We control games now. What we need is bodies in the box and that formation can help get us that
Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Having an extra midfielder is part of that. Personally I'd experiment the partnership it but if it doesn't work I wouldn't force it beyond a couple minutes because it doesn't actually sound that great outside situational need. We actually already explored the Rashford-Ronaldo partnership extensively last season, first with the 4222 and at several points after. The drawback we experienced a lot was that subbing off a midfielder or wideplayer for a central striker killed our shape and was counterproductive to chasing the game. Some of our personnel don't fit the formations or possess the versatility to be simply shunted wider or deeper. Most importantly it always ended up with Rashford being the deeper striker. It just magnified all his weaknesses and took away what he was good at. The deeper one has more burden as a decisionmaker, playmaker, ball carrier or hold up player.
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How good does it feel to sit and watch a game and actually feel comfortable in possession and think it’s just a matter of time before we score?
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There's a lot of truth to this, but I'd say that at the moment, if anything, we're overlabouring setting up and delivering the final ball ( stemming from ETH's instructions as well as the relative lack of striker movement). We need a striker with instinctive and consistent 6-12 yard box movement, who's also strong enough to hold up when necessary and skillful enough to link play. At the moment we're finding a lot of positions where a prime striker would benefit from a final ball being whipped in quickly but, through instructions and Ronaldo's age-related decreased mobility/Rashford's erratic instinct and tendency to drift/ Martial's injuries and tendency to drift between playing as a 9 and 11, we're not exploiting the relatively better constructed moves around the edges of the box. It was quite frustrating at times during the last game, despite our overall dominance and creation of a decent number of opportunities, and there were elements of that against Newcastle too.
If this is where I think it is then I am adamant that this is the best place to cross from.
The rate of progress is astonishing. We are one or two players and a full season of being used to his methods etc away from being genuine challengers.
Uess it all falls apart and this is another false dawn but it really doesn't look that way.
Uess it all falls apart and this is another false dawn but it really doesn't look that way.
He said 'Finally'.
I always found it so frustrating when he and Klopp used to back Ole and say he's a brilliant manager and that we were a threat to the title. They definitely used to say that with a straight face and were on the floor laughing behind the scenes.
He can join as ETH's assistant once van der gaag takes on a managerial role elsewhere
This ones not a false dawn. This guy knows exactly where he's taking us and if he's backed he will get us there. I haven't been so excited for next season for ages!
That last stat is amazing. Finally, Manchester United are a modern football team.We are not perfect yet. But trust me, we are gradually getting there.
Yup, we will rinse City at OT
I love how no nonsense he is, we might have struck gold with this one.
Hard to forget the absolute brass balls he demonstrated after those first two losses, getting the team onside doing the punishment run himself, and those stats of how he's turned us from one of the worst pressing teams to one of the best in such a short time. This guy is going to be the one for us.
We'd get there even quicker if Pep would feck off.
Signs of a truly great manager , we just have to wait and see whether he'll reaches the promised land with us or not, but I think he's the one as you said it yourself, he just seems to have "it".
We got really lucky none of the likes bayern and barca tried to snatch him up, considering their recent managerial appointments and how seemd to be much more of a stylistic fit for them.
When you say the punishment run what do you mean? He did some physical work with the squad?
He made them run the ~13.something Kilometres more that Brentford ran than us during the game, as punishment for being out worked - And joined them on the run.
Pretty funny seeing Pep say "finally" as if he was just sitting there watching us play shit football for years and just laughing. We were bound to get it right eventually
I'm saying closer to the corner flag, as opposed to being closer in the box on the byline. It's a difference of a bout 10m
The difference beteeen a top class coach and the dross we’ve had in recent years starting to sing true. Been a long wait
We control games because we have become excellent at restricting space through our fullbacks inverting as well as having an extra midfielder. There's a reason no big team plays 442 anymore as their main formation, you run into serious issues if a team can play through you because you have little cover or control if you press high up the pitch.
But I agree that it will help if Rashford takes to the role (also think it's vital that in this case Bruno plays at that RM spot, NOT through the middle).
10 years of unprecedented mismanagement of one of the biggest club in the world. Moyes, LVG, Jose and Ole. WTF!
Ed has gone and it seems like Arnold and Murtough starting to find their feet. They may also struck gold with ETH. ETH totally transformed the club with his signings and style of play.
