Those doubting ETH - what is your contingency plan?

[Bastian]

I'm not saying he's above criticism or that he hasn't made any mistakes (if he really wants to tie down de Gea as our #1 for next season that's obviously one of them) but I cannot think of a realistic option I'd prefer to him and it would yet again mean a rinse and repeat instead of doing the fecking overhaul we've needed to complete for years.

I'd say it's important to get a genuine top class team in place that oversees the long-term footballing vision at the club to ensure continuity and a coherent strategy.

But yeah, whom would you like to step in this summer and start from scratch again if we finish outside the top 4? And why do you believe it will have a better chance of success?

 

[FerociousCorgis]

I mean only so much we can do when it's a lot of the same players.

 

[Rampant Red Rodriguez]

"We are Manchester United and we have an expensive squad and any world class manager will make us into title winners straight away".

That is the only plan they have, to hit and hope for a status quo of 15 years ago!

 

[Bastian]

I mean only so much we can do when it's a lot of the same players.

That's my point exactly. Only that with a new manager that process of regeneration takes longer.

 

[Remember the geese]

I don't want him gone, but if we were going to replace him with someone I'd be looking at De Zerbi.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Isn’t it obvious? Find a manager doing really well with a club in a smaller European league, preferably who took them far in Europe against the odds, and played really good football; and was regarded as the next big thi… oh… feck.

 

[Sarni]

There is none currently. We can’t bin him after supporting him with £230m last Summer, largely spent on players he specifically wanted. It has to be a longer term project though if we start next season poorly then we would probably need to reassess sooner rather than later.

 

[Leftback99]

Surely people are past thinking changing manager will solve anything again.

 

[Raoul]

We don't need a contingency plan - we need goals.

 

[Andersonson]

We need a manager who can adapt to games and uses his tactical knowledge to adjust. Also, we need a manager who knows what to buy. Antony has been a disaster, emergency backup Wout as played way too much.

When your players are injured and players like Maguire needs to start, you adjust tactics, you don't force them to play our from the back and lose points - over and over again

 

[Massive Spanner]

We don't need a contingency plan - we need goals.

And a better keeper. And not to have a World Cup in the middle of a season. and not to play way more games than every other team we play against. And not to be missing our first choice central defence pair for most of the run in. And not to have Ronaldo throw a hissy fit. And not to have last seasons big money signing disappear for 3 months and still be rubbish. And not to have the best midfielder in the league get suspended for 7 games.

yeah, that would be lovely. EtH has done a good job, all things considered, I reckon.

 

[Dec9003]

It’s definitely an interesting question and there aren’t a lot of options. I think most people doubting Ten Hag won’t have a solid/obvious choice of a replacement, not that that means he couldn’t/shouldn’t be doubted.

 

[mu4c_20le]

I'd give him the summer and next season but he's under immense pressure.

 

[Bert_]

We don't need a contingency plan - we need goals.

This

 

[Wishe]

I think we can still bring in Nagelsmann

 

[kundalini]

De Zerbi's Brighton look a far better coached team than Ten Hag's United. And yet they made a profit on transfers this season, lost a key player in the January transfer window, play teenagers.

 

[hobbers]

He has the next season whatever happens. If the rails go off next season again, as they have in the last 2 months, then his position will be untenable. That's assuming we have new ownership in place.

Nagelsmann and De Zerbi being two examples. ETH is one of the most promising managers around Europe but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of alternatives.

 

[Sylar]

I don't want him gone, but if we were going to replace him with someone I'd be looking at De Zerbi.

Surely we've learnt it won't matter especially with the hierarchy we've got in place.

De zerbi probably comes in and drops ddg, but then the issue is we have three or four more players not good enough for what he will want to do. If he drops them, the backups aren't good enough.
It may work short term then you will see the players revert to type.

Weve got a mismatch of players from fergie, lvg, Jose, Ole and now eth. None of them played the same way.

Eth missing champions league football would be a blow especially after having such a lead for it (it's still in our hands and thankfully the home games are in our favour)
We would be better doing what arsenal did with arteta (provided Eth can get rid off some our players and we can be shrewd with our signings)

 

[Bert_]

De Zerbi's Brighton look a far better coached team than Ten Hag's United. And yet they made a profit on transfers this season.

De Zerbi took over a team that were already well coached over the course of three years by Potter. And they've player far less games this season.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

I don't want him gone, but if we were going to replace him with someone I'd be looking at De Zerbi.

De Zerbi is a replaceable cog in a well-run machine, just as Potter was before him.

 

[city-puma]

No matter what he said, DDG won’t be first choice next season. He just doesn’t want to throw him under the bus.
It’s also clear that Maguire will move next season.
The real question is if he can lead us finish the top four. If not, very concerning but he needs to have at least another season. Just hope the club is in the good hands before the summer. Glazers must go.

