Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager

stefan92

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Jose was never an elite player but did well as a manager
Lots of not that great players went on to be good managers. Often those (like Klopp) who needed to understand the game better and be smarter to make up for their severe lack of actual talent.

Naturally gifted players often are terrible at understanding and explaining football - they never had to think about what they are doing and why. Not all of them, but it is a pattern and the reason why we have so many famous but terrible pundits.
 

TsuWave

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Agree, a coach has to be up to the task.

The environment has to be up to the task too. We have seen coaches that are up to the task in LVG and Jose dont forget and neither came close to competing for PL or CL.
Brother, LvG hadn’t been in club management for years before we appointed him and Mourinho had been sacked from his two previous roles - look at his career since. These were washed up managers.

Ten Hag is the first managerial appointment we’ve made of someone in an upward trajectory but that doesn’t mean all of those are going to work out.
 

romufc

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Brother, LvG hadn’t been in club management for years before we appointed him and Mourinho had been sacked from his two previous roles - look at his career since. These were washed up managers.

Ten Hag is the first managerial appointment we’ve made of someone in an upward trajectory but that doesn’t mean all of those are going to work out.
Brother... LVG reached a WC semi final and a washed Jose won the PL 2 seasons before joining Manutd.
 

TsuWave

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Brother... LVG reached a WC semi final and a washed Jose won the PL 2 seasons before joining Manutd.
Do you think LvG and Mourinho were in an upward trajectory when appointed by Manchester United?

World Cup is 1. International football. 2. Cup competition. I mean, this thread shivers at the mention of Gareth Southgate and he’s reached a World Cup semi and he’s a Euro runner-up. According to you he’s not only up to the task he must be one of the very best managers around? :confused:

Mourinho, again, sacked from previous two jobs and had a title winning team languishing at 16th. Look at his career since.

Ten Hag is here to stay, there’s no need to point out to washed-up managers and try to rewrite history as if they were best or close to best in class when we appointed them to minimise how bad this season was. They weren’t. In fact, the initial Ten Hag appointment brought excitement across the fanbase because again, he’s the first upward trajectory managerial appointment we’ve made since 2013.
 

ArmaDino

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He was never an elite-level striker. Not sure why he got the striker coaching job.
That's a weird take. Phelan, Meulenstein, Quieroz were never elite players, yet they were part of our most successful coaching team.

And pretty sure City's strikers aren't coached by Van Baste, R9, Ronaldinho or Shevchenko.

As a sidenote he was a decent striker. He hold his nations record for most goals scored.
 

ArmaDino

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World Cup is 1. International football. 2. Cup competition. I mean, this thread shivers at the mention of Gareth Southgate and he’s reached a World Cup semi and he’s a Euro runner-up. According to you he’s not only up to the task he must be one of the very best managers around? :confused:
The reason most fans shudder at the idea of having Southgate as our manager is because of his atrocious club record.

LVG is a Champions League winner and he coached teams like Barcelona and Bayern. His team dumped us out of CL 4 years prior to his appointment. He then led a declining Netherlands to the WC semis.

The only managers at the time who were better than him were Pep, Ancelotti, Jose and you could argue Klopp. Hardly washed up in my opinion.
 

Sarni

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
 

stevoc

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
Because he wants to stay? And despite what he says in public probably knows he's very fortunate to have not been sacked over the last 6 months.
 

TrivelaDeBruno

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
Because of who runs the football side now versus who ran it when he took over
 

pocco

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Wonder if Ruud could be sold a “there’s a potential manager role after ETH” kind of deal.
You've got to expect there's something like that, because I just find the whole move a bit odd. Is SJR hiring him because ETH wants him? Or because he's an ex player that he used to like? Or is he recommended by Ashworth etc? It just seems a bit too much of a coincidence all round and not the sort of move I was expecting these guys to make. If he's lined up as the next coach then it's even more odd as he's hardly earned that sort of thinking.

I don't know, it just seems a bit of a strange one to me.
 

hobbers

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
Because 3 years instead of 1 is probably like £25m guaranteed instead of £9m.

Also more layers of protection on his reputation, which we know he cares a lot about. Because when the football and results are still shite he can just blame Ineos, or blame Wilcox, or blame not having the DoF in place etc.
 

Marcus

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That's a weird take. Phelan, Meulenstein, Quieroz were never elite players, yet they were part of our most successful coaching team.

And pretty sure City's strikers aren't coached by Van Baste, R9, Ronaldinho or Shevchenko.

As a sidenote he was a decent striker. He hold his nations record for most goals scored.
Well he was brought in specifically to coach our strikers. So our lack of goals speaks for itself. I think a known lethal former striker is a better choice for this specific position. But yes agree on your point about other teams and United's own previous coaches.
 

tenpoless

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Ruud to turn up with a bald cap and complete the mighty baldin power rangers squad.
 

Leftback99

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Well he was brought in specifically to coach our strikers. So our lack of goals speaks for itself. I think a known lethal former striker is a better choice for this specific position. But yes agree on your point about other teams and United's own previous coaches.
Being able to kick a ball well doesn't make you good at coaching it.

Last season posters on here were putting Rashford's purple patch down to McCarthy. Now he's seen as no good.
 

frostbite

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
What else can he do? Go to West Ham and finish 8th with them? He could do that but they don't pay as much as we do, and I doubt they'd give him 400 million to buy his former players.
 

Sarni

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What else can he do? Go to West Ham and finish 8th with them? He could do that but they don't pay as much as we do, and I doubt they'd give him 400 million to buy his former players.
He could just stay another year and see how it goes. At the end of season review his options again, maybe it makes sense staying at United and accepting different terms (or by that time if he wins another trophy we could actually be more likely to accept his terms), maybe he's better off moving to another club that will offer him better working conditions. It's not like he's in desperate need of money either, he's absolutely loaded.
 

