Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager

[choccy77]

If Hag is backed and given the time, I'm confident he will have the intelligence to build a great first 11 and squad gradually.

But, there has to be a massive clear out, regardless of contract lengths, players need to be paid off in full and moved on if we can't sell them immediately.

 

[tentan]

He has to be given 100% power.

 

[Sweet Square]

My manager

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[nainaisson]

Imagine him on the touchline with Maguire. Wouldn't that be a sight?

He already has to deal with idiots threatening to blow up his house. Why do you need to see him publicly humiliated too?

 

[ole@thewheel]

I will admit that I haven't watched a lot of Ajax games to have a conclusion about his game management style.

Anybody that did follow Dutch league, how would you describe him on the following:

1. His general aura/style in the games and interviews. He looks a bit 'grim' and overly serious from what I have seen. Is that a fair assumption? Are his interviews usually insightful, transparent or reserved?

2. His in game reaction style. Is he a manager that would sub a player after 30 min if needed, or is he patient and try to accomodate rather than change?

3. His tactical style. We know his general tactical style and there have been a lot of discussion of his team building talent. However how is his usual match prep; is he a reactive type (would he play i.e. 5 at the back if his team faces a better side?), consistent (would he stick tohis game no matter the opposition?) or unpredictable (the opposition will struggle to predict how he will play).

Any insightfull input would be appreciated!

 

[Cheimoon]

Is it right the player was binned shortly after this?

Yep.

I looked it up. This was in a cup game against Telstar in December 2019. A month later, Noa Lang was loaned out to Twente for the remainder of the season. He returned to Ajax already in April when the pandemic cancelled the 2019-20 season, and then in October Ajax loaned him out to Club Brugge, who bought him by the end of the season.

This game won't have been the final straw, but Lang had been known already to be stubborn and selfish. Telstar is a poor second-division team that Ajax will always beat, so Ten Hag caring this much in such a game shows that he had likely been fed up with Lang already.

 

[Loon]

Yep.

I looked it up. This was in a cup game against Telstar in December 2019. A month later, Noa Lang was loaned out to Twente for the remainder of the season. He returned to Ajax already in April when the pandemic cancelled the 2019-20 season, and then in October Ajax loaned him out to Club Brugge, who bought him by the end of the season.

This game won't have been the final straw, but Lang had been known already to be stubborn and selfish. Telstar is a poor second-division team that Ajax will always beat, so Ten Hag caring this much in such a game shows that he had likely been fed up with Lang already.

Ahh, I see. Thanks. Bodes well!

 

[Real Name]

He's seems a bit crazy, takes no shit and has shades of young Mourinho.

Just what we need at the moment.

 

[Brophs]

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This guy doesn’t have the personality to control wild horses say bunch of out of control wild horses.

 

[Anustart89]

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This guy doesn’t have the personality to control wild horses say bunch of out of control wild horses.

oh I’m going to love it if he tells some of those lot to pack their bags and feck off and see how impressed they are.

They should worry less about the qualifications of the manager and worry more about carrying out the instruction that their boss gives them. They think that just because they’re paid a lot of money they have become the ones in charge who need to give the manager their approval. feck them all.

 

[Cassidy]

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This guy doesn’t have the personality to control wild horses say bunch of out of control wild horses.

They are in for a shock

 

[crossy1686]

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This guy doesn’t have the personality to control wild horses say bunch of out of control wild horses.

And what the feck have you won then lads?

 

[Anustart89]

I bet he’s very impressed with their playing credentials and their forces of personality to turn it around if he were to assess them on the same criteria and acted upon it he’d have four players left in the squad.

 

[devips]

Provided the story about the players' reaction to Ten Hag is even true, why, if you miserable lot keep on speculating about Ten Hag all the time, why can't the players themselves? They have a more direct stake in him.

 

[sglowrider]

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This guy doesn’t have the personality to control wild horses say bunch of out of control wild horses.

This is probably why he needs an old head/hand like McClaren to manage the players while ETH does the bookish/technical stuff like strategy, tactics, opposition scouting etc.

 

[Leftback99]

I very much doubt the players have had a conversation saying "yeah he sounds good but does he have the 'force of personality'?". And then told the Men about it

 

[Speako]

And what the feck have you won then lads?