 

[FootyGirl88]

I see De Zerbi is the new flavour of the month just like Potter

 

[Bubz27]

De Zerbi's Brighton look a far better coached team than Ten Hag's United. And yet they made a profit on transfers this season, lost a key player in the January transfer window, play teenagers.

They've also had time in between games to actually coach and train rather than rest and recover.

He also came into a much better structured organisation and the smart money is even if he goes, their relative success continues.

Brighton also weren't forced to sign 3 random loan players in January to cover injuries.

I'm not downplaying Brighton because I think they're brilliant right now. I just think some of you are giving Ten Hag a much tougher time than he deserves at the moment, and are forgetting a lot of context for our current situation.

 

[Bastian]

We need a manager who can adapt to games and uses his tactical knowledge to adjust. Also, we need a manager who knows what to buy. Antony has been a disaster, emergency backup Wout as played way too much.

When your players are injured and players like Maguire needs to start, you adjust tactics, you don't force them to play our from the back and lose points - over and over again

Sure, the club spent big on Antony, and maybe that's not all down to ETH being desperate to address the right side of midfield with a player who had been great for him, but also because we probably still have a bit of a shit operation in terms of footballing matters and just lucked out in getting ETH in the first place. We likely overpaid because the club had not identified talent to recruit in some organised manner (of which this squad certainly is testament to) and we have been fleeced in every single player transaction since the SAF left, with the only caveat being able to recoup money on Lukaku.

Now, looking at the squad, I don't know what he can do to sort out our lack of goals. There surely was no money in January even though we were flirting with putting up a title challenge and Ronnie had gone, leaving us relying on unmotivated and injury prone Martial. Otherwise we'd have signed someone, or paid more for a higher level loanee.

Rangnick wasn't wrong when he tore the squad to shreds. We simply do not have the quality. The bench is shite. This was match #57, the most of any team in the top 5 leagues in Europe. They're gassed. And deflated too.

I was partial to Jose Enrique prior to ETH getting the job, but there's no way I'd favour another managerial change. Gut the squad, bin every single one of the players who cannot play his brand of football, if we lack numbers next season through FFP or whatever, bring through young players. We need to focus on the long-term as this squad is not build for the short-term or the long-term.

If we end up losing 4th to Liverpool or Brighton, which would be quite a shite achievement from the position we were in, we should absolutely prioritise the league next season and use the Europa as a mini tournament for the bench players.

The two lessons he's surely learned by now is that he needs to revolutionise the squad and we don't have the numbers to challenge on all fronts.

 

[Red Shorts]

With the squad he has (which, let's be honest, is threadbare), we are:

Carabao cup winners
FA cup finalists
Europa league QFinalists ( and may have got through were it not to rotten luck at home)
Well in contention for 4th

He's done a cracking job in his debut season where he had to face a WC in winter amongst other challenges. He's staying and doesn't deserve being criticized so heavily.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

De Zerbi took over a team that were already well coached over the course of three years by Potter. And they've player far less games this season.

Where did Brighton finish last season?

Where did Utd finish?

 

[hobbers]

I see De Zerbi is the new flavour of the month just like Potter

And Ten Hag before him.

 

[Ralph1386]

Isn’t it obvious? Find a manager doing really well with a club in a smaller European league, preferably who took them far in Europe against the odds, and played really good football; and was regarded as the next big thi… oh… feck.

 

[Bert_]

Where did Brighton finish last season?

Where did Utd finish?

If only it was that simple. Brighton were ahead of us in the table when Potter left.

 

[The Hilton]

I see De Zerbi is the new flavour of the month just like Potter

It's crazy, same with Nagelsmann, folks are genuinely opining that one of them will come in and miraculously our rubbish squad will be able to play progressive football, and immune to fatigue.

 

[kthanksbye]

And a better keeper. And not to have a World Cup in the middle of a season. and not to play way more games than every other team we play against. And not to be missing our first choice central defence pair for most of the run in. And not to have Ronaldo throw a hissy fit. And not to have last seasons big money signing disappear for 3 months and still be rubbish. And not to have the best midfielder in the league get suspended for 7 games.

yeah, that would be lovely. EtH has done a good job, all things considered, I reckon.

And not to have the change of ownership circus looming as a distraction, not to be in a situation where the manager can only bring 2 players on loan in the January window.

He has to take some of the blame, but it hasn't been a bed of roses either.

 

[Revan]

1) Keep ten Hag for another 1-1.5 years until we fully realize that he is not that good.
2) By that stage, realize that Anthony is not that good, Casemiro is 32, Martinez is really bad in the air and very dribbable, Malacia is bad, and similar things for this summer signings. We call them the deadwood.
3) Get a new random hot manager (regardless of their style of play), give to him 350m (inflation and all that) to play football manager, praise the new signings in the first 3 months, create a **** for the manager and say that they are performing miracles for finishing 6th (standards consistently dropping and all that) and winning the Audi Cup.
4) Blame the deadwood players and say that we need 15 new players and at least 3 years before the manager can be judged while some random club with 1/5th of our budget and a manager they just hired (who hasn’t signed any players) plays circles around us.
5) Repeat at infinitum.

