His football was utter shit. The single most boring football we have played in my living memory, he made Dave Sextons style of play look electric. Terminally boring.
Erik ten Hag - Ajax Manager
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Mainly against teams we should be beating we looked awful. He had a good record against Liverpool and city, we actually played decent in a few games. Played Liverpool of the park at anfield and got a 4-2 win against city at old Trafford.
How did he do?
Ten Hag in ten seasons. Make it the theme of our season review DVD (if its still a thing) in about ten years.
Exactly. I know we as fans are all frustrated but this nonsense talk, largely driven by people like Neville, that everything is toxic…..We need some direction and guidance and consistency. It was always going to be a problem this season if we got played off the pitch by Southampton Brighton etc with the players we signed in the summer.
There’s only so long anyone will stay motivated watching worse players in worse teams hammer you every week in terms of game play, tactics etc.
The next manager has to be a truly elite coach. He has to have the ability to coach a team to play at the highest level and he must be given time. Over time many of the current squad will be moved on, but some who are getting slated week in week out will stay and be excellent players in a functioning team.
The manager is the most important person at the club. How we have gone from Moyes to LVG ? From LVG to Jose ? From Jose to Ole ? It’s frankly ridiculous and the reason we are in such a mess now. The Ole appointment particularly was bizarre.
It wasn’t specified. Sorry
Are you saying we will battle for the same players to sign? If so that is totally incorrect.
I dont know when the last time City and Pool went head to head for the same player in the last 3 years.
Secondly, if 433 means formation, clearly you are following the Ten Hag bandwagon rather than knowing what he plays, this season he is playing a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Anyone else think he'll just retrain McT into a CB 
The mentality is extremely wrong, the simple fact that you are using a timeline that starts in 2019 as the base for your point about a clear out is at best dubious. But we can do it if you want:
The 4-0 against Everton had as starting eleven: De Gea, Lindelof, Smalling, Jones, Dalot, Pogba, Fred, Rashford, Lukaku, Martial.
The 1-0 againt Everton had as starting eleven: De Gea, AWB, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles, Fred, Matic, Sancho, Fernandes, Ronaldo.
So the difference between the two teams is 6 different players in other words more than 50% of the starting eleven and in theory it should be seven since Varane is a starter. In reality this team has had a massive turnover, we always have a massive turnover, it's one of the few constants since 2013 the managers and the board try to buy success through the market instead of expecting even the smallest of contribution from the coaching staff. The players that are in bold represent around 320m so the club bought a lot since that game with nothing to show for.
Now I need to understand something, the club bought a lot, they bought players that had no issue being managed in their previous clubs, so are we suggesting that these players become unteachable, unmanageable the moment they sign a contract for United? Your post is an other example of how Manchester United managers have no accountability and no expectations, I don't doubt that some players need to leave for a variety of reasons but the main issue at United has been the complete lack of quality of the coaching staffs.
Is anybody else expecting anything other than the narrative of "he's never done it at a big club. Manchester United are a huge club, he's not used to that kind of pressure" from the media when he gets the job?
"Pep and Klopp had won leagues, and we're talking proper leagues here. Frank de Boer won the league with Ajax and look what happened when he came here. I can't believe they've gone for somebody so inexperienced when you had proven quality in Poch available"
I'm expecting that, or something similar, from Merson and the like as soon as he's appointed. And then if he doesn't get off to a flyer, then a narrative will be set. It's what happened with Ole really, and yes he had flaws, but because a narrative had been set, then he never received praise even when things were good.
"Pep and Klopp had won leagues, and we're talking proper leagues here. Frank de Boer won the league with Ajax and look what happened when he came here. I can't believe they've gone for somebody so inexperienced when you had proven quality in Poch available"
I'm expecting that, or something similar, from Merson and the like as soon as he's appointed. And then if he doesn't get off to a flyer, then a narrative will be set. It's what happened with Ole really, and yes he had flaws, but because a narrative had been set, then he never received praise even when things were good.
Yes - especially when you consider Ten Hag is reportedly very awkward and talks often about more sophisticated parts of the game (one post referenced press not taking well to him when he spoke about "rest defence").
The English pundits bar Charagger and Neville are really really dim, if they don't understand modern football. Even Micah Richards & co. don't really understand. It wont take long for Paul Merson, Tim Sherwood and others to start doubting him.
Well of course they are going to say that. Nothing sells better in the press than United doing badly.
They absolutely love the current situation.
