considering players coming back from international duty, transfers coming into the team, and players getting general match fitness...of course not.
Mount being injured is like saying Manchester weather is wet and rainy during the winter and spring because it most likely will be.
As it should be. McT has been here long, this move is great for him. For the club, the price is right.
He blamed last season on injuries. How annoying indeed?!?.
So you think we should not be a team in transition? What are we then?
Challenging for PL and CL we are not, therefore we are in transition to get there where we belong. Challenging for everything.
Yes it is annoying. Because for most weeks of the season last year he had a better squad available than his opponents so shouldn't have been played of the park so consistently.
I don't think we are challenging no. I think that was the goal and the manager brought in to do it has had a level of backing in multiple ways that I can't remember another manager in history recieving that hadn't already earned it at that club.
So I don't expect him to say "we are in transition" like a flippant statement that we are all stupid not to just expect. If we are in transition and he wants to mention that then he should give reasons why he's failed at the goal and time period he was brought in for and why he's failed to meet it.
I think some of you underestimate the terrible state this club was in before Ten Hag. Add to that the first transfer window where we overpaid for Antony and Casemiro.
Digging out the ffp hole of overvalued players plus high wages takes longer than two years.
I think we are in a good spot right now to challenge for top four and continue developing/building to finish creating a title winning squad.
The club that 12 months before he arrived had finished 3rd then 2nd above Liverpool and Arsenal scoring loads of goals and getting to a European final?
I know we weren't in a brilliant spot and needed to take a step forward but is argue the actual facts say that some of you overrated it.
If we get top 4 and see a significant improvement in the football then I'll be happy to crack on. I can look at this as technically the second season if I'm generous and look at last season as a write off in the league (very generous but if we play good football I'll lean into the hopeful side).
Taking a side that finished 2nd 12 months before you arrive and investing 700 million pounds should get some results for anyone so let's see.
Insulting another member
No wonder you're still classed as a new member three years in if this is type of shite you come out with. Trophies are literally the aim of the game.
Building a side that can win the major trophies is a part too.
Would you be happy with a manager who played his reserves in the league every season, finished 14th but just obsessed over the league cup and won it every year?
No obviously not. We are Man Utd, we need to always be challenging for the biggest trophies or making that our main aim as a club.
I do somewhat agree that his first season didn't see much great football but hitting 75 points was a good start in the league regardless so we can't be too harsh. His first season was a success.
Crazy how low the expectations are from ETH for some people. I hate the term transition because it means nothing really & is used as an excuse in most cases.
What a spectacularly bizarre invented scenario.
It's called a "hypothetical".
It is an imagined scenario that is used to support or sometimes even make a point about a situation that isn't hypothetical.
We are transitioning from the side who finished second and had the second best goal difference in the league, 5 points ahead of Klopps Liverpool, 11 points off the title and a European final to whatever we are now.
It only cost 700 million pounds.
Jesus Christ, I am obviously aware of what hypothetical means. The point was that your hypothetical scenario is completely irrelevant given a) Ten Hag has shown he isn't exactly a manager to regularly play reserves at any stage, let alone during the league season, and more importantly, b) that no United manager in the current era would be allowed to finish a season in which they sit 14th for an extended period of time.
So sometimes with a hypothetical you use extreme scenarios to make your point extremely clearly.
To explain, the point I was making that the number one job of a Man Utd manager is to create a side which competes for the biggest trophies. A job Ten Hag so far has moved us further away from doing.
As for your second point, for most of my life no Utd manager would get away with finishing in 8th. Struggling to see the difference between that and 14th (even though that was an extremely hypothetical which you apparently understand).
Discuss...
Compare this, with the team that he fields with all the new signings of the past 2 season. Where should we be and what else needs to be done...
Probably, we need to shift all the players pre-2022 to have a meaningful and imposing team.
Compare this, with the team that he fields with all the new signings of the past 2 season. Where should we be and what else needs to be done...
Probably, we need to shift all the players pre-2022 to have a meaningful and imposing team.
Make or break 4 months coming up, does not deserve more than that.
For sure it has. It was evident in the last 4 games that the team performances have improved. We beat City in a high stakes game under all the media scrutiny. Unlucky in Community shield. Beat Fulham and things just didn't go our away against Brighton. Apart from the results, they have actually played better and playing a lot more together as a unit. It's not perfect, but it is improvement.
An improvement of 8-12 points is a fair assessment.
I think you have to consider the circumstances. I'm sure Fergie was your first memory of a United manager, like most of us. Fergie, was simply a different breed. He had control of all aspects of the club, even when Malcolm Glazer took control. The problems United have, it wasn't a major concern with Fergie (in fans eyes) because United were successful on the pitch.
No United fan should be happy finishing outside of competing for the title. Whether than be finishing 2nd or 3rd if they don't win it. The fact of the matter is, United have fallen so far behind. United were, and I'm sure soon again, the benchmark of English football. They should be the standard - the team and club you aspire to be as good as.
We simply aren't that, right now. Finishing 8th is not good, 100% agree with that. The problem is, it was a long time coming. I'm happy to accept last season as a complete wake up call, it showed the reality of the level United are at. I'm also happy with this season, after clearing out 9 players and replacing them with 5 decent signings, to just do better than last season. The reason being, expectations have to be realistic.
If we finish worse than last season then yes, a serious decision should be made. I think CL qualification is a must and another trophy (any of the cups of EL) would be an improved season.
The job of a Manchester United manager, first and foremost, is to win trophies; which he has done.
I'm not really seeing how he's moved us further away from winning bigger trophies either, unless you have forgotten just how bad the 21/22 season was? We made really good progress overall in his first season, despite dropping off a cliff towards the end of the season. Last season - which let's be honest was decimated by injuries to critical players and was frankly a horror show in the league and in Europe - we actually got 2 more points and finished 5 points closer to City than we did in 21/22, that's how bad 21/22 was. This season the pressure is on but the squad is pretty clearly better positioned to challenge for honours over the next few years than the squad he inherited. He's made mistakes, I'd imagine he would admit that but I can't see how anyone can think we're currently further away from winning trophies than we were during the second half of 21/22.
A fair result for the first season would have been 5th or 6th according to most pundits, instead we were third and won efl.
The second season was a write off due to the injuries particularly in defence. Maybe with more cowardly tactics we could have finished a bit higher. We still managed to have two young players break through and won the FA cup.
Your expectations are a lot higher than those of the average fan. The PL is a lot stronger than five years ago.
No more excuses. Third season, nearly whole starting XI is revamped. If we don’t see improvements in our playing style then it will never work with him.
Oh Ten Hag, our philosopher. Three years in and we're still in transition. Can't be blamed if we finish 8th again, eeh? We're in transition, so just be patient. I was expecting a new standards speech, but it looks like standards are in transition as well.
Delusional stuff.
Delusional stuff.