 

[Witchking]

It's perfectly ok for everyone to criticize the manager and yet want him to stay on as he has made good progress. Doesn't mean we have any answers on contingency plan etc etc.
It's just extremely frustrating that him and the team to throw away all the good done over the course of the season and bottle the league so badly.
Fecking cowards.
Liverpool have managed to make us look like mugs the past couple of seasons. Extremely angry that there was no response from the players and they just hoped someone from the team will have a gret game and win the match.

 

[Smores]

Ah the criticism is fine but....line has begun

I don't see doubt as black and white, if people don't have more doubts now than 6 months ago they're lying to themselves. It's only a question of grace and then conditions.

He should get another full season for me unless we do a Chelsea. After that period he'll be judged on any doubts still lingering.

 

[Garethw]

1) Keep ten Hag for another 1-1.5 years until we fully realize that he is not that good.
2) By that stage, realize that Anthony is not that good, Casemiro is 32, Martinez is really bad in the air and very dribbable, Malacia is bad, and similar things for this summer signings. We call them the deadwood.
3) Get a new random hot manager (regardless of their style of play), give to him 350m (inflation and all that) to play football manager, praise the new signings in the first 3 months, create a **** for the manager and say that they are performing miracles for finishing 6th (standards consistently dropping and all that) and winning the Audi Cup.
4) Blame the deadwood players and say that we need 15 new players and at least 3 years before the manager can be judged while some random club with 1/5th of our budget and a manager they just hired (who hasn’t signed any players) plays circles around us.
5) Repeat at infinitum.

It happens every time mate.

People were bending over backwards to defend Rangnick and Ole when it was clear as day that they were completely failing.

Before that you had the Mourinho **** that wouldn’t allow a bad word said against him.

Right now if you question ETH then you are classed as a delusional idiot that can’t see the progress…

 

[Rozay]

I’m not required to have a contingency plan in order to have doubts. I’m just not blindly and totally sold on everything I’ve seen. Happy to see him continue along for now.

 

[Tyrion]

I don't want him gone, but if we were going to replace him with someone I'd be looking at De Zerbi.

Hasnt he only had about 25 league games at Brighton?

 

[Abraxas]

It's very hard to put a convincing argument forward that there is a better contingency plan than the plan of showing some patience. Our current manager has won us a relatively rare trophy, and he still is odds on to secure us our expectation of a top 4 place.

There are no guarantees whatsoever. It's a difficult job. It doesn't matter who you put in, it's tough and there is no route to winning major honours that is smooth due to the quality of competition. We've had established managers that have failed. Maybe you can try a flavour of the month like De Zerbi. But actually, ETH was the flavour of the month (or year) when appointed, what's the big difference?

We need to get on with it, fight through this tough period at the end of a very long season, and then help this manager to improve the squad. That looks the most sensible route to me.

 

[Tyrion]

1) Keep ten Hag for another 1-1.5 years until we fully realize that he is not that good.
2) By that stage, realize that Anthony is not that good, Casemiro is 32, Martinez is really bad in the air and very dribbable, Malacia is bad, and similar things for this summer signings. We call them the deadwood.
3) Get a new random hot manager (regardless of their style of play), give to him 350m (inflation and all that) to play football manager, praise the new signings in the first 3 months, create a **** for the manager and say that they are performing miracles for finishing 6th (standards consistently dropping and all that) and winning the Audi Cup.
4) Blame the deadwood players and say that we need 15 new players and at least 3 years before the manager can be judged while some random club with 1/5th of our budget and a manager they just hired (who hasn’t signed any players) plays circles around us.
5) Repeat at infinitum.

1) Sack ETH without giving him time.
2) Get new manager in to coach same average team.
3) Sack new manager when results don't improve (enough) within a single season.
4) Repeat ad infinitum.

I can do it too.

It happens every time mate.

People were bending over backwards to defend Rangnick and Ole when it was clear as day that they were completely failing.

Before that you had the Mourinho **** that wouldn’t allow a bad word said against him.

Right now if you question ETH then you are classed as a delusional idiot that can’t see the progress…

And there were people saying Fergie had lost his touch by like 2010, that Arteta should be sacked about 2 years ago, that Pep couldn't win in England and Klopp can't win finals when he first arrived in Liverpool.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

I always find these kind of questions funny… like it’s your job as a fan to have the same knowledge and decision making abilities of people who get paid millions to do so.

It’s like, ‘those who are criticising Weghorst, who would YOU sign?’

It’s pretty obvious isn’t it - a better striker, a capable CF who’s at least PL level.

And the ‘contingency plan’ IF Utd got rid of ETH would obviously be, get a better manager who signs better players.

Is ETH the best manager on Earth that Utd could get? Maybe, but maybe not. So if you were an ambitious owner, why would you settle if you thought you could do better?