Erik ten Hag | 2022/23 & 2023/24

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While maybe not Fernandinho, McT is definitely one of the players out there that I expect to see massive improvement. To my eyes, he looks like one of our players most in need of direction, and ETH will give that to him. With his attitude and physicality, I think we can see massive improvements in his game with just a little coherent instruction.

Ten Hag is a fantastic coach but he isn't a miracle worker. Sometimes it's easier to just call a spade a spare, Mctominay is crap, its not direction he's missing, it's talent!

Ten Hags game requires more than physicality, it requires technical ability.
 
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Yes of course but the reason you bring up Lukaku is he’s such an outlier, if you grouped 22 random PL players together and split them into two teams - had one team train like United supposedly did under Ole and Rangnick versus one under Pep, we’d just all assume the latter team were naturally technically better when they played each other.
Lukaku-Firminho were brought up as hypothetical points on a scale that goes from less technical to most technical. less compatible to more compatible. We probably agree that players have different degrees of technical talent with their first touch so it shouldn't be too far to believe that players will also have different degrees of compatibility for a style of football completely dependent on their touch. Controlling the ball in stride is hard, having them make inch perfect passes with their first touch is difficult, doing it under pressure in a match is talent.

This is before factoring mentals like how quick thinking the player is, some lack proactivity and can only control the ball before finding a pass or they make a mess of it. To sum up my take, no, I definitely don't think these players will all make it for a range of compatibility issues ranging from gash technical ability to low mental aptitude. They might be better footballers for their next team because of training this way everyday but they still won't be good enough to do it in a red shirt.

This one isn't directed to you. For sensitives who get triggered by opinion predictions, calm those tits, yes I'm also perfectly aware I might turn out to be wrong in the end and they all become blazing success stories but I'm not betting on it. Expecting ETH to justify every player he inherits is setting the bar too high. Personally think only a few will make it when it's all said and done.
 
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People who are saying Ronaldo cannot fit in ETH's plans probably did not see Ajax last season. They were playing with Haller as a CF and Ronaldo is a even better CF then Haller. ETH is capable of using different tactics to accommodate different type of players, so there is no need for concern lads.
It's not about how good they are...
 
Talking that Ajax club like they were some sort of all powerful team with immense talents. An above-average United still beat them easily back in the Mourinho days.
 
Talking that Ajax club like they were some sort of all powerful team with immense talents. An above-average United still beat them easily back in the Mourinho days.


It wasn't Hag team, which was vastly superior.


That team that got to champs league semis would totally dick us under peak Jose, Sevilla even schooled us with maybe Jose best United team
 
I doubt it. Hes a practical manager and we have a lack of goals in the squad. Maybe if we signed Nunez but now? No
His team's play his style of football with every lineup he's had. He's never compromised.
 
His team's play his style of football with every lineup he's had. He's never compromised.

Doesn't negate what I said, he doesn't play one way or with one type of forward.
 
Ten Hag is a fantastic coach but he isn't a miracle worker. Sometimes it's easier to just call a spade a spare, Mctominay is crap, its not direction he's missing, it's talent!

Ten Hags game requires more than physicality, it requires technical ability.
I've been a big critic of McTominay over the last couple of years, but one thing I will give him is I expect he'll try extremely hard to do what the new manager expects of him. It's why I think there's a fair chance that he'll actually look quite good for the first month or two under ETH. The issue is that he's had a couple of those periods in the past where he looks like he's turned the corner and started to really improve the aspects that he struggles with, but he just can't maintain it. We saw it for the first month when Rangnick took over for instance, before he completely fell away again. Wouldn't surprise me at all if we see a similar thing happen again.
 
Lukaku-Firminho were brought up as hypothetical points on a scale that goes from less technical to most technical. less compatible to more compatible. We probably agree that players have different degrees of technical talent with their first touch so it shouldn't be too far to believe that players will also have different degrees of compatibility for a style of football completely dependent on their touch. Controlling the ball in stride is hard, having them make inch perfect passes with their first touch is difficult, doing it under pressure in a match is talent.

