You're Ten Hag - what do you do?

sugar_kane

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This isn't a thread to discuss whether Ten Hag should go or not or whether he's doing a good/bad job, but rather pose the question of if you were in his position what would you do to turn things round?

First of all, he needs to stop with all this talk of players making unacceptable mistakes etc. He's tried it for months, and I understand why given our mentality issues, but it isn't working. If he keeps it up, the dressing room will turn on him and he is fecked.

Second of all, he needs to start making a big noise about the injuries we have. He doesn't want to make excuses which is noble but it means the pundits completely ignore it despite it being a full blown crisis and one of the main issues facing us right now. The narrative needs to shift to ease the pressure on the team as they clearly can't cope.

Thirdly, he should do similar when we're getting shat on by referees. Take a fine or a ban if needed. We hate Klopp and take the piss out of him for it, but (ignoring the insane VAR feck up at the weekend) it seems to work.

On the pitch he needs to rest Onana, Rashford and Bruno asap and consider dropping Casemiro as a guaranteed starter as they are all performing terribly. I think he's working up to this with the Rashford substitutions. We need energy and confidence in the team and all these guys are sapping that when they're on the pitch.

Also don't be shy of re-introducing Maguire, he's been out of the limelight enough now to have rebuilt some confidence, and he can't possibly be worse than our current players. Being cynical, I also think it will ease some of the pressure he's getting from the press many of whom are Team Maguire.

In terms of what he shouldn't do, don't bring back Sancho unless he apologies. While he could certainly add something to the team right now, it will completely undermine him in front of the squad. I don't think Sancho has enough allies in the press or the squad for the current strategy to be too much of a risk.
 
sugar_kane said:
This isn't a thread to discuss whether Ten Hag should go or not or whether he's doing a good/bad job, but rather pose the question of if you were in his position what would you do to turn things round?

First of all, he needs to stop with all this talk of players making unacceptable mistakes etc. He's tried it for months, and I understand why given our mentality issues, but it isn't working. If he keeps it up, the dressing room will turn on him and he is fecked.

Second of all, he needs to start making a big noise about the injuries we have. He doesn't want to make excuses which is noble but it means the pundits completely ignore it despite it being a full blown crisis and one of the main issues facing us right now. The narrative needs to shift to ease the pressure on the team as they clearly can't cope.

Thirdly, he should do similar when we're getting shat on by referees. Take a fine or a ban if needed. We hate Klopp and take the piss out of him for it, but (ignoring the insane VAR feck up at the weekend) it seems to work.

On the pitch he needs to rest Onana, Rashford and Bruno asap and consider dropping Casemiro as a guaranteed starter as they are all performing terribly. I think he's working up to this with the Rashford substitutions. We need energy and confidence in the team and all these guys are sapping that when they're on the pitch.

Also don't be shy of re-introducing Maguire, he's been out of the limelight enough now to have rebuilt some confidence, and he can't possibly be worse than our current players. Being cynical, I also think it will ease some of the pressure he's getting from the press many of whom are Team Maguire.

In terms of what he shouldn't do, don't bring back Sancho unless he apologies. While he could certainly add something to the team right now, it will completely undermine him in front of the squad. I don't think Sancho has enough allies in the press or the squad for the current strategy to be too much of a risk.
Click to expand...

There!!

That's where you fecked up.
 
Play a functional midfield for once. Mason Mount, Casemiro, and Bruno Fernandes should never be on the pitch at the same time.
 
Above all else he needs to sure up the defense ASAP.

We are conceding far too many goals, and the team seem to have lost the their "pull it out of the bag against all odds, you score one will score 2".

Get the team solid, whatever way it takes. 5, 4, 1 or two Def Mids. McTom and Case. 3 CDs plus Case/Arambat midfield. He has options. He is not being flexible when we have a huge injury crisis that means we cannot play in our desired way.
 
