He is not blame free of course. Like I said to another guy who quoted my post, this is such a train wreck that he needs to max his leverage now, otherwise he is definitely going to be tainted too. Agree with you that he should have moved on from FDJ a long time ago.
Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager
- Thread starter sewey89
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I don't think they aren't backing him. He asked for the Ajax/Eredivisie/ Players so far and he has been delivered -- other than the over-priced Antony.
It will get worse before it gets better.
I think we will get like 19points out of possible 42 in the 1st half of the season ie before Qatar.
That will definitely be bottom half of the league position.
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Well, we don’t know the context. MA wasn’t his first choice obviously. Maybe he was told if you want FDJ we need to get a striker on the cheap. He was in that context always going for someone he knows right? Anyway I agree with you, he is not blame free and he was too stubborn in thinking we could get FDJ. This season is a write off, after 2 games. But if you are going to apportion blame he’s only been here for what 3 months? The knives should not be out for him, surely, but a whole lot of other people first starting with the parasitic owners?
I think I trust ten Hag with this rebuild. It's been obvious for a decade that we can't buy us to the top. The only time that was possible was straight after Ferguson if we had gone for Mourinho or Pep immediately. van Gaal could've maybe kept us above water for a few seasons and left a healthier foundation for a brighter future. But our board wanted more(?).
It's going to be a brutal and heartbreaking season but that was almost inevitably - especially with the lack of transfers. But we need time. There's too much dross in this squad and sadly it takes time to clear out. Even if replaced the entire team in one window it would take time to get a cohesive team. We're going to be a midtable team this season but hopefully we'll see progress next season. ten Hag just needs time to get a well drilled team. That's how Brighton and Brentford beat us in such convincing manner. They are well drilled because their managers have been given 150 +/- games and the players they need to play the system they want.
Time.
It's going to be a brutal and heartbreaking season but that was almost inevitably - especially with the lack of transfers. But we need time. There's too much dross in this squad and sadly it takes time to clear out. Even if replaced the entire team in one window it would take time to get a cohesive team. We're going to be a midtable team this season but hopefully we'll see progress next season. ten Hag just needs time to get a well drilled team. That's how Brighton and Brentford beat us in such convincing manner. They are well drilled because their managers have been given 150 +/- games and the players they need to play the system they want.
Time.
I agree. Many say he hasn't proven himself or earned this trust, but that is not relevant. These players have over and over proved themselves, as useless, and should never be backed over a manager again. If you turn on ETH now you give the players, Murtagh, Fletcher, Arnold, and ultimately, the vermin Glazers, yet another patsy to buy more time instead of addressing the real issues.
What he does need to do is adapt. He should have been making subs after less than half an hour yesterday. It will be abundantly clear to him right now that these players are wasters and not able to execute his vision. If he doesn't show pragmatism from here until he has what he needs, then he will never reach the point where he has what he needs. If he sets the team up against Liverpool to play out from the back like yesterday, the result could be worse than last seasons farce. As long as he shows some level of pragmatism, then I think all anger should be aimed at those above him. However, if he keeps trying to play his Dutch vision with DDG, Maguire and McFred then he will rightly get what he deserves.
Murtough needs to step in. Clearly, ETH's Rolodex of players/agents isn't very wide if he is only trying to get former players mainly -- Overmars was the genius in this aspect of casting a wide net.
Smart analysis.
He is making rookie mistakes. I have no doubt he will learn but he must do this quickly otherwise he won't have a job soon.
Hopefully the board, fans and media give him enough time.
You don’t hire a principled tactical manager with a clear defined style of play and then ask him to play pragmatic Mourinho football. If you do that then he will never be able to ultimately implement the style of football he’s being brought in to play. It’s not then his fault that the crap recruitment team have been unable to bolster to squad to help with that transition but it’s 100% wrong to say he needs to change his ways. If that’s what people want we should have stuck with Mourinho.
The board will give him time. Arnold and Murtough will be very damaged if they sack him pre-maturely.
Its the fans who want instant results and the media who will smell blood -- that will create an impossible environment for him to succeed.
I can see maybe 1 or 2 wins from our first 10 games at most. He's not going to survive the winter unless he gets backed these next few weeks and it doesn't like he will be. Genuinely think a lot of players will turn us down now.
I can't believe I'm already worried about this group getting another manager sacked 
they don't deserve a clean slate, I was happy to give plenty of them the benefit of the doubt, but feck that already.
they don't deserve a clean slate, I was happy to give plenty of them the benefit of the doubt, but feck that already.Its as good a time to make radical changes if anything just to stamp his authority.
Where there are problems, there are opportunities.
Woke up this morning, just feeling so despondent about the situation. What has happened to our club?!
What's happened to me as a fan, questioning a new manager 2 games in FFS.
How has it gotten this bad? Feel hopeless about the situation, I just can't see now we can recover as a club now. More misery awaits us I'm afraid
What's happened to me as a fan, questioning a new manager 2 games in FFS.
