You're Ten Hag - what do you do?

Drop Bruno and play a midfield of Casemiro/Amrabat - Hannibal/Mainoo with Mount as the most advanced midfielder and Eriksen as a rotational midfield piece(our most creative player). Maybe even Dan Gore can get some PL minutes. Antony is back, which should help at least a bit. I don't know when is Amad returning, have no idea. Also I'm clueless about what's happening with Malacia. Is he even alive? Consider starting Garnacho instead of Rashford, at least temporarily to send Marcus a message that he needs to get better and that his current form will not be tolerated.

In defense, play Lindelof as a right back, and move Dalot to left back, with Varane and one of Maguire/Evans as CB partnership(I know it sounds terrible, but it is what it is, with all the injuries we are facing).

This season is done in terms of any serious success/expectations. It should become more of an experimental one(like Rangnick season) while we are waiting for potential ownership change and some hope finally. Especially experiment in the midfield with youngsters, it can't get much worse, at least we'll have more energy and probably more ball retention(without Bruno).

We are now basically Chelsea from last season. Just experiment, especially with midfield youngsters and avoid relegation(which 99.99% will not happen). And patiently wait for ownership situation to maybe get resolved and some life brought into this corpse of a former institution, giant of a football club. If that doesn't happen, all hope is lost, just turn off the lights, close the door, lock the room and throw the key into the river/sea/ocean.
 
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Play this team v Brentford

Garnacho - Hojlund - Antony
Bruno
Amrabat - Casemiro
Dalot - Evans - Varane - Lindelof
Onana

I'd be tempted to put Mount in for Bruno too.

If he plays Rashford and Eriksen again it will be the first signs for me that maybe he's not the man for the job.
 
Stop being naive then maybe he would get a few more draws than he does that's what stuck out for me last night. That was a game after the red card where we should have made subs and tried to get the draw.

In terms of players Garnacho deserved a start last night. Play Mount and Ambrabat in their natural Position. Mount/ Bruno will have to fight it out for who plays he should have anticipated that when he got Mount instead of an 8. Its time to whether the storm go back to basics. Cut out the Hollywood passes, but this is the consequences of trying to be the best transition team in the world. That's what I would do, no player should think they are untouchable.
 
I maintained it's going to be an up/down season but so far it's only been lows. 6 losses in 10 suggests it quite clearly is not working.

A lot of what you suggested, I agree with. I would suggest going 'back to basics' but we have kind of tried that. We tried bringing McTominay into the team with a double pivot, did not work. I think that is more concerning, we've tried most other options.

The only thing we haven't consistently tried is, as you said, dropping Bruno/Rashford. Symbolically, that's an admission of defeat in a way because they are our 2 best players whether people accept it or not, so for Ten Hag to drop them shows it's clearly not working.

However, as a short term measure, I think it's needed given this poor spell of results, something must give!

The defence has conceded around 17 goals in all competitions. It's not good enough and clearly isn't working. Doesn't help with injuries to key players (Shaw/Martinez/AWB etc) but nevertheless, something has to give.

Wouldn't be against bringing Maguire back in, even Evans, over say Lindelof. Maguire isn't good enough but again, the expectation is pretty low for United's defence right now. Sometimes that can work for a player coming in who was lacking confidence.
 
He needs to stop playing people in wrong positions.

He needs to rotate Casemiro/Rashford/Bruno either by starting others or giving others time in second half. Not at 75 but at 60 min. Just as Fergie did, opponents doesnt matter, energy does.
I dont care if Bruno demands to play every game, Eriksen needs time as number 10 because he cant play sitting midfielder with his legs, and right now Bruno looks lost.
Casemiro is 32, he needs to be rotated to stay fresh. Rashford needs competition to stay sharp. I dont care if subs isnt just as good, its better for the players and subs stay sharp. = Better for the team.

He needs to play both Macguire and Evens over Lindeløf in central defence. We need more threat on set pieces and physical players in both boxes. Lindeløf isnt faster either.
And for the love of everything that is holy, just play Ambarat as sitting midfielder.

Right side needs to be sorted out, either by Bruno playing there and push Mount/Eriksen up at 10 or play left footed wingers on right side.

A manager like ETH should should understand basics like this.
Even if we dont score enough goals you cant overload from midfield/defence because it creates unbalance like the Galatasaray game.
 
First thing is to drop underperformers, right now it is Rashford and Bruno. Case has been poor too but we don't have proper replacement for him, same for Varane/Lindelof/Dalot.