Go back to basics as Sir Alex would do to get confidence. I'm not saying his system won't ever work, but with current confidence levels and injuries, it's making things work. Play players more in their normal positions. Conceding too many goals and too easy to play through, then tighten up the midfield more. Drop underperformers, at least temporarily, and get a group of hard workers in together. Get some players out of the firing line.
Onana, Rashford and Bruno will be fine eventually. But I really think it'll do them good to take a seat for this Brentford game to reset over the break.

Hojlund
Garnacho Mount Antony
Amrabat Casemiro
Dalot Maguire Varane Lindelof
Altay​
 
Feels it's do or die time for him.

Drop Rashford, drop Bruno and revert to the team that played Palace in the League cup but with Hojland up top.

The results can't be any worse, but I think it'll buy him time with a lot of United fans who are fed up to the back teeth with "Player FC".
 
Shift Dalot to LB, play whoever as RB (this wing isn't don't anything anyway). Lindelof, McTominay, I don't care. Then focus on sorting out midfield as priority. My first option is Casemiro Amrabat Mount, Bruno on the right (but really on the right, not some sort of floating role again).
Option B is Eriksen instead of Amrabat and Mount a bit deeper to cover for him.

Rashford on the left, Hojlund up top.

Once Antony and Reguilon are back they go straight to the team. They at least get the basics right.
Bruno to be a backup to Mount and Antony.
 
Radical change and move away from his supposed style which isn't working and it aint even distinguishable, mid-block and keep it tight and narrow and make use of the chances we break into a counter attack, if the ball is with us then keep it simple, FB overlaps on the flanks and early crosses, no need to do all the stupid intricate stuff that the likes of Rashford and Bruno are too dumb to do/execute.

Rashford and Bruno should be subject to being benched.

Casemiro shouldn't be an automatic starter.

Hopefully with Reguilon return, we can deploy Sofyan as CDM alongside Hannibal & Mount, not much creativity in that trio but at least it will be combative enough not to be sliced through easily.

Garnacho should compete for the LW and keep it if he continues to do well while Rashford comes off the bench.

vs Brentford I can see feckin' Frank motivate his players and say "Look at United, they are there for the taking as they been losing and lack confidence, just go for it and smash them", I hope we keep it tight and not concede easily
 
bosnian_red said:
Go back to basics as Sir Alex would do to get confidence. I'm not saying his system won't ever work, but with current confidence levels and injuries, it's making things work. Play players more in their normal positions. Conceding too many goals and too easy to play through, then tighten up the midfield more. Drop underperformers, at least temporarily, and get a group of hard workers in together. Get some players out of the firing line.
Onana, Rashford and Bruno will be fine eventually. But I really think it'll do them good to take a seat for this Brentford game to reset over the break.

Hojlund
Garnacho Mount Antony
Amrabat Casemiro
Dalot Maguire Varane Lindelof
Altay​
Click to expand...

Pretty much the team I'd like to see on Saturday. I think I'd prefer Evans over Maguire, it would just be the flow of luck that Maguire feels like an accident waiting to happen at the moment.

I did wonder about Antony playing a wing back role. Defending wise he can put in a shift and could overlap Mount.

Hojlund
Garnacho Mejbri Mount
Amrabat Casemiro
Dalot Evans Varane Antony
Altay​
 
---------------Onana-----------
Lindelof---Varane--Maguire---Dalot
-----Amrabat-Casamiro--McTominay----
Mount--------Hojlund-----Rashford
 
I feel the solutions need to also take into account the off field ramifications as well.

It's probably not the brightest decision to start benching all the underperformers, as after a few games there wont be any players left to pick. Also the mood in the squad can't just be ignored.

The defence is currently leaking goals and they need more help! For now I would just try to implement a stronger more compact team.

Aim for 1-0 victories.
 
take my top off, cover my nipples with jam, and then go on instagram live and dab on the haters.
 
Come out the next game sporting a full head of hair.
 
bosnian_red said:
Go back to basics as Sir Alex would do to get confidence. I'm not saying his system won't ever work, but with current confidence levels and injuries, it's making things work. Play players more in their normal positions. Conceding too many goals and too easy to play through, then tighten up the midfield more. Drop underperformers, at least temporarily, and get a group of hard workers in together. Get some players out of the firing line.
Onana, Rashford and Bruno will be fine eventually. But I really think it'll do them good to take a seat for this Brentford game to reset over the break.

