Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager

How many of you would be prepared to give ETH 1 more full season to prove himself?

  • Yes

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Garethw

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What? Why? We have plenty of winnable games coming up. We have a small cushion to 5th and have Newcastle coming up. Do them again and it's in the bank. Incredible lack of faith! :houllier:
Too many matches and not enough squad depth. I can see things falling apart fast. I just hope we stick with ETH if we don’t get CL football.

It was plain to see where our deficiencies were in January and the manager was not backed.

Rashford is our only reliable goalscorer. If he doesn’t score then we are in trouble.

It’s not lack of faith, it’s being realistic. The squad looks physically fecked.
 

moodyred

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At the beginning of the season, my expectation for this club is to end up around 4th to 6th position and no cups. I would have been very happy to see some progress in terms of cohesion of play. I always wondered why other teams are able to press from the front while we seem total unable to do so. I gave ETH a few seasons to turn it around.

Fast forward to current situation. I am more than delighted to see how fast this team has progressed under ETH in such a short span of time. This is not like Ole where the team simply gets a pep talk and go on a winning spree but without form and shape. It is not like under Mourinho where we simply sit back and defend and hit only on the break. It is not like LVG where I can go away for half an hour to make a cup of coffee. ETH has us playing in a style which I really enjoy watching.

In 3 years, we could possibly be the top team to beat in the EPL.
 

bond19821982

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I think it’s going to be a real struggle to get top 4.

It will be interesting to see if the new owners stick with him if he doesn’t deliver CL football for next season.
Sorry but how exactly would it be a struggle ? Care to explain ?

Stop being over dramatic ffs.
 

amolbhatia50k

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I want us to get nice and comfy in the league but when you think about it 8 points is in itself a decent cushion and I think most people would take 4th in any form with another cup over some 76-80 point league finish and no other trophy.

Still I think the focus has to be on getting our quality of foot ball back up to a good level as with indiscipline and players losing their heads we’ve lost form over the last 10 days
 

mav_9me

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He's had a mare since the cup win.
People have already forgotten the home win over Betis.
We have always struggled against European clubs particularly against Spanish sides. Yet we've beaten Barcelona and Betis convincingly. Since the final, we've beaten Betis and west ham.

Yet here we have people saying he has had a mare since the final.
 

bosskeano

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man there are some serious drama queens right now....ffs stop acting like a bunch of pussies
 

croadyman

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Yeah agree with that and with Eriksen we were starting to get a bit more control in games. Nowhere near it needs to be but moving towards it.

I really don't get the club. The players we've had of the highest technical ability,all the trophies it brings and then we switch to grafters and runners?

I still think back to 06/07. Carrick and Scholes just passing teams to death. Have to get back to that.
Think he wants to get back to that,however due to our leeching owners he has to do things slow
 

amolbhatia50k

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He's had a mare since the cup win.
He has? Yesterday he had a man sent off for a bad refereeing decision and seemingly every other decision being called incorrectly against us. Otherwise there’s not much he could have done about it? Playing with 10 men in the PL is hard as feck unless you’re a top possession team
 

Strelok

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He's had a mare since the cup win.
You could say this after the Liverpool match but we beat Betis 4-1 and yesterday Taylor and Marriner simply were trying their best to feck us. The fact we were able to play almost toe to toe against Southampton, Taylor and Marriner with 10 men imo is simply the total opposite of ETH having a mare.
 

Pronewbie

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You could say this after the Liverpool match but we beat Betis 4-1 and yesterday Taylor and Marriner simply were trying their best to feck us. The fact we were able to play almost toe to toe against Southampton, Taylor and Marriner with 10 men imo is simply the total opposite of ETH having a mare.
Agreed. I don't understand how we have fans who blame our team instead of the referees for yesterday's performance.
 

Slevs

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Good experimenting yesterday with Bruno at CM in the Eriksen role and Sancho at CAM. Thought it was a good opportunity to experiment this, 20th place side at home.
If it doesn't work, hook Sancho off at half time, put Bruno at CAM and bring on Fred.
Looked to be good fluid football building up until Casemiro did what he did and got sent off.
 

Marwood

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Carrick and Veron are probably the only midfielders that Fergie bought with very high technical ability. Scholes was home grown and we usually went for energy and athleticism in those days. That was not an issue in the PL because the whole league was not very technical back then anyway but we were exposed in Europe time after time with our best moments coming at the back of fighting spirit and very high quality transitional play.

The problem after Fergie is that Moyes and Solskjaer tried to copy him but in a different time, a time where there is much more emphasis on technical ability than it was at the master's time. Mourinho is just not that kind of coach which leaves LvG whose time when it comes transfer strategy is the biggest mystery to me. EtH got Eriksen and targeted De Jong. I'd say it's clear where his priorities are so all in all, it's not really that surprising where we are and what we have.
Scholes, Carrick, Veron and Keane were all technically wsy ahead of the midfield options we've had since Fergie.