Hopefully, 1 or 2 more season we will be back to where we used to be under SAF. Challenge for PL and CL every year while playing exciting attacking football.
The fecking Glazers need to keep supporting ETH with funds for players he needs. We shall keep protesting if they failed to do so.
Ed has gone and it seems like Arnold and Murtough starting to find their feet. They may also struck gold with ETH. ETH totally transformed the club with his signings and style of play.
Hopefully, 1 or 2 more season we will be back to where we used to be under SAF. Challenge for PL and CL every year while playing exciting attacking football.
The fecking Glazers need to keep supporting ETH with funds for players he needs. We shall keep protesting if they failed to do so.
Absolutely! To have the fans onside again, to have hope. That’s all we ever asked for, really. Watching football is becoming fun again.
They wont give a penny this January window.
We will see more fringe/youth players introduced.
great way to sum up recent yearsI think one of the reasons why he has been successful so far is that he has this aura about him. You dont simply feck with this guy, you can tell he can be frightening if you push him into his limit. It took 2 big name managers to drop Rooney while he instantly dropped Ronaldo & Maguire and he's (still) winning the battle. Ronaldo tried to undermine him and now Ronaldo is his lil bitch.
Imagine if he jumps out of nowhere in front of you and screams "give us yer laptop!! i want your phone and all!". I'd give him everything I have and run home crying.
Imagine if he jumps out of nowhere in front of you and screams "give us yer laptop!! i want your phone and all!". I'd give him everything I have and run home crying.
Yep, and who does that remind you of? I wouldn’t suggest ETH as anywhere near the level of our greats yet, of course. I’m just comparing personalities. And in that capacity, he’s off to a pretty good start.
I hope the club will continue to support him, as I’d be more than happy to give him a mandate for the long term. I think he’s exactly what we’ve been waiting for.
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What i like most about him is his facial reaction to things, barely smiles or laughs. We could be winning 3-0 like yesterday and he'll still be thinking "Good isn't Good Enough".
Question. Did he play with inverted fullbacks at Ajax? Thanks
Also like that he recently said he wants rapid improvements and he's impatient about it. That's a modern manager thinking, unlike Moyesy and LvG who thought they had more time to get things going.
One of his best traits is hes never satisfied and thats whats driving the team on. If you stand still you are out of the next match(es). His precision to detail. Nothing gets past him. If we won the treble he would probably start the answer to a question, 'yes but...'
100% he just has that look of authority and steel about him. He doesn't get too high when we win, doesn't get too low when we lose.
When he shouts he doesn't do it angrily, he just barks out commands that are stern but not aggressive.
Add in his management of Ronaldo too, it's been handled so well. He's treated him fairly but also not given him special treatment. He's not isolated him like other managers might have done, just given out the punishment then back to it. Really good manager. I love the guy.
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The difference from ole to ETH is massive. ETH takes training sessions, advises players on mistakes and coaches them on the correct way and what he demands.
Ole left the training to his team and just stood back watching and not getting involved.
we finally a have a top coach and a top manager and i feel it wont be many seasons before we are back winning silverwear.
Ole left the training to his team and just stood back watching and not getting involved.
we finally a have a top coach and a top manager and i feel it wont be many seasons before we are back winning silverwear.
It was blindingly obvious to anyone who had watched any Ajax games prior to his appointment that ten Hag was the only appointment we could make.
Arnold and Murtough are very much still under scrutiny for me, wasted so much of the summer not knowing how much budget they had to spend and then overpaid for every player we signed. That is not how a well oiled and properly ran club acts in a transfer market, so the Dury is still out for me, especially with Murtough as he never had the right experience to begin with.
I’m sorry but this is total nonsense. Sir Alex Ferguson rarely handled training as time went on, was he not a top manager? The difference is the quality of coaching they had beneath them/the control over the changing room and key players.
Loads of managers do things in different ways, there’s no right way and there’s no wrong way only the application. As it happens, Ten Hag probably is the right personality for this squad, but that doesn’t mean that for other squads Ole’s approach wouldn’t have been better (again, if with better/more experienced lieutenants).
A tactician, quick learner, adaptive, disciplinarian. Sets up wonderful football, improves players. And a baldie.
What not to love?
What not to love?
Ole asked for 3 fecking years to build his team and style of play. Ed somehow bought into his idea.
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