Hojlund
Garnacho Mount Antony
Amrabat Casemiro
Dalot Maguire Varane Lindelof
Altay​
Click to expand...

Balance and defensive solidity is a good way to get out of a rut. We have players of a much higher technical ability level than Brentford, we don't need to be exceptional, just good. Aside from Altay who is a complete unknown, I agree.
 
Bench underperformers no matter what their wage or price tag is.

Ditch this idiotic philosophy of playing with one CM and go back to what worked last year.
 
I don't think we'll see improvements until we can get a double pivot in midfield. It seems like the only way to really get the team more balanced. We need AWB and Reguilon back so we can get Amrabat in central midfield alongside Casemiro. We can then rotate Mount and Bruno, which I think will be beneficial to both because you can tell Bruno has played a ridiculous amount of games over the past couple of years and Mount often blows hot and cold.
 
Continue coasting knowing that when you get sacked in a couple of months, you will get a big paycheck. Then go on holidays and join Ajax for the next season.
 
bosnian_red said:
Go back to basics as Sir Alex would do to get confidence. I'm not saying his system won't ever work, but with current confidence levels and injuries, it's making things work. Play players more in their normal positions. Conceding too many goals and too easy to play through, then tighten up the midfield more. Drop underperformers, at least temporarily, and get a group of hard workers in together. Get some players out of the firing line.
Onana, Rashford and Bruno will be fine eventually. But I really think it'll do them good to take a seat for this Brentford game to reset over the break.

Hojlund
Garnacho Mount Antony
Amrabat Casemiro
Dalot Maguire Varane Lindelof
Altay​
Click to expand...


Almost the same I would do, except I wouldnt put in Antony. Instead I would try Rashford on the right side. But otherwise exactly the changes I would make.
 
Amrabat alongside Casemiro in midfield, Anthony back on RW and only pick one of Bruno or Mount.

There’s no point dropping everyone and bringing all the reserves who we know aren’t good enough, it won’t change anything. To save his job he needs to get the most talented players playing well individually and collectively. If he can’t do that he’s finished, if he relies on the less talented players he’s finished.
 
Has any manager in recent times dropped 3 of their first team starters in the back of poor form for 3 second stringers?

For those wanting to see Bruno, Rashford and Onana dropped, you’ve got to think if the manager is up for taking a risk of that scale. For all their shortcomings, these players were bought to play in the first team.

Perhaps it’s a case of dropping Rashford but not all 3 at one go as that can unbalance any squad.
 
Start working on the defence immediately. Play 5 at the back. Or 6. Or 7

Infact, stick on 10 defenders, whatever.
 
This half-way house between trying to play football in the oppositions half but still defending deep because of the number of injuries isn't working. So double down on the style of football you want to play immediately regardless of the players available, even with the knowledge that it might get worse before it gets better, but be a stubborn bastard and stick with it to the end of the season. Back the main players to play that brand of football and drop them if they can't do it. Never compromise the style of play, it's about building a recognisable team.
 
Change the balance in midfield to protect the defence more and make us hard to beat then build from the back. You can’t keep conceding 3 goals a game if you’re ever going to win one.
 
It's a really tough position for a manager, let alone a layman. Here's what I'd consider though:

Play those players who show passion, separate those who don't. I don't mean sack them off to the reserves but try to have separate training sessions with those who are clearly phoning it in training at different times (you don't have to say that's why). If a player is giving his all then he plays, Antony isn't looking great but he'll put in a shift and track back, listen to instruction etc., so he plays along with (for example) Hojlund, Hannibal, Mainoo, Amrabat, Reguilon and so-on with the slackers and bad influences kept away as much as possible so that those who are committed can form a real team bond.

No idea what you'd do about Onana though as he's clearly a poor keeper and his confidence won't be helped by dropping him. Maybe start to rotate keepers for one or two of the cups and give what's his name a chance to prove himself?
 