Would go with

Onana

Dalot Varane Lindelof Reguilon (read he should be back)

Casemiro Amrabat

Antony Mount Garnacho

Hojlund

Also, I'm very much sure that team is asked to go for vertical passes all the time, no wonder our players just pass forward randomly. Maybe it's time to tinker the set up and play with more patience.
 
Go back to basics. Have a shape that is more defensive. Put players in their natural position. Amrabat back into midfield. Stop using Mount and Bruno in the same midfield. Drop Rashford for Garnacho. If he tries this and we still don’t win fair enough but he keeps doing the same thing over and over again.
 
Bench Onana, Rashford and Bruno

Bring on and play his tits, tots, toddlers or whatever they are called.
 
To a certain extent options are limited by injuries, so a lot depends on how they progress.

But the best source of potential immediate impact would seem to be getting Amrabat into midfield. Which means someone else playing LB if Reguilon is not available, though he might be available for Brentford. Hopefully that would help make the side more solid, which has to be the priority at the moment given injuries to our backline.

Up front is slightly trickier. While there might be a temptation to drop someone like Rashford for poor form, the reality is that across the season he will probably be our best source of goals. So you need to get him firing, otherwise you're fecked. Whether dropping him is the best way to spark that is hard to judge from the outside. Ditto other players, as you would need to judge whether their mood, attitude in training, etc is right or not. But I'd be giving serious consideration to it.

Beyond that, I kinda think you just have to stick with your plan and hope that players you added like Onana, Hojlund, Amrabat and Mount improve as they bed into the team. And that someone like Antony shows more now that he's in his second season and has a CF to create for. However much optimism or lack thereof we may have in that regard, that's the bed ETH has made for himself. He needs it to pay off to some extent, otherwise it's just delaying the inevitable.

And needless to say, I would also be pushing for more transfer business to be done in January. Because the way the start of the season is going, we'll need a strong second half.
 
He should probably start by learning how to defend a cut back and teaching it to the players. Every cut back is a chance and most of them end up in goals. Why is he not addressing that?
 
He should not be talking up the injury crisis. It's a sign of a manager who's feeling the pressure when you start looking for excuses. Also it's really not that bad. Our second-based central defender is out and one of the two right-backs who are rotating for the position. And yeah, then were fecked at left-back but that's the only position. Hardly that extreme.
 
Meritocracy. All squad players start on a level playing field. If you don't play well, you are dropped - the players will either pull their finger's out or sulk. You keep the former and bin off the latter.
 
I think as others have said, Rashford and Bruno need time out of the team. Although it was against a weakened Palace team in the cup, we played some good stuff without them. Personally I'd like to see Mount play INSTEAD of Bruno, not alongside him.

Onana is a tricky one. If this was further along in the season I'd 100% suggest taking him out of the team as well, but given he's only just started his career at United I feel it would be hugely damaging to him psychologically being dropped 10 games in. Ideally we'd have a fully fit first choice defence (and therefore midfield) infront of him, and a few easier games to get his confidence back. Sadly this isn't the reality of the situation so leaves ETH with a real dilemma.

Ultimately though, I don't see any of the above happening sadly. I think as highly as I regard him as a coach, he is a stubborn bastard.
 
Well that is very hypotetical and since this is that kind of thread I would field Garnacho, play a 3 5 2 without Lindelof and concetrate on just winning the next game without concerning myself with style. Prehaps a serious conversation with a player or two.
 
RuudTom83 said:
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.
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This is always overlooked by fans.
 
I don't think anybody knows the answer really. Trying to unpick last nights game, how we managed to lose, is some Einstein level comprehension.

I think you just have to keep the damage minimal then after the next international break hope the squad is healthier.
 
Consider a therapy and help from other people to tackle my issues with being stubborn and narcissistic that negatively affect my work
 
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​
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This, except I would keep Onana in. I know he's been shocking and low on confidence however the continuity is what he needs to get that assuredness back.
 
Back to basics. Stop being beaten. Winning can come later.
 
Lots of 'drop Bruno' posts.

How about just play him in his actual position, where he has been the most creative player in the entire league?

If the only way to fit mount into the team is putting our best player out of position, we simply should not have bought him.
 
Who's Kissing Cameras? said:
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.
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No white text?

Anyhow, with regards to the OP. Maguire, no. I think most people would like to see Rashford and Bruno benched, but it is a tricky situation to do that from a position of weakness.

In hindsight I think his recruitment being super focused on players he's worked with in the past was of course down to tactical suitability, but not least the fact he knows he can trust them and he's seen from afar, as everyone else did, how toxic this football club is and how out of control player power has been in this anti-meritocracy place of entitlement and underachievement.