Found this a good watch - the Mark guy is apparently a big Ajax follower and gave the lowdown of what ETH did in the early days w/Ajax and how he developed the team
We will always see narratives like that. It’s just the way the media works. If Ole had turned it around and made us success over many seasons it would eventually stopped.
Erik ten Hag will get the full English media treatment, the good and bad. It’s nothing to care about even though it’s annoying as feck.
Apart from the bit about going for Poch, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having those concerns. Of course it’ll be sensationalised because that’s what football is now.
My main concern is his ability to manage and motivate the egos in the dressing room, it will absolutely be different to anything he’s ever experienced, doesn’t mean that it will or won’t work, but it’s a valid talking point.
I also saw someone mention Tadić above. We’re in massive trouble if he starts targeting players like that.
He'll get players who suit his system. A lot of these may be regarded as average but they may fit his method of playing perfectly.
That said, I doubt he'll go for Tadic. He has Bruno and VDB so I don't think an AM is on his shopping list. Contrary to belief I doubt he'd even go for Anthony for 70m with Sancho/Rashford/Elanga around. He can maybe opt for a cheaper signing in Nkunku (assuming he's cheaper as he's entering final year of contract?).
The only player reported to come with him, that I can see us going for is Timber so far. Just an opinion though!
Question time.
If ETH comes in and sidelines some of your favourite players, due to being a bad fit for his philosophy whether it is DDGs passing, Bruno's ball retention or Ronaldos pressing (or anyone else you like) in favour is lesser names, would you whole heartedly support that?
If ETH comes in and sidelines some of your favourite players, due to being a bad fit for his philosophy whether it is DDGs passing, Bruno's ball retention or Ronaldos pressing (or anyone else you like) in favour is lesser names, would you whole heartedly support that?
I would be pretty cautious about signing players straight from the Dutch league. It so rarely works out unless they are top level talents. I also have zero faith in our scouting network to select the right players for a system regardless of cost/system etc, so we’re back to relying on the managers opinion again.
Do adults still have favourite players in this team?
If he was leaving out Bruno or Sancho and the results weren't rosy I'd probably count that against him.
Yeah thats why this whole commitment to ETH will be a risk.
That said I think he was quoted in saying something like "Pep's only mistake in the PL was underestimating it's physicality" or similar. So I don't think he's under any illusions when coming to the league.
What if the system was developing though? Moving from Ole's style to something more control/possession based is not going to be a smooth process I'd imagine, so we may have sacrifice results (and a few stars) in favour of building a playstyle. I know there are always expectations and we have to visibly see progress for a manager to earn trust, but I'm just wondering if the fans are ready for something jarring. Everyone wants the dream of the guy coming in and making us play sexy football all of a sudden but I can see some tough calls/frustration along the way.
ETH: "Off-the-ball runs are the key to success"
Should suit Fred, Elanga and Scott to some degree.
Should suit Fred, Elanga and Scott to some degree.
I would support it but I think Bruno is going to shine under ETH.
This coach said himself scoring goals is all about movement off the ball, and no one is a better provider than Bruno when we have movement. The annoying habits he has I think can be coached out of him. Worth noting Ragnick style is vertical and quick which means the attackers are fostered to take more risks.
He's not smart or technical enough to be a midfielder let alone a centre back.Anyone else think he'll just retrain McT into a CB
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In terms of the requirements for CB, he may well be. He's played there for Scotland a couple times too hasn't he?
I think I'd need to have a level of faith in him beyond what I have to really be unquestioning in the face of poor form combining with selection decisions I don't fully understand.
I do think he's the best bet, sure, but we've only ever had one guy in charge who I was so confident in that I just assumed he always knew better and didn't whine too much when he made surprising decisions that didn't seem to be working.
It'd take some pretty worrying signs before I started calling for his head, mind.
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ETH on a 5+1 deal?
I remember when he was used as striker for the reserve team years ago because we had better midfielders and all the strikers were loaned out! Never would I have imagined back then that he would be a "Key" player in our midfield few years later!
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Broadly yes. Some decisions I would support more than others simply because I understand the logic more.
Using the names you mentioned for example, I would 100% understand dropping either Ronaldo or De Gea (and that's with De Gea being the player I probably like the most of the current squad). Bruno less so but if he does it then he does it.
The only movement Scott makes off the ball is hiding behind an opponent
It has to have already been decided ffs
I'm sure it is
Depends on how things go obviously, but I guess time is the issue. Are we prepared to tolerate another mediocre season for the manager to implement his changes while Bruno sits on the bench? Personally I want to see broadly linear progress over the course of the first season, and I’m happy to see any of this squad sacrificed to that end, none of them are good enough to warrant anything different.