I would start Dalot at LB and Lindelof at RB to have a balanced back four (crap, but balanced).

I would play a midfield 3 of casemrio, amrabat and hannibal, rotating with Mount.

I would play a forward line of Bruno, Rasmus and Garnacho, or at least rotate heavily based on form, not on favoritism.

Besides the tactics, there is much work to be done on the metal side of the game, as we seem to be conceding right after we score, and everyone is outworking us.

Finally, coaching. i dont know whats going on in training, but its obvious our team isn't coached well. that needs to be sorted.
 
Lyng said:
Almost the same I would do, except I wouldnt put in Antony. Instead I would try Rashford on the right side. But otherwise exactly the changes I would make.
Click to expand...
Yeah. Onana I understand staying in and it depends on the type of person he is, he's gonna be fine IMO but sometimes it's better to take players out of the firing line after repeated big errors like he's seen recently. Rashford as well. I think he tends to respond well when benched (and we have no impact player off the bench if both him and Garnacho are in, though I'd like to see the pair of them start on the wings together before too long anyway).
 
First thing to do once everyone is fit or at least enough of the squad is to play players in their best position and if that position doesn’t exist in ETH’s tactics the player is dropped as the system comes before players, the days of playing players in unfamiliar positions just to get them in the team needs to fecking stop.

If we’re going to play 4-3-3 then I’m afraid ETH either tells Fernandes to play as an actual 8 and learns discipline or he doesn’t play and the same with Mount if he plays, one thing for sure though is Fernandes and Mount don’t play in the same starting team as it leaves us wide open in midfield.

Secondly we need to have a stronger spine and be hard to break down so that means playing Casemiro and Amrabat together every time we can as Amrabat has the stamina, discipline and ability to cover Casemiro’s negatives, right now I’d take 1-0 wins going forward instead of expansive football.

Thirdly I’d make it VERY clear to everyone that NO ONE is undroppable and if they’re not performing to an acceptable level they’ll be dropped and that INCLUDES Rashford and Fernandes, we can’t expect to have players accepting ETH’s authority if there’s different rules for some over others.

Fourthly ETH needs to look at the academy more as I don’t see why Harry Amass hasn’t been brought up to play left back whilst the three senior ones are injured, what kind of message does this send to young players at the club or others we want to bring in ? Amrabat is a defensive midfielder yet playing left back despite as seen with Garnacho last season and Mejbri and Mainoo this season age doesn’t matter if you’re good enough.

Next he needs to look at why so many players seem to get injured for us as it has to be the training regime or the training facilities, why do we pick more injuries than anyone else and have done for a good few years now ? Also bring in top of the class coaches to actually coach as we look horribly coached as well as horrible fitness wise as well.

Lastly he needs to accept what the scouting network are saying as we’ve heard for over a year that there’s problems between the players identified by the scouts and what ETH wants and Murtough is so weak that he gives ETH what he wants as if he works for ETH rather than ETH working under him, the scouts are there for a reason and it’s up to Murtough to either be stronger or feck off so we can bring a top of the class director of football who’ll implement his will.
 
Continue do what im doing. Get myself sacked ASAP, take a job in Saudi Arabia.
 
It’s such a shame Laird is so injury prone, he’d have been such a useful player for your side. I think he’s been able to play for Birmingham twice in the league this season, and he got manno in both games (including one against Swansea where he was so good).

He’s easily PL standard, and seeing people put Lindelof there (I understand it’s due to the injury crisis) highlights how useful he’d have been, if he could just stay fit. Even with your RB’s fit he’s a better ball carrier than any of them. And his ability to carry the ball and deal with being pressed is something your side does generally lack.
 
Look at De Zerbis Brighton and coach the team to play the same way that players like Gross, March, Lamptey, Welbeck and Webster do on a weekly basis.
 
Take a chance on the kids/players who are hungry.

Maybe take Onana out of the spotlight for a bit. Play Varane and Evans as centre backs with Dalot and Reguilon as our fullbacks

Case, Hannibal and Amrabat as our midfield.

Garnacho, Hojilund and Mount as our forwards.
 
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