As is, he's got Onana, Malacia, Licha, Eriksen, Antony, and Amrabat as players he knows he can trust. Likely add to that Varane whom he rightfully made 1st choice centre back immediately when fitness allowed. Casemiro is a professional, though the signing was not really thought out properly (massive benefit of hindsight here). And the youngsters do not let him down either.

There are still so many here where it's impossible to tell if they will go to war for him or if they'll undermine him in whatever shape or form.

The club - Murtough and co. made an enormous mistake in briefing journos all summer about players that the club was happy to let go off for an approximate price, because then the club has to be 100% committed in getting those players out of the door. And now we have at least four players who were publicly available and are still here, three of whom are among the highest earners. It's a nightmare.

Ideally I'd like to see him go with a midfield of Amrabat - Mount - Mejbri, with Garnacho - Hojlund - Antony ahead of them, but we don't know what dropping Bruno, Rashford and Casemiro will do for the dressing room, and whether the unhappy players won't go ballistic in the leaks to the media as soon as.

At the very least he cannot select the same midfield, he'll need to play someone half-capable of playing left-back at left-back and the way he deals with the media needs to be less indulging and more short and matter of fact.

If he actually gets informed that he's a couple of losses or whatever away from the sack, by all means bench all the toxic/underperformers asap. But I hope, despite the club being run be absolute incompetents at all levels, that he's guaranteed this season no matter what.
 
Jev said:
He should not be talking up the injury crisis. It's a sign of a manager who's feeling the pressure when you start looking for excuses. Also it's really not that bad. Our second-based central defender is out and one of the two right-backs who are rotating for the position. And yeah, then were fecked at left-back but that's the only position. Hardly that extreme.
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3 out of 4 of our first choice defence are out. Second and third choice LBs are out. Fourth choice LB has to to play RB. Do players have to literally die for this injury crisis to be classified as extreme?
 
Pray for a left back to get fit and take Casemiro out of the midfield for Amrabat. I’d be tempted to drop Bruno too and play Mount in the 10 but I don’t think Hannibal is ready to be a starter in midfield.
 
Nickelodeon said:
3 out of 4 of our first choice defence are out. Second and third choice LBs are out. Fourth choice LB has to to play RB. Do players have to literally die for this injury crisis to be classified as extreme?
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Suits the narrative to put it like that. We all know Dalot and AWB are very close in the pecking order. Sure, it's a bad situation but we've had worse, and bar the left-back situation it's not that bad, certainly not the excuse that apologists are suggesting.
 
With all the injuries at the back what can he do... I'd hope in next week or so AWB is back and Regilon.. so he can drop Dalot and play a left back at left back... Amarabat needs to play DCM Casimero is OK..

Bruno is not on it at all Rashford looks not himself either.. only plus is Hojlund who's a kid seems good but he be up and down because of his age.. he's not ,(Rooney).... this team just needs to score goals and not make Errors big ones all the time....by the end of November ETH need a minum of 20pts from those fixtures coming up ...otherwise its no chance of top6 even.. imo..
 
Bring in a new Senior coach - a coaching prodigy essentially, who can coach an aggressive, quick, technical style, to shake things up

Gamble on Gore as a regular off-the-bench option; he might not quite be Gavi levels but aggression and technical ability as well as game reading are already there, beyond many of our 'senior' midfield. Hannibal as high-pressing no.8 alongside Amrabat and Case until Mainoo comes in to alternate with Hannibal and Case.

Garnacho and Mount wide FWs, as others have mentioned. Drop Rashford for a couple of games to put pressure on him, and introduce extra-sessions around decision-making re. pressing and final balls. Likewise, make Bruno's place/return to the side conditional upon his playing more discipline - more one touch short transitions with higher % that still keep tempo of attack quick, rather than speculative long-balls.

Evans at CB util Reguilon returns, and Lindelof at FB temporarily.
 
Jev said:
Suits the narrative to put it like that. We all know Dalot and AWB are very close in the pecking order. Sure, it's a bad situation but we've had worse, and bar the left-back situation it's not that bad, certainly not the excuse that apologists are suggesting.
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Our LB situation has actually been the primary cause of our last two poor performances. The Palace set piece, second goal against Galatasaray was when Amrabat got turned and third goal was due to Amrabat's poor clearance. The injury crisis isn't just on paper, there is no LB and we are paying the price of it.

Not saying that's the only reason, but it is a major one.
 
Nickelodeon said:
Our LB situation has actually been the primary cause of our last two poor performances. The Palace set piece, second goal against Galatasaray was when Amrabat got turned and third goal was due to Amrabat's poor clearance. The injury crisis isn't just on paper, there is no LB and we are paying the price of it.

Not saying that's the only reason, but it is a major one.
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Yeah, so maybe don't play Amrabat there? I recall Evans taking a shift at LB and doing okay quite a few times under Fergie or you could move Lindelöf out there.
 
Hope to last until the return leg of this fixture, stay a few extra days in Turkey for the hair transplant, and pray that people don't recognize me when they look for somewhere to target their ire.
 
4-4-2 diamond time. Pack the midfield with Bruno, Mount, Casemiro and Amrabat. We don't do functional wing play anyway. Wouldn't mind seeing Martial link up with Hojlund up top either.
 
Loaning Fernandes was such a stupid move.

I would have kept him and gone to a back 5 with Maguire Varane and Lindelof

Shore up the team and grind out some results and the belief and energy should come back. It feels like the manager is on borrowed time as things stand. The players are letting him down. We've seen it so many times before

edit also he's trying to bed in his nearly whole new team who haven't played together yet. Look at Chelsea. Player for player they are probably better than us right now but they can't seem to figure it out either. I think we tried to do too much in the market this summer and ruffled load of feathers in the dressing room and then the owners didn't take the hit and fully follow through and we are left relying on players who were told they have no future here. its shoddy to say the least. like everything else about the glazers time here.
 
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As has been said on here, what I would choose to do is not possible because of injuries, and there don't seem to too many alternative options.

I'd want Amrabat in the middle. Can't do that yet

I'd want Shaws ability to link play and bring the ball forward. Can't have that, or any other left backs for that matter.

I'd want Martinez's ability to pass out of defence. Can't have that

I'd want to be able to play even just 10 of my best 11 for a few games to build some form and understanding. Nope can't have that.

Now there are few excuses given for injuries these days, and being Ten Hag I would realise that (as he does), but people are grasping for options that won't help.

The best thing Ten Hag can do right now is manage how the squad are coping confidence wise. There is a conundrum around how to use any/all of Bruno, Mount and Eriksen, but without Amrabat as Mainoo as options I really don't see what he can do differently.
 
Tbh I wouldn’t know what to do either, so many construction sites.

Rashford moaning about being played out of position, then gets moved into his favored LW and produces one 2/10 game after another, what should he do about? Same for Bruno, Dalot.

Onana catches the curse and unlearns everything he was good at overnight, what should he do about it?

We scored way to less goals, concede way to many, have injury crisis par excellence + medical dep feckup (Licha), what should he do about?

I think we need to hit rock bottom by being out of CL by Nov and 15th in the league or something, then clear the heads and restart
 
I’d just get us set up compact and hard to beat at the moment.

All we ever do is play long balls over the top anyway so why do we need to stick our plan z defence up on the halfway line to do it? I’d drop Rashford and Bruno as well as Onana. Get Amrabat into the middle, lindelof in at right back and essentially play a flat back 4 with 2 parked in front and try to get those runs in behind or set pieces etc. it sounds negative but we are shipping 2 or 3 goals a game and at this rate he isnt going to be in the job long enough to do something fancy when everyones available.
 
If your ETH you do the following ;

1. You call the whole squad in plus fringe under 21’s players and announce
2. All players have a fresh start in training and games and you don’t care about contract clauses your pick the best 20 for PL and 23 for CL squads and your be using 15-16 players every game so each player has to prove their give everything for the club whether it’s for 3 mins of game time or 99 minutes.
3. Get his medical team to give him accurate dates of returns and short term injuries like Reguilon make sure he’s fit for this weekend.
4. Go one game at a time, right now Brentford is a genuine win at all cost game so he should pick his squad based on training but providing everyone is fit, I’d drop Bruno and play Rashford wide right he looked ok yesterday plus he will provide for Hojlund, I’d also start Martial on the left to support Hojlund.

5. Pick defenders to defend and go to 4231 formation with Bruno dropped for Mount. Hope that Tom Heaton is back otherwise A Bayinder, Onana needs to be dropped.

6. He needs a strong team like this against Brentford;
A Bayinder or T Heaton, D Dalot R Varane H Maguire or J Evans, S Reguilon, Casemiro, S Amrabat, M Mount , Rashford, Martial, Hojlund in a 4231 formation

He need to use his subs as well especially Garnaucho, K Mainoo, C Eriksen, Antony, J Sancho


United must win that game or ETH tenure could genuinely be over !
 
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