Erik ten Hag interview with AD.nl | " [Last season] was by far the toughest season I have ever experienced as a coach"

Insightful and candid interview. He comes across as a high performing employee who is at the stage where he knows he can provide value to company but they also need to do their part of the bargain.

He doesn't sugarcoat stuff at least not in this interview. He confirms top to bottom the club was shambles as we all knew it was. To change that takes time. He had to deal with CR7 situation, Greenwood, then massive amount of injuries in previous season, some players form and fitness falling off the cliff, incompetent leadership above him etc. Did he made mistakes? Sure he did. But he seems he has drive to succeed. And he is willing to work for it. He want's to put United back to the top. He demands high standards from everyone (yes also you Jadon).

What is also very important for me is that at one point last season I think some players gave up on him (yes I'm looking especially at you Marcus). But at one point either he changed their minds or they saw that he will continue and they will not be able to get rid of him so easily and the started to work for him again. It is super important that players are also held accountable and that we don't just change managers but players too. We have finally started to shift some players that shouldn't be here.

As with some players this is make or brake season for ETH. But I think he can deliver. A little luck with injuries and a bit more strengthening in key areas (DM) we will have a strong core of players with competition across all positions as it should be. And you will play if you will perform. Let the hunger games begin.
 
If he wins another trophy, he will become our 2nd most successful manager since Sir Matt Busby retired in 1969.

That's an insane stat.
 
How can he have such a lengthy interview and there’s nothing in there about the most pertinent question – what on earth was going on with the giant chasm we set up with in midfield for 90% of the season and how we repeatedly conceded the exact same cutback goal in near enough 70% of the games we played last season?

Very little in that article re: tactics or the choice of becoming “transition” based or anything like that. Rest of it doesn’t massively interest me.
 
SonOfFergie said:
Insightful and candid interview. He comes across as a high performing employee who is at the stage where he knows he can provide value to company but they also need to do their part of the bargain.

He doesn't sugarcoat stuff at least not in this interview. He confirms top to bottom the club was shambles as we all knew it was. To change that takes time. He had to deal with CR7 situation, Greenwood, then massive amount of injuries in previous season, some players form and fitness falling off the cliff, incompetent leadership above him etc. Did he made mistakes? Sure he did. But he seems he has drive to succeed. And he is willing to work for it. He want's to put United back to the top. He demands high standards from everyone (yes also you Jadon).

What is also very important for me is that at one point last season I think some players gave up on him (yes I'm looking especially at you Marcus). But at one point either he changed their minds or they saw that he will continue and they will not be able to get rid of him so easily and the started to work for him again. It is super important that players are also held accountable and that we don't just change managers but players too. We have finally started to shift some players that shouldn't be here.

As with some players this is make or brake season for ETH. But I think he can deliver. A little luck with injuries and a bit more strengthening in key areas (DM) we will have a strong core of players with competition across all positions as it should be. And you will play if you will perform. Let the hunger games begin.
Click to expand...

High performing?? I'm giving him a break, but let's not act like last season should not be used to assess him. He has to prove he is a high performer at the top level, and he hasn't done that so far. There are still lots of question marks about him, and if he doesn't significantly improve on what we saw last season, he'll be out of a job by October with no one else to blame but himself. Injuries didn't cause last seasons breakdown, tactics did, no matter how much people want to change that reality.

As candid as that interview was, the lack of tactical discussion did concern me. For him to succeed, he has to be honest with himself. Regardless of the injuries, our team should never play as badly as we did for large stretches of the season. We've had much worse teams over the last ten years that played better.
 
DWelbz19 said:
How can he have such a lengthy interview and there’s nothing in there about the most pertinent question – what on earth was going on with the giant chasm we set up with in midfield for 90% of the season and how we repeatedly conceded the exact same cutback goal in near enough 70% of the games we played last season?

Very little in that article re: tactics or the choice of becoming “transition” based or anything like that. Rest of it doesn’t massively interest me.
Click to expand...

I also feel this way. ETH talks a good game. Makes little reference to his performance. If he genuinely thinks last season was ok because of that Cup run, he hasn't learned a thing.
 
DWelbz19 said:
How can he have such a lengthy interview and there’s nothing in there about the most pertinent question – what on earth was going on with the giant chasm we set up with in midfield for 90% of the season and how we repeatedly conceded the exact same cutback goal in near enough 70% of the games we played last season?

Very little in that article re: tactics or the choice of becoming “transition” based or anything like that. Rest of it doesn’t massively interest me.
Click to expand...
These questions were asked in that Neville interview.
 
DWelbz19 said:
How can he have such a lengthy interview and there’s nothing in there about the most pertinent question – what on earth was going on with the giant chasm we set up with in midfield for 90% of the season and how we repeatedly conceded the exact same cutback goal in near enough 70% of the games we played last season?

Very little in that article re: tactics or the choice of becoming “transition” based or anything like that. Rest of it doesn’t massively interest me.
Click to expand...
I think it’s a very interesting interview, I’m not used to manager interviews with this amount of thought out and confrontational questions, nor this amount of candid yet diplomatic answers.

I do agree with you - what lacked for my interest was the football tactical questions, and thus the answers.

I do think the tactical questions are less interesting than the more managerial questions for one reason: Last season was so out of the ordinary. The interview refects this as well: Lack of depth and badly composed squad makes the already extreme injuries worse for United than for competition. Particularily when one part of the field is overloaded with them. Culture issues around professionalism and togetherness is adressed as going through the squad and much beyond (and Ragnick credited for his view), and this would naturally pose a bigger problem when the going got tougher (second season).

I don’t think Ashworth et al should be naive to Ten Hag being some sort of miracule man, which they don’t seem to be either, but I think there is sense to the idea that we don’t need the best type to deal with anomalies like last season, we need the best type to deal with the new norm that Ineos is trying to impose. Ten Hag has been that kind of type for 9/10 season’s of his carreer, I think it matters less what he dis last season than what he does this season.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.