ETH on United philosophy: “Built a side to play direct football”… “Impossible to play like Ajax”

No such thing as the United way. It was Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson’s way. Maybe Ten Hag should have the balls the play his way and if players don’t fit that style get rid. No player should be deemed indispensable. Look at Spurs now they got rid of Kane. The club has to stop pandering to players, there is far too much player power and it’s the same culprits time after time.
 
The problem is our players are much worse relative to our Premier League opponents than his players at Ajax were relative to theirs.
 
Josep Dowling said:
No such thing as the United way. It was Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson’s way. Maybe Ten Hag should have the balls the play his way and if players don’t fit that style get rid. No player should be deemed indispensable. Look at Spurs now they got rid of Kane. The club has to stop pandering to players, there is far too much player power and it’s the same culprits time after time.
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And there's the problem. No one knows what "his" way is. Even he doesn't seem to know which players fit and which don't. That's how a Dalot gets a new contract.
 
Bastian said:
Explains it pretty well here. Doesn't want to go for a long ball counter attack and also talks about the players available. Hints at results being the priority too.
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Rangnick was told this as well. Scrap the style of play and concentrate on winning.
 
FootyGirl88 said:
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I think the issue he has with this line of argument is he has spent significant sums of money, some of which were at his behest rather than what looked like a more objective or collaborative process that trusted staff members in recruitment.

Now, that's fine, but then when you start coming out with the tools at your disposal as reasons it doesn't have the same credibility as it would if you walked into a mess (which we were) and had a bunch of players thrown at you Todd Boehly style. To be honest, I don't even have much sympathy for managers in that situation because that is quite literally the main aspect of your job - coach and improve players so irrespective of who the players are, a top coach should get more, demand more, coach and improve players.

Which comes to the next point. So you aren't happy that you don't have the tools to play your exact brand of football. Then okay, but surely you have to be able to see some kind of movement towards it. You are not going to go from shit to playing the ideal football immediately, especially if the players are a big problem as indicated. But you must be seeing a direction. That's under question in the current season.

It looks to me more like he had a decent season last year, some progress but not altogether convincing on the footballing side, but he has hit a complete brick wall with this summer's signings and injuries.
 
giggs-beckham said:
He doesn't coach possession football?
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Could anyone with the likes of Maguire & McTominay ... ? We all know the players he's wanted to bring in and the players the club have been able to bring in. Your tag line is well suited (sorry couldn't help myself) Bar Antony the first team players we've signed permanently under him are decent but the majority of the team are not suited to possession based football which is the point I think he was trying to make with the Ajax comment. I also think that he wants/will move in the direction of more possession based football as he's able to properly assemble the squad he needs.
 
Lemon Moon said:
Could anyone with the likes of Maguire & McTominay ... ? We all know the players he's wanted to bring in and the players the club have been able to bring in. Your tag line is well suited (sorry couldn't help myself) Bar Antony the first team players we've signed permanently under him are decent but the majority of the team are not suited to possession based football which is the point I think he was trying to make with the Ajax comment. I also think that he wants/will move in the direction of more possession based football as he's able to properly assemble the squad he needs.
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He's signed many players and we don't look any better in possession than 18 months ago. Hardly clueless because you disagree.
 
giggs-beckham said:
He's signed many players and we don't look any better in possession than 18 months ago. Hardly clueless because you disagree.
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Haha sorry couldn't help the tag line jibe.
I feel its more on the players not able to take on the coaching than the coach not able to coach. Same core of players different manager, SAME STORY!
 
Abraxas said:
I think the issue he has with this line of argument is he has spent significant sums of money, some of which were at his behest rather than what looked like a more objective or collaborative process that trusted staff members in recruitment.

Now, that's fine, but then when you start coming out with the tools at your disposal as reasons it doesn't have the same credibility as it would if you walked into a mess (which we were) and had a bunch of players thrown at you Todd Boehly style. To be honest, I don't even have much sympathy for managers in that situation because that is quite literally the main aspect of your job - coach and improve players so irrespective of who the players are, a top coach should get more, demand more, coach and improve players.

Which comes to the next point. So you aren't happy that you don't have the tools to play your exact brand of football. Then okay, but surely you have to be able to see some kind of movement towards it. You are not going to go from shit to playing the ideal football immediately, especially if the players are a big problem as indicated. But you must be seeing a direction. That's under question in the current season.

It looks to me more like he had a decent season last year, some progress but not altogether convincing on the footballing side, but he has hit a complete brick wall with this summer's signings and injuries.
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It’s just so backwards. If we wanted someone to come in to play more direct/transition football we would have hired a manager that thrives in that style, not the guy that played Pep stylen expansive modern possession style with Ajax. And unless he’s strictly being told he’s not allowed to sell certain players, it’s completely on him.
 
Valencia Shin Crosses said:
It’s just so backwards. If we wanted someone to come in to play more direct/transition football we would have hired a manager that thrives in that style, not the guy that played Pep stylen expansive modern possession style with Ajax. And unless he’s strictly being told he’s not allowed to sell certain players, it’s completely on him.
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This would make sense if he'd been in the job for a few seasons. Everyone expecting a miracle over night. So Chelsea esk...
He's been here 18 months.
 
FootyGirl88 said:
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I would be more sympathetic if this was his first season, but he’s making excuses already.

1. He’s had 3 transfer windows to address this.
2. He should be able to coach most of the existing players to address this. Again, he’s had 3 transfer windows to get rid of those that couldn’t be coached to play how he wants. Is 16 months not enough time to drill the players to play how you want?
 
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erikcred said:
And there's the problem. No one knows what "his" way is. Even he doesn't seem to know which players fit and which don't. That's how a Dalot gets a new contract.
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We do. It’s 4-3-3 Dutch total football. The problem is we had a squad of players that didn’t suit his style. It’s a bad appointment yet again by the board. You either have to get rid of an entire squad to fit the managers style or get in a manager that can use some base of the squad.
 
astracrazy said:
Ajax never played a possession style of football in that sense like LvG, they just happened to have most possession from the way they played. It was very much based on vertical passing, not sideways boring passing like LVG. LvG vs EtH was very different styles which both ended up with the majority of possession.
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Every team plays sideways and vertical passes. Except for Carrick and Blind, LvG had no players to play through the lines. Therefore, too many safe passes.

Just like how Ten Hag can’t play Ajax footy with MU. We can’t even play out of the back right now, despite Onana.
 
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