Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager

[DJ_21]

How are people comparing ole and ETH? Are they forgetting ETH won our first trophy in like 6 years. Improving the style of play and spirit at the team. He’s brought back discipline. Also we’ve got another final to look forward to. Massive outsiders yes, but he’s give our fans another day out at Wembley.

 

[Revan]

How are people comparing ole and ETH? Are they forgetting ETH won our first trophy in like 6 years. Improving the style of play and spirit at the team. He’s brought back discipline. Also we’ve got another final to look forward to. Massive outsiders yes, but he’s give our fans another day out at Wembley.

Maybe because this season has been quite comparable with Ole’s two full seasons, and winning the mighty Carabao Cup does not change that.

Heck, I assume that over 90% of fans would take top 4 over fifth place + Carabao. It is the shittiest competitive trophy a club can win and we had as an easy path as it can be.

That’s coming from someone who thought that Ole should have been fired the latest by December 2021 (when we couldn’t pass the group stage in UCL).

 

[DJ_21]

Maybe because this season has been quite comparable with Ole’s two full seasons, and winning the mighty Carabao Cup does not change that.

Heck, I assume that over 90% of fans would take top 4 over fifth place + Carabao. It is the shittiest competitive trophy a club can win and we had as an easy path as it can be.

That’s coming from someone who thought that Ole should have been fired the latest by December 2021 (when we couldn’t pass the group stage in UCL).

Ye I get that. But ETH has been here not even a full season yet and if he manages to pull of a top 4 finish aswell as a trophy which we already have and possibly another one or even just getting into the fa cup final then it is better then anything Solskjær has done. He got us into lots of semi and finals but always bottled it at the end. That’s the difference. Solskjær against Newcastle in the final would have probably bottled it. ETH is stricter and has more of a winning mentality to get us over the line.

 

[Mr Pigeon]

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With respect to the great man; the value of his opinion on the current manager is worth the same as the child maintenance payments he gave Katie Price.

 

[IRN-BRUno]

6 of the 19 games we've won in the league have been 1-0 so I'm not sure that can be classed as rare.

 

[Revan]

Ye I get that. But ETH has been here not even a full season yet and if he manages to pull of a top 4 finish aswell as a trophy which we already have and possibly another one or even just getting into the fa cup final then it is better then anything Solskjær has done. He got us into lots of semi and finals but always bottled it at the end. That’s the difference. Solskjær against Newcastle in the final would have probably bottled it. ETH is stricter and has more of a winning mentality to get us over the line.

If we get top 4 and win FA Cup too, then I agree. Otherwise, Ole’s second season* has been better IMO (more points, second place, getting in the final of Europa). I honestly do not care too much for the League Cup, it is a third-tier trophy where clubs play their reserves and young players till semi final or even final. It does not define a season for good or worse. It is obviously better to win it than not (especially since we are starved of trophies in the last few years) but it is still the least important trophy.

* Saying that, I think that this season felt better than that one, but then I would say that Ole’s first season (despite being less successful) felt better than the second one.

Still, for me a lot depends if we get top 4 or not. If we get it, I would have this as our second best season (after first Jose season). If we somehow even win the FA Cup, then it can be argued it is the best. If we miss top 4 and get humiliated in the final, then for me it is right there with second Van Gaal season, a trophy (a smaller one than Van Gaal) but a failure (still better than Moyes season, Mourinho/Ole** one and Ole/Rangnick season).

** Although the night in Paris is by far the most memorable match for me in post SAF era. Which tells you all about the second rate trophies (Europa, FA Cup) or third rate ones (League Cup).

 

[united_99]

If we get top 4 and win FA Cup too, then I agree. Otherwise, Ole’s second season* has been better IMO (more points, second place, getting in the final of Europa). I honestly do not care too much for the League Cup, it is a third-tier trophy where clubs play their reserves and young players till semi final or even final. It does not define a season for good or worse. It is obviously better to win it than not (especially since we are starved of trophies in the last few years) but it is still the least important trophy.

* Saying that, I think that this season felt better than that one, but then I would say that Ole’s first season (despite being less successful) felt better than the second one.

Still, for me a lot depends if we get top 4 or not. If we get it, I would have this as our second best season (after first Jose season). If we somehow even win the FA Cup, then it can be argued it is the best. If we miss top 4 and get humiliated in the final, then for me it is right there with second Van Gaal season, a trophy (a smaller one than Van Gaal) but a failure (still better than Moyes season, Mourinho/Ole** one and Ole/Rangnick season).