How has it gotten this bad? Feel hopeless about the situation, I just can't see now we can recover as a club now. More misery awaits us I'm afraid
You need to find another way to make yourself feel good. You cant depend on United for the foreseeable future to change.Woke up this morning, just feeling so despondent about the situation. What has happened to our club?!
What's happened to me as a fan, questioning a new manager 2 games in FFS.
How has it gotten this bad? Feel hopeless about the situation, I just can't see now we can recover as a club now. More misery awaits us I'm afraid
They spent £30m on a new goalkeeper and were shite for ages.
It wasn't a quick improvement
What the feck was everyone expecting. We have a worse squad than we had this time last year and we are expecting miracles from our new manager.
Rangnick was right with his assessment of needing 10 players. We are just not good enough and have been hoodwinked again, and now will turn to panic buying.
Rangnick was right with his assessment of needing 10 players. We are just not good enough and have been hoodwinked again, and now will turn to panic buying.
Ten Hag has played a big part in that. The chasing of De Jong has stalled the whole window and after watching us yesterday I'm very skeptical another lightweight midfielder is what we need. It's almost certain he isn't even going to join.
This wasn't a summer for chasing a marquee signing. The budget was never going to be big enough for that. It was one where we had to be shrewd and cover a lot of areas (the lowest priority being CB and LB). Malacia was a good start, but £130m could be spent so much better than Martinez and a summer long chase for De Jong.
Arteta dropped Leno after spending £35m on a replacement
That's completely false.
He only joined in the midst of the the 15/16 season and won the title in 19/20 season.
So, he won the title with Liverpool in his 4th full season. Won the CL in his 3rd full season.
When do you think the overwhelming majority will turn on Ten Hag? I think most expect humiliation in the Liverpool game, but if we then lose to Southampton and/or Leicester… I think a lot will turn.
Personally, I think we stick with him whatever happens this season. We’re not going to get relegated. So let’s just actually stick with a proven coach and focus our displeasure at the owners who aren’t giving him the players that he wants
Personally, I think we stick with him whatever happens this season. We’re not going to get relegated. So let’s just actually stick with a proven coach and focus our displeasure at the owners who aren’t giving him the players that he wants
He is used to coach a dominating side and maybe came to us with the strange idea that we are still that. Things like playing Eriksen deep and bringing in players like Martinez underline this. He was not really aware of what the daily routine in the PL might look like and that there are no more teams we are able to swipe away. Pochettino probably had a more realistic take on things in the interview, but the board did not want to hear this.
His facial expression yesterday gave me the impression he realized which kind of job he took for the first time.
I can understand why he made this step out of the comfort zone. He seems to be someone who is convinced by himself and his success at Ajax supports his opinion. But often someone is good at his job and familiar surroundings and sees himself ready for bigger challenges just to realize he would have been better off staying where you are.
Still early days and he surely has qualities so he can turn it around as far as he acts more ruthless and pushes for what he really needs.
His facial expression yesterday gave me the impression he realized which kind of job he took for the first time.
I can understand why he made this step out of the comfort zone. He seems to be someone who is convinced by himself and his success at Ajax supports his opinion. But often someone is good at his job and familiar surroundings and sees himself ready for bigger challenges just to realize he would have been better off staying where you are.
Still early days and he surely has qualities so he can turn it around as far as he acts more ruthless and pushes for what he really needs.
Yes this exactly. I guess it's because everyone were excited and expecting big changes, but my god has he not helped himself with some of his choises. Lining up with virtually the same line-up after that Brighton result was diabolical.Woke up this morning, just feeling so despondent about the situation. What has happened to our club?!
What's happened to me as a fan, questioning a new manager 2 games in FFS.
How has it gotten this bad? Feel hopeless about the situation, I just can't see now we can recover as a club now. More misery awaits us I'm afraid
Really hope he can turn it around because i don't know what's next.
I think many will stick with him all of the season. He won't be without fault if it goes to shit, but I think most of the anger will go towards Murtough and the Glazers.
Lets not cry wolf here -- need to be more selective and logical on when we blame the owners. Otherwise it becomes pointless.
The owners arent to blame for the transfer choices made so far. Its Arnold and Murtough that had delivered what were clearly ETH's choices.
When I look at this team,we have no form of system.
We are to weak defensively to be a counter attacking team, we're also manchester fecking united we shouldn't need to play that way, plus teams know if they play the same system they can break on us with our captain being so slow.
ETH is trying to switch us to a possession based team, now we see DeGea isn't good enough with the ball at his feet to pass out and that is compounded with our poor defensive third (LB, CB and MD) and lack of intelligence to move and even pass it back to create space to move.
67% possession last game, so it working - its a question who blinks first. I hope to god its not ETH because this is years of incompetent management being aired in two weeks.
For the next game I'd drop Bruno, Maguire, Shaw and play Donny, Bailey, Malasia
Bruno isn't a very good link man and positionally all over the place, Bailey is the best Interceptor and quickest. Also the best defender in our team there I said it, Shaw again positioning is poor (defensive) and doesn't track back.