Smores

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This contract clause seems like a moot point, if the club wants a specific target they aren't backing out of signing them just because Ten Hag says so. He can't enforce it.
 

stefan92

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This contract clause seems like a moot point, if the club wants a specific target they aren't backing out of signing them just because Ten Hag says so. He can't enforce it.
It sounds like his current contract means he can enforce it.
 

Chumpsbechumps

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You've got to expect there's something like that, because I just find the whole move a bit odd. Is SJR hiring him because ETH wants him? Or because he's an ex player that he used to like? Or is he recommended by Ashworth etc? It just seems a bit too much of a coincidence all round and not the sort of move I was expecting these guys to make. If he's lined up as the next coach then it's even more odd as he's hardly earned that sort of thinking.

I don't know, it just seems a bit of a strange one to me.
Yeh, but would be cool if INEOs were able to think a few steps ahead like that.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
Because he gets to stay at Manchester United? He was in a stronger position back then. His stock has fallen.
 

Smores

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It sounds like his current contract means he can enforce it.
The only way he can enforce it is not playing the player they've signed, same as every other manager. I'm which case he won't last long and they'll sack him for reasons.
 

Adisa

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
Because he wants to stay.
When he took over, he probably didn't trust the existing structure who oversaw a calamity. Also, it might be to his advantage if he's no longer judged by how well his signings turn out to be.
 

The holy trinity 68

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Brother, LvG hadn’t been in club management for years before we appointed him and Mourinho had been sacked from his two previous roles - look at his career since. These were washed up managers.

Ten Hag is the first managerial appointment we’ve made of someone in an upward trajectory but that doesn’t mean all of those are going to work out.
Mourinho has been sacked from every club that he managed excluding Porto and Inter.
 
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DJ_21

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It’s funny that new managers always bring in their trusted coaches with them bur when things don’t go right it’s because the coaches are rubbish etc. sometimes the same coaches that was successful at their previous club with the same manager.
 

The holy trinity 68

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Pretty wild of Inter to sack him after winning the treble.

Huge if true.
Inter and the clubs he managed in Portugal. My bad. He's been sacked 6 times. Since he left Porto, Inter is the only club that he didn't get sacked from.

Chelsea x2, Real Madrid, Man United, Spurs, Roma.
 

TsuWave

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I suspect you thinK Carlo isnt a good manager either cause he has been sacked a fair few times too?
No. Carlo has evidently performed since. One of the core sentences in my reply to you was “look at his career since” - in regards to Mourinho, and to substantiate my washed up assertions - I suspect overlooking this was intentional in your part. Nevermind that Mourinho had a title winning team languishing at 16th when he- you know what. This is crazy.
 

red woppit

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
He may not. So he would be looking for a new job at the end of the season.
 

Cassidy

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
He already publically said he was ok with it. It was a key condition because United did not have a good setup, he didn't have this level of control at Ajax
 

Borys

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Why exactly would he agree to that? It was one of the key conditions for him when he took the job in the first place, he’s not going to give up on that just like that.
It actually works in his favour that he isn't the one responsible for the transfers. I still don't think it's going to save his job, as he isn't "flexible" and I have no idea how he's going to use players brought by the club that don't match his "vision", but that's another story.
 

romufc

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It actually works in his favour that he isn't the one responsible for the transfers. I still don't think it's going to save his job, as he isn't "flexible" and I have no idea how he's going to use players brought by the club that don't match his "vision", but that's another story.
Its funny that he isn't flexible but he built 2 different types of team at Ajax. His first one more possession with false 9 and his second with an out and out 9.

Just because he didn't change his tactics weekly, doesn''t mean he isn't flexible. He changed his style last few games of the season too.
 

troylocker

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The reason most fans shudder at the idea of having Southgate as our manager is because of his atrocious club record.

LVG is a Champions League winner and he coached teams like Barcelona and Bayern. His team dumped us out of CL 4 years prior to his appointment. He then led a declining Netherlands to the WC semis.

The only managers at the time who were better than him were Pep, Ancelotti, Jose and you could argue Klopp. Hardly washed up in my opinion.
Not really.
It's the football England has played under him. Impossible to watch or find joy from. It's antifootball. He has the best attacking squad in the Europe or maybe even in the world, but insists on fielding defensive 11s.
LVG kind of has a similarly anti entertaining philosophy.
Both with main focus on preventing the other team from scoreing. LVG with non-progressive possession and Southgate by killing tempo and having many bodies behind the ball, both sitting deep and hoping their boys score a goal.

A WC semi and a lost EURO final is underachieving with the current England squad, btw.
 

Cassidy

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Not really.
It's the football England has played under him. Impossible to watch or find joy from. It's antifootball. He has the best attacking squad in the Europe or maybe even in the world, but insists on fielding defensive 11s.
LVG kind of has a similarly anti entertaining philosophy.
Both with main focus on preventing the other team from scoreing. LVG with non-progressive possession and Southgate by killing tempo and having many bodies behind the ball, both sitting deep and hoping their boys score a goal.

A WC semi and a lost EURO final is underachieving with the current England squad, btw.
Its not, England are not the only nation to have a good squad, but agreed he played rubbish football with England.
 

mctrials23

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Being able to kick a ball well doesn't make you good at coaching it.
I really don't understand how this isn't a very simple concept for people. Teaching and doing are completely different things. Christ, listen to ex-players talk and half of them are borderline braindead and seem to only grasp football on a very fundamental level. Asking them to explain anything complex would be laughable. Plenty of elite professional sports stars are very good at either doing what they are told or being so good that they exist outside of it. Doesn't mean they aren't going to be dogshit managers or coaches.