** Although the night in Paris is by far the most memorable match for me in post SAF era. Which tells you all about the second rate trophies (Europa, FA Cup) or third rate ones (League Cup).

Same. And the reason being that it’s the ONLY CL knock-out game against a „big“ team we have won since Chelsea in 2011.
We beat Barca in EL, hell also Milan away in EL under Ole, but it’s not the same for me as beating them in the CL. Completely different feeling, tension, importance, pressure, prestige, everything.

 

[FerociousCorgis]

amazing how different this season can still feel. We get top 4 and win the fa cup, it would be seen as a great damn season. Get top 4 but lose in fa cup final and prob seen as a good season overall. Lose top 4 spot and then season seen as a big failure overall.

 

[Marwood]

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What's Yorke been watching? Of all the things to criticise ETH for winning ugly isn't one of them. That's pretty much exactly how we win most of the time.

 

[DJ_21]

amazing how different this season can still feel. We get top 4 and win the fa cup, it would be seen as a great damn season. Get top 4 but lose in fa cup final and prob seen as a good season overall. Lose top 4 spot and then season seen as a big failure overall.

Ye it’s weird that all them are still possible 4 games away from finding out what kind of season we’ve had.

 

[DJ_21]

What's Yorke been watching? Of all the things to criticise ETH for winning ugly isn't one of them. That's pretty much exactly how we win most of the time.

I think what he’s trying to say is, we don’t know how to control games and see them out like the one against spurs. We blew a 2 goal lead and that’s by trying to play good football and leaving our selves open even at 2-0. Bit like guardiola though he doesn’t settle for 1 or 2 goals, he wants a lot more goals but sometimes it’s a bad thing because it leaves us vulnerable at the back.

 

[FerociousCorgis]

Ye it’s weird that all them are still possible 4 games away from finding out what kind of season we’ve had.

and if our finishing wasnt so shitty the last couple of games couldve been wrapped up already. Thats one reason why im good with judging EtH next season with hopefully a different group of players. The ownership situation prob the bigger positive change we could hope for vs top 4.

 

[Marwood]

I think what he’s trying to say is, we don’t know how to control games and see them out like the one against spurs. We blew a 2 goal lead and that’s by trying to play good football and leaving our selves open even at 2-0. Bit like guardiola though he doesn’t settle for 1 or 2 goals, he wants a lot more goals but sometimes it’s a bad thing because it leaves us vulnerable at the back.

Yeah maybe.

I'm not sure playing pretty football is the reason we surrender those leads though.

 

[DJ_21]

and if our finishing wasnt so shitty the last couple of games couldve been wrapped up already. Thats one reason why im good with judging EtH next season with hopefully a different group of players. The ownership situation prob the bigger positive change we could hope for vs top 4.

Ye I agree. Tbf we can’t really blame ETH for the finishing situation. I mean after getting rid of Ronaldo he should have been backed and the owners should have brought him in a clinical forward. I feel like he had a choice of either Weghorst or no one so he just chose Weghorst and hoped he score a few goals but it hasn’t worked out. We don’t struggle creating chances. We just struggle scoring them, that’s the most frustrating thing.

 

[DJ_21]

Yeah maybe.

I'm not sure playing pretty football is the reason we surrender those leads though.

It doesn’t help though because we’re still playing high lines and leaving spaces by trying to attack when alls we need to do is play it simple and control the games a bit more.

 

[USREDEVIL]

I'm calling out Dwight Yorke and comparing him unfavorably to Graeme Sourness and his infamous opinion of "Steady Eddie" Casameiro

 

[Marwood]

It doesn’t help though because we’re still playing high lines and leaving spaces by trying to attack when alls we need to do is play it simple and control the games a bit more.

We don't play a high line though. Our back 4 is one of the deepest in the prem.

 

[NLunited]

We are tired, have players come back who aren’t sharp yet, missing key players. We are limping over the finish line.

Hopefully this week’s rest will make a difference and we can smash Wolves.

 

[DJ_21]

We don't play a high line though. Our back 4 is one of the deepest in the prem.

Doesn’t help that we have a keeper who’s known for making mistakes so other teams will target that now. Also sons goal for spurs against us was because our full back was out of position so they was allowed to cross it in. I find that a lot with us. Our full backs are always so high and that just leaves 2 at the back defending, so that is pretty open to me.