Exactly right. He should do this from the start , Day One - ‘“Right lads, today we’re going to have a ‘bring your medals to work’ day, so pop home and I’ll see you back here in one hour”. Feckin hilarious.

 

[romufc]

I very much doubt the players have had a conversation saying "yeah he sounds good but does he have the 'force of personality'?". And then told the Men about it

Its funny because the players who think this will be out the door. How are players questioning a manager who has won titles and plays good football when they have won feck all and cant be asked to play.

 

[bond19821982]

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This guy doesn’t have the personality to control wild horses say bunch of out of control wild horses.

Change Fortunes ? They shouldn't be worried about it. He is trying to coach you some basics like putting some efforts.

 

[Real Name]

I very much doubt the players have had a conversation saying "yeah he sounds good but does he have the 'force of personality'?". And then told the Men about it

This.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Exactly right. He should do this from the start , Day One - ‘“Right lads, today we’re going to have a ‘bring your medals to work’ day, so pop home and I’ll see you back here in one hour”. Feckin hilarious.

Think Ronaldo and Varane could produce a few.

 

[appleman]

I will admit that I haven't watched a lot of Ajax games to have a conclusion about his game management style.

Anybody that did follow Dutch league, how would you describe him on the following:

1. His general aura/style in the games and interviews. He looks a bit 'grim' and overly serious from what I have seen. Is that a fair assumption? Are his interviews usually insightful, transparent or reserved?

2. His in game reaction style. Is he a manager that would sub a player after 30 min if needed, or is he patient and try to accomodate rather than change?

3. His tactical style. We know his general tactical style and there have been a lot of discussion of his team building talent. However how is his usual match prep; is he a reactive type (would he play i.e. 5 at the back if his team faces a better side?), consistent (would he stick tohis game no matter the opposition?) or unpredictable (the opposition will struggle to predict how he will play).

Any insightfull input would be appreciated!

1. He seems great with (most) players. He is generally not too great at press conferences, but it's also pretty clearly because he doesn't care about those. At times (and more often after more experience) he has been praised for some of the interviews, though. His interviews are rather transparent about the tactical plan, but reserved about the more team spirit, atmosphere, and other extra information sides of things.

2. He is not known as a subs-man, more of a consistency and I guess accommodate/patient type of trainer. If someone disrespects the team he isn't afraid to make a change, but he won't drop someone after a mistake or even a string of them if he believes in the tactical plan and player. He's really a builder rather than a spontaneous combustion every game type manager.

3. He will have a clear direction with some slight adjustments depending on the opposition. The team's own play and dominance are most important, but let's say you play against a slower full-back one weekend, he'll be sure to make use of that. It's probably not as set in stone which formation he'll play. At Utrecht we saw a lot of 4-4-2 diamond type stuff, but at Ajax the stadium will be against you from the start if you don't play something that is (presented as) 4-3-3, since it's part of the club culture and the way the squad was already built. But to be honest, many of his earlier tactics were presented as a 4-3-3 'with a 10', while often that 10 played as a shadow striker rather than a true midfielder, with the wingers being less of the old dutch pacy crossing winger types, too. If the mancunians want a 4-4-2 it wouldn't be surprising if he just wrote down someone like Sancho as a striker that drops deep and have more forward winger types on the sides of the midfield if he thought the 4-3-3 would fit the squad better, so to speak.
Same goes for 3 at the back. He'll consider it, but it'd have to fit the squad. Now when Alvarez plays it's already very much of a 3/5 at the back, but instead of the middle one being the deepest, he is a bit more forward, but less so than many other anchor men (imo). But with someone like Varane or Maguire there, it'd look different. And if you don't have technical defenders like Martinez and Timber next to them, he'd probably rather play a technical player close to defense than add an extra defender just because you play against a strong double striker formation. So, in short, he'll be the consistent type with the occasional surprise up his sleeve to hurt the opponent where possible. Also don't be surprised to see a player put in a weird position because Ten Hag will believe it'll work in the long run. Like Mazraoui at RB rather than CM or Frenkie at CB or DM/CM rather than AM. He could practically play someone like Pogba at CB if he thinks it'll be a great fit to his natural positioning play and the team's overall structure.