We are to weak defensively to be a counter attacking team, we're also manchester fecking united we shouldn't need to play that way, plus teams know if they play the same system they can break on us with our captain being so slow.
ETH is trying to switch us to a possession based team, now we see DeGea isn't good enough with the ball at his feet to pass out and that is compounded with our poor defensive third (LB, CB and MD) and lack of intelligence to move and even pass it back to create space to move.
67% possession last game, so it working - its a question who blinks first. I hope to god its not ETH because this is years of incompetent management being aired in two weeks.
For the next game I'd drop Bruno, Maguire, Shaw and play Donny, Bailey, Malasia
Bruno isn't a very good link man and positionally all over the place, Bailey is the best Interceptor and quickest. Also the best defender in our team there I said it, Shaw again positioning is poor (defensive) and doesn't track back.
Agree with most of what you said until you mentioned Donnie...
Go look at Pep's first season at City. He lost games 4-0, 3-0 with a much better squad... He made a lot rookie mistakes as well and learnt a lot of lessons.
If we don't give Ten Hag time and Money it will be the worst decision.
I would make a couple of changes at least.
Malacia in, Shaw out
Varane in, Maguire out
I'd change the goalie too but we have no proper backup at the moment.
Whatever team he puts out there will get crushed 3 to 4 nil, but the rebuild has to start somewhere.
Carrying on with last season's broken 1st team for too much longer will cause the pressure to rise to boiling point.
I think this is going to be the worst season in my lifetime. Honestly, I won’t be surprised if we get relegated. It sounds bloody crazy but we have absolutely nothing. It’s a scary thought.
you're not getting relegated, at worst you end up JUST outside the top 10, but even that seems a bit farfetched.
but man, this is wild to see.
The captaincy decision was extremely difficult as there are literally NO decent options. We don't have a single good leader in the entire squad.
Ronaldo = wants out and isn't really a leader
De Gea = isn't a leader and is as big of an issue (if not more) as Maguire
Bruno = Arguably tries to be a leader, but goes about it the wrong way and is just a hypocritical complainer
Varane = isn't a leader and is a sicknote
Rashford = isn't a leader and is as big of an issue as Maguire
McTominay = If he was remotely good enough then he'd be the one, but he is one of the most obvious weak-links in the squad and while he talks the talk he certainly doesn't walk the walk.
Unless ETH went out and actively targeted signing a player who could come in and instantly be installed as captain (which isn't exactly the easiest thing to do), he was in a no-win position.
Reminded me of this story
https://www.besoccer.com/new/the-ba...ep-admits-struggle-to-adapt-to-premier-league
When Pep first came to the Premier League, he underestimated the physical aspect of it, but he adapted. But to be fair, I can't remember how many goalkeepers and defenders that he bought and sold before City became the machine that it is today.
ETH is probably going through this phase now but without the same backing or budget.
I not too worried about ETH but more worried if our owners will back the manager and if fans will be patient with him.
https://www.besoccer.com/new/the-ba...ep-admits-struggle-to-adapt-to-premier-league
When Pep first came to the Premier League, he underestimated the physical aspect of it, but he adapted. But to be fair, I can't remember how many goalkeepers and defenders that he bought and sold before City became the machine that it is today.
ETH is probably going through this phase now but without the same backing or budget.
I not too worried about ETH but more worried if our owners will back the manager and if fans will be patient with him.
There is a silver lining to every bad situation. If we ever drop outside of top 10 or even relegate, I'm pretty confident the Glazers will sell us and we will be finally rid of those parasites.
I don't have a problem with making Maguire the captain, so long as he does what Mourinho did to Rooney. Let him play himself out of the team and never look his way again. Gives you more time to assess who has the mentality to be the captain, and only ends up with 1 upset player (Maguire).
He needs to given a bye this season whatever happens. Let him learn from his mistakes and build a suitable team capable of playing his way. We cannot keep changing managers and giving this squad clean slates, the lazy good for nothing cnuts are taking us further and further into decline
Exactly. Changing captain is the least of our concerns. I don't know why people make such a big deal of it.
It’s been disappointing that he hasn’t shaken things up a lot more.. but I wouldn’t say he’s showed no charisma. You also don’t know what the powers above are telling him. Surely it can’t be a coincidence that maguire starts with every manager. That mcfred is a main stay. Surely people in the club can see what we see, right?
2 or 3 months of training but nothing has changed really.
We still play like Ole ball. No running and pressing. Players jog on the field. No obvious style of play. Shit defence. Non existent midfield. Poor attack.
Having said that ETH deserve at least a season. He needs to show improvement. If these results continues it will becomes untenable for him as well as for the board. There will be more and more protests.
We still play like Ole ball. No running and pressing. Players jog on the field. No obvious style of play. Shit defence. Non existent midfield. Poor attack.
Having said that ETH deserve at least a season. He needs to show improvement. If these results continues it will becomes untenable for him as well as for the board. There will be more and more protests.