You say they were the "only" technical cebtre midfielders Fergie brought in. Scholes, Carrick and Keane had about a combined 35 years service between them.

Ole and Moyes didn't copy him. They both put cloggers in centre mid. Nothing like Fergie.

Nor am I only talking about CM's. All over the pitch we've had brilliant technical ability. Certainly from about '97 onwards anyway.
 
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The_Order

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I hope he bleeds in more youth next season.

Hopefully helps to bolster the squad. He couldn't have predicted so many injuries and suspensions.

But the likes of Zidane would have been clutch.
 

The_Order

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This is when we find out how good a coach/manager ETH is.
I think he's proven his credentias enough.

He's been struck with rotten luck and incompetent refereeing at every opportunity. He's still making things happen.

Playing 70 Mins with 10 men. That's a game we lose last season.
 

Buxton

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Ten hag is an excellent manager . You can see glimpses of the United he wants this season. Just doesn’t have the players to produce it consistently, pretty much the same as Arteta when he first came to Arsenal. I was very relaxed about what he was doing because I could see the patterns and the odd occasions when it clicked. Obviously a lot of arsenal fans went mental wanting him out but they judged it purely on results. Both him and ETH won trophies in their first season, Arteta hasn’t actually ever got us into CL yet so that would be a big achievement already for ETH.
If given the right players he ll be challenging for the title next season without a doubt, I just think there’s still a lot to do to make you a dominant possession based team . Probably 4-5 players away.
 
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The_Order

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Yeah it's personnel. I've had this debate and some think I'm having a go at ETH. I'm not, its just a reality that in terms of attacking we haven't improved.

The only part ETH is culpable for is Antony. In a team lacking goals and assists you can't pay £80 million for a guy who doesn't provide much of either.

This summer needs to be incredible for us to have a shot at the title next season.
Provide assists for who?

What top striker is he supposed to assist?

Of course we are scoring fewer goals. We have no strikers. Literally zero.

That's not Antony the young lad who got the winner against freaking Barcelona.

Come on people.
 

Matt851

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He has? Yesterday he had a man sent off for a bad refereeing decision and seemingly every other decision being called incorrectly against us. Otherwise there’s not much he could have done about it? Playing with 10 men in the PL is hard as feck unless you’re a top possession team
You miss the fact he started Bruno deeper in midfield which basically left casemiro on his own in midfield. No one who has watched Bruno at united would have thought that would work. That likely contributed to casemiro having to dive in.

The casemiro decision was maybe a bit harsh but those are often given. The penalties were more of a bad mistake
 

Marwood

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Provide assists for who?

What top striker is he supposed to assist?

Of course we are scoring fewer goals. We have no strikers. Literally zero.

That's not Antony the young lad who got the winner against freaking Barcelona.

Come on people.
Us not having a No.9 is no excuse for his poor delivery and his general lack of creativity.

And as I said, this was the case at Ajax. His numbers were poor there as well.

He might improve but this team needed instant and plentiful creativity/goals and he has no record of that yet.
 

Licha-Vidic

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Ten hag is an excellent manager . You can see glimpses of the United he wants this season. Just doesn’t have the players to produce it consistently, pretty much the same as Arteta when he first came to Arsenal. I was very relaxed about what he was doing because I could see the patterns and the odd occasions when it clicked. Obviously a lot of arsenal fans went mental wanting him out but they judged it purely on results. Both him and ETH won trophies in their first season, Arteta hasn’t actually ever got us into CL yet so that would be a big achievement already for ETH.
If given the right players he ll be challenging for the title next season without a doubt, I just think there’s still a lot to do to make you a dominant possession based team . Probably 4-5 players away.
The bold part, it is.


But where are those 4 players? What's the hit rate we should have to achieve 4 perfect possession players?

We've seen signing players is okay but signing performing players is the tricky part.

But all in all, he needs 3 perfect signing in the summer.

Not Antony type but Licha type, people who elevate the team to greater heights.
 

Robbie Boy

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People just get annoyed at any form of discussion that isn't praise in this thread.
Or because the likes of you only rock up in here after a bad performance/result. Where are your posts in here after the LC win, or when we beat Barca? I noticed you posted a fair bit in here after the Liverpool game, nothing after the Betis game, and you're back again after yesterday. feck off with the agenda pal.
 

cyberman

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Provide assists for who?

What top striker is he supposed to assist?

Of course we are scoring fewer goals. We have no strikers. Literally zero.

That's not Antony the young lad who got the winner against freaking Barcelona.

Come on people.
Nobody assists other than Bruno and the FBs at a pinch.
 

Buxton

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The bold part, it is.


But where are those 4 players? What's the hit rate we should have to achieve 4 perfect possession players?

We've seen signing players is okay but signing performing players is the tricky part.