 

[DJ_21]

We are tired, have players come back who aren’t sharp yet, missing key players. We are limping over the finish line.

Hopefully this week’s rest will make a difference and we can smash Wolves.

Wishful thinking. Wolves are like our bogey team though. We never smash them, if we do win it’s always by like 1 goal. Last time we smashed them was 5-0 in 2012. They always give us close games.

 

[Highfather_24]

The daggers are coming out.

 

[JuriM]

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Dwight needs to shut the frick up.

 

[Big Ben Foster]

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Mates FC is back

 

[Gungne]

Dwight needs to shut the frick up.

Statistics, facts and numbers wins over feelings 10 out of 10 times in the real world. Dwight is 100% spot on here....

 

[mu4c_20le]

Yorke added: “You can’t hide in these circumstances, the players and the manager alike need to be called out. Ten Hag gets the praise when the team is playing well, he has to take the criticism when it goes wrong too.

“The disappointing thing in my observation in these games is that Manchester United don’t know how to win ugly, it always has to be a pretty game of football.

“We rarely win games 1-0, football is not about scoring loads of goals, it’s about getting the results and rolling your sleeves up in certain games, like the West Ham game.”


What is he watching indeed. We've been playing ugly and losing in the last few matches. Though he has a point about ten hag needing to be more pragmatic, particularly away.

 

[AndySmith1990]

I've no problem with Yorke or anyone else being critical of Ten Hag. He's right that if we're happy to praise him when he's doing well, it's only fair to lay some blame on him when things aren't going well.

With that said, it's so tiresome to hear any mention of Solskjaer. Solskjaer was shite and not cut out for a job the size of United. Time for his mates get over it and move on

 

[redshaw]

I think what Yorke is trying to get at is we have to prepare and setup differently away from home sometimes and be hard to beat first. Pace ourselves more for the later stages of a game. We expend a lot of energy and show our hand in the first 35 mins and miss or give back the goals we've scored.

 

[Polar]

Are they forgetting ETH won our first trophy in like 6 years.

Couldn’t care less.. Have forgotten the name of that cup or third tier trophy.

 

[Scandi Red]

Yorke has (temporarily) saved RedCafe with that comment! I can't remember us being this united on anything regarding our club!

 

[Eckers99]

The 'What has Ten Hag done for us?' thread.

Yeah, he inherited a completely undercooked, disillusioned Frankenstein's monster of a squad that had limped through our worst season post-Fergie.

Yeah, he only had one fit striker who wanted to leave, caused a stink and rinsed the club on TV.

Yeah, he got us to two cup finals, the latter stages of a European trophy and took us into the top 4 despite having an awful fixture pile up because of the World Cup and a weak squad that wasn't his doing.

Yeah, he got the likes of Rashford, Shaw, Dalot, AWB playing as well as they've ever played for us.

Yeah, he made OT a fortress again.

Yeah, he beat Barca, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs etc.

Yeah, he's instilled some discipline in the team and they've responded to it.

Yeah he handled the Maguire captaincy issue really well despite taking the player out of the team and building a much meaner defence.

Yeah, we finally won a trophy.

Yeah, his signings have largely been some of our very best performers this season.

Yeah, the matchgoers are fully invested and excited again and it's reflected in a regularly bouncing atmosphere at home games.

Yeah, he's shown Garnacho some tough love and has laid the groundwork for a (potentially) very exciting career.

I'm sure there's more.

And yet some of you genuinely think he should be sacked if we don't make top 4? Absolute fecking idiots.

 

[Stobzilla]

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Stick to what you are good at Dwight, dining out on your Balon d'Or worthy season in 98/99 and ignoring your child.

 

[crossy1686]

The daggers are coming out.

We've lost 8 games away from home in the PL this season and some of them were annihilations. People are of course going to start questioning things.

 

[DJ_21]

Couldn’t care less.. Have forgotten the name of that cup or third tier trophy.

People keep saying that… but I bet you was also one of the people that was crying out for us to start winning trophy’s and this is just the start…

 

[NLunited]

If you balance the good stuff from this season vs the bad stuff: he is doing well. There is definitely lots of room for improvement though. But letting him go if we somehow manage not to get top four, is bonkers considering the circumstances.

 

[kouroux]

Couldn’t care less.. Have forgotten the name of that cup or third tier trophy.

I'd agree with that the way it keeps being mentioned on the caf, it's a bit over the top

 

[kundalini]

I think if your central midfield partnership is Casemiro + Eriksen, then