Hope this answers some of what you were looking for.

 

[Dempsey19]

All it will take is 1 match under ETH for him to see who is interested or not. He will then politely tell them to F off.

 

[No Idea For Nickname]

All it will take is 1 training under ETH for him to see who is interested or not. He will then politely tell them to F off.

Fixed for you. YW.

 

[L1nk]

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[Corridor of Uncertainty]

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£100 - £150 million it is then

 

[Cassidy]

£100 - £150 million it is then

Its a decent budget with sales.
If we're smart we can also get in some good free transfers.

Part of me hopes this is the club trying not to let the market know what were up to so we don't get shafted

 

[#07]

All it will take is 1 match under ETH for him to see who is interested or not. He will then politely tell them to F off.

After which the Board will then tell Ten Hag, unless we get £20m-30m for each you have to keep them. Then the cycle of leaks and sour grapes from disgruntled players will start up again.

Nothing has changed.

 

[SAFMUTD]

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This guy doesn’t have the personality to control wild horses say bunch of out of control wild horses.

I don't know how accurate this sources are, but if they're correct then the players have a serious delusion of greatness problem.

They should be worried about them not being good enough, when they clearly haven't been, instead of questioning wether the manager is up to their expectations.

 

[Escobar]

They are in for a shock

Haha I cant wait and I wish I could see their dumb faces when he tells them to piss off.

Quite a few doubt that he can be tough with our bunch or tell them what to do: things have changes, the board will no longer back the players so I'm confident they will either follow or be sold

 

[Escobar]

After which the Board will then tell Ten Hag, unless we get £20m-30m for each you have to keep them. Then the cycle of leaks and sour grapes from disgruntled players will start up again.

Nothing has changed.

But we will buy replacements, so they just sit in the stands. A player usually does not want that either, like little kids, at one point they give in (or get house arrest)

 

[Escobar]

I don't know how accurate this sources are, but if they're correct then the players have a serious delusion of greatness problem.

They should be worried about them not being good enough, when they clearly haven't been, instead of questioning wether the manager is up to their expectations.

ETH needs to give them a serious reality check

 

[Sviken]

He's seems a bit crazy, takes no shit and has shades of young Mourinho.

Just what we need at the moment.

I don't know. He is like a clone of Pep, all down to the baldness and everything. Hopefully he is even half as good as Pep because even that would be a massive improvement for us.

 

[#07]

But we will buy replacements, so they just sit in the stands. A player usually does not want that either, like little kids, at one point they give in (or get house arrest)

We gave new contracts to Mata, Bailly and Grant last summer. Haven't they just sat in the stands? We refused to let Lingard go, he's also just sat in the stands.

Romero, Rojo. Also just sat in the stands.

Its not unusual for us to have players on huge contracts just doing nothing. The club routinely forces players coaches don't want to stay at the club. At this point it would be more of a surprise if we did sell unhappy players than if we kept them.

 

[VanDeBank]

Is it right the player was binned shortly after this?

Yes. Sold for only 6 million when the player was clearly talented and going to be worth much more than that.

The type of decision we don't make.

 

[Buchan]

£100 - £150 million it is then

 

[Sonny1972]

Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Edinson Cavani Juan Mata Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Alex Telles, Aaron Wan-Bissaka Anthony Martial . Have to leave .

 

[bond19821982]

After which the Board will then tell Ten Hag, unless we get £20m-30m for each you have to keep them. Then the cycle of leaks and sour grapes from disgruntled players will start up again.

Nothing has changed.

Who exactly is this disgruntled player ? If it's Rashford, Maguire or Shaw then they have to worry about their form themselves.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Who exactly is this disgruntled player ? If it's Rashford, Maguire or Shaw then they have to worry about their form themselves.

The thing is nobody knows precisely who is disgruntled or how many. They keep saying a number of players, it might be two for all we know. The media is making it sound like it's the majority of the squad.

 

[DJ_21]

Provided the story about the players' reaction to Ten Hag is even true, why, if you miserable lot keep on speculating about Ten Hag all the time, why can't the players themselves? They have a more direct stake in him.

Us as fans have a right too. The players don’t deserve anything… they down tools all the time and there performances have been awful. To much player power, needs to change, we had none of this under fergie.