But all in all, he needs 3 perfect signing in the summer.

Not Antony type but Licha type, people who elevate the team to greater heights.
If you get a centre forward who can hold the ball up, bring players into play, as well as being a goal threat. That alone will give a lot of spaces to your midfield . I’d start there with a Kane or Osimhen. There are players out there, in this league and abroad, that’s what the scouting team gets paid to do, and Man Utd are a big draw, you shouldn’t really end up with a weighorst and even sabicer , obviously the ownership situation affected that, but these are stop gap players.
 

Borys

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Ten Hag has so many situations going against him (Ronaldo, Martial injury, Casemiro missing 7 games due to suspension, Antony/Sancho in and out of the team, our second best midfielder out for the season, our 3rd best attacker leaving the stadium on clutches) - it's mind boggling. At some point you have to wonder what he can really do about it and how much is he to blame if we for example fall apart now?

Incredible season since we're definitely overachieving with this squad. That said, regarding yesterday game I really don't know what he was trying to achieve with Casemiro as the only midfielder and I really don't see any reason why he ETH decided to do it.
 

Tom Van Persie

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He has us in the top four, won our first trophy in six years and has us competing for another two trophies and there's people questioning if he's going to be here next season. FFS. :lol:
 

Tom Van Persie

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Ten Hag has so many situations going against him (Ronaldo, Martial injury, Casemiro missing 7 games due to suspension, Antony/Sancho in and out of the team, our second best midfielder out for the season, our 3rd best attacker leaving the stadium on clutches) - it's mind boggling. At some point you have to wonder what he can really do about it and how much is he to blame if we for example fall apart now?

Incredible season since we're definitely overachieving with this squad. That said, regarding yesterday game I really don't know what he was trying to achieve with Casemiro as the only midfielder and I really don't see any reason why he ETH decided to do it.
I remember a few posters tried calling him the luckiest manager around not long ago. No idea what they've been watching.
 

Member 125398

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He’s doing an incredible job.
He truely is. We are a little unlucky not to be 9 or so points better off imo which would put us right in the race. I've little doubt we'll be in the mix next season and would put us as a dark horse for the champions league should we qualify.
 

Zlatan 7

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He’s doing an incredible job.
He really is.

with this season being how it is with the world cup mid season fecking up the schedule I think I would have made excuses for him or any other manager here even if we were down in 6th/7th with it being his first year so to be where we actually are is a breath of fresh air.

I think it’s a bit risky going all out for every trophy in his first year especially with this season schedule but it shows he wants to win everything so who am I to question that, it makes me nervous it could make it an all or nothing year and we’re not ready for that but I’m just enjoying the ride.
 

Robbie Boy

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He has us in the top four, won our first trophy in six years and has us competing for another two trophies and there's people questioning if he's going to be here next season. FFS. :lol:
The agendas are strong with some. They wait until we have a blip and they rock up to this thread. When we're winning, they're nowhere to be seen. Melts.
 

Oranges038

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He's doing a great job.

If people can't see that they should probably opt out of watching football.
 

amolbhatia50k

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You miss the fact he started Bruno deeper in midfield which basically left casemiro on his own in midfield. No one who has watched Bruno at united would have thought that would work. That likely contributed to casemiro having to dive in.

The casemiro decision was maybe a bit harsh but those are often given. The penalties were more of a bad mistake
That’s what managers do. They often make work what you think wouldn’t. Most here laughed at the suggestion of Shaw as a CB too.

That didn’t contribute to Casmeiro lunging in the way he did (great challenge btw) and even if it did you can sometime take defensive liberties for some extra attacking firepower. You people act as if other manages never switch things up.
 

Jeffthered

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He’s doing an incredible job.
Absolutely. With the squad he has, we have done extremely well, fantastic. We are still work in progress and this season is only highlighting what we all knew: we have a limited squad, and need more talent in there. Too many players who cannot take us on to next level. ETH is aware and is managing that.

It's frustrating though, because he has inherited a lot of average players, and some he has brought in, simply aren't performing as expected. And the league is pretty average this season imo..

Let's keep our support 100% positive, balanced, and see the season out. Top four and a League Cup would be fine with me. Way beyond my expectations.
 

Chairman Steve

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I can’t wait to see what he does when he has another transfer window and hopefully some considerable money to spend.

We had three forwards at the start of this season that we can’t use. One got himself sacked, One is suspended and in career limbo and one has become Darren Anderton‘s successor of being ‘sick note’.
 

aeh1991

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He has made so many things better and that with a trainwreck of a squad that had been built during the past few years. And he makes bold decisions (CR7, Maguire, etc.)
Tactically, he has made a few mistakes, but in other games he was brilliant. It's his first season in a top league at a club with high pressure, terrible board and big ambitions.
This can only get better and before they sack him, 99% of the club should go first.