This is before factoring mentals like how quick thinking the player is, some lack proactivity and can only control the ball before finding a pass or they make a mess of it. To sum up my take, no, I definitely don't think these players will all make it for a range of compatibility issues ranging from gash technical ability to low mental aptitude. They might be better footballers for their next team because of training this way everyday but they still won't be good enough to do it in a red shirt.

This one isn't directed to you. For sensitives who get triggered by opinion predictions, calm those tits, yes I'm also perfectly aware I might turn out to be wrong in the end and they all become blazing success stories but I'm not betting on it. Expecting ETH to justify every player he inherits is setting the bar too high. Personally think only a few will make it when it's all said and done.
I don't understand why anyone would take offence at the above so no need to for the disclaimer - I agree on the first part but it's kind of irrelevant to my point re taking a random PL 11v11 and having one coached by a very technical manager for 2 years. Football isn't unique, it is a skill and any skill can improve/degrade over time depending many factors. The biggest single factor if you take a random elite footballer in my opinion will be having a coach who can essentially make the really dull technical drills bearable and actually plans player progression & challenges them i.e. not just the caving to pressure/not knowing any different Steve Bruce at Newcastle 'lads, 11v11 today'.

Re our current squad, I am a glass half full type of guy admittedly but I'm not expecting McT to turn into prime Pirlo. When it comes to game day I think the more immediate change we'll see is more options for a pass and crisper passing, we really were woeful at this under latter day Mou, Ole and Ragnick and that will generally ease pressure off the positions where it is easier to press i.e. FB and DM. I am hopeful by early season though we'll be seeing a lot of posts talking about how much better certain players look and what people will probably say is 'decision making' will actually just be a much better pass into them, a better first touch combined with more passing options and a general calming down of our frantic, route one game. On our passing that's where I think the fine details really matter, the amount of attacks that slow down or even break down due to a pass being under hit or slightly behind a player with us is infuriating, for me this all falls under technical coaching and a head coach who has no qualms about criticising anyone who isn't performing to the level they want.
 
Never known a fan base as much as ours to take a shite on our own team at any and every opportunity.

Weird indeed, not like the team has been letting down the fans for 9 straight years and serving shit regularly on the pitch. How dare the fans don't like these players ?
 
Weird indeed, not like the team has been letting down the fans for 9 straight years and serving shit regularly on the pitch. How dare the fans don't like these players ?
If you’re constantly on a downer nothing will improve and you’ll constantly be looking for the negatives instead of focusing on the positive aspects.
 
If you’re constantly on a downer nothing will improve and you’ll constantly be looking for the negatives instead of focusing on the positive aspects.
This is what delusion looks like.
 
Not sure if anyone's noticed yet but Uniteds training videos are delayed a day or two before the public gets to see them which suggests Ten Hag has them edited. Also there is a lot of muted audio when EtH is giving instructions. I kind of like this but I can imagine how it would annoy those used to instant gratification.

Watch this for example from today


Garner looks jacked.
 
He kinda does play one way though.
He doesn’t. He can play with a false 9, he can play with a no9. He can play an aggresive highline and he can play with a less agressive line and a holding midfielder. The underlying philisophy is the same but he adapts his system to the players available and that what makes him special.
 
If you’re constantly on a downer nothing will improve and you’ll constantly be looking for the negatives instead of focusing on the positive aspects.

Enlighten us with the positive aspects in these last 10 years.
 
He doesn’t. He can play with a false 9, he can play with a no9. He can play an aggresive highline and he can play with a less agressive line and a holding midfielder. The underlying philisophy is the same but he adapts his system to the players available and that what makes him special.
Yes but that's just changing small things, those players still need to be able to play his football and fit it.
 
Enlighten us with the positive aspects in these last 10 years.
We won 2 trophies under Mou were you not happy about that?

We now have a great manager, with coaching ability, the mood around the club is better (for me anyway), a manager who demands top professionalism and maximum effort. Finally seem to be on the right path. So forgive me for continuing to live a downer when it comes to Man Utd.
 
Yes but that's just changing small things, those players still need to be able to play his football and fit it.

Yes of course. Ronaldo can do that better than Haller
 
We won 2 trophies under Mou were you not happy about that?

We now have a great manager, with coaching ability, the mood around the club is better (for me anyway), a manager who demands top professionalism and maximum effort. Finally seem to be on the right path. So forgive me for continuing to live a downer when it comes to Man Utd.

3 minor trophies in 10 whole years, great achievement for a team of Man United caliber.

We're talking about the team who has been serving us shit for the last 10 years, why are you talking about the next season which we don't even know how it'll go yet ?

The point is you're surprised at the fans not liking the current Man United team, which just finished 6th and trophyless while losing 5 and 4 to Liverpool and City, after 10 years of consistently being shit and not having a single title challenge for the league, yet, you're surprised at fans not liking the players! Ridiculous.

Also, you were the same things when Ole was in charge.
 
3 minor trophies in 10 whole years, great achievement for a team of Man United caliber.

We're talking about the team who has been serving us shit for the last 10 years, why are you talking about the next season which we don't even know how it'll go yet ?

The point is you're surprised at the fans not liking the current Man United team, which just finished 6th and trophyless while losing 5 and 4 to Liverpool and City, after 10 years of consistently being shit and not having a single title challenge for the league, yet, you're surprised at fans not liking the players! Ridiculous.

Also, you were the same things when Ole was in charge.
Yes because I like to be optimistic. Looking back on it, yes, there were plenty of good things about Ole’s reign but there was also lots to be upset about.

But we’re onto bigger things now, so let’s be optimistic about the season ahead ok?
 
Yes because I like to be optimistic. Looking back on it, yes, there were plenty of good things about Ole’s reign but there was also lots to be upset about.

But we’re onto bigger things now, so let’s be optimistic about the season ahead ok?
Delusion and optimism is not the same thing.
 
This guy knows he can sign players who aren't Dutch or have an Ajax connection right?
 
Yes because I like to be optimistic. Looking back on it, yes, there were plenty of good things about Ole’s reign but there was also lots to be upset about.

But we’re onto bigger things now, so let’s be optimistic about the season ahead ok?
There was nothing good about his reign. But I salute the optimism nonetheless.
 
Yes Im sure he does, but he wants them 3 players. Have some patience
Right, and if he loved coaching them that much im sure he could have just stayed at Ajax. The likes of Antony and Martinez being the big upgrades we are desperate for is questionable at best.
 
Talking that Ajax club like they were some sort of all powerful team with immense talents. An above-average United still beat them easily back in the Mourinho days.
That's litterally what they are mate we just took their manager and are targetting three of their players and their former immense talent as we speak. I would have taken all the players they've sent to Germany this summer for United. And we'll be back in their shop next year trying to not get beat to a signing.
 
There was nothing good about his reign. But I salute the optimism nonetheless.
2nd place and several semi final finishes is nothing to be scoffed at (not good enough to only get to the final on one occasion but still a good run)
 
Right, and if he loved coaching them that much im sure he could have just stayed at Ajax. The likes of Antony and Martinez being the big upgrades we are desperate for is questionable at best.


Why did you leave out Erikson and DeJong :lol:
 
2nd place and several semi final finishes is nothing to be scoffed at (not good enough to only get to the final on one occasion but still a good run)
Yes it is, considering he spent hundreds of millions to improve on the guy before, who finished 2nd with better points and won sone cups.

Ole was an absolute car crash and set us back years. Semi finals mean feck all.
 
Yes it is, considering he spent hundreds of millions to improve on the guy before, who finished 2nd with better points and won sone cups.

Ole was an absolute car crash and set us back years. Semi finals mean feck all.

This is true. just ask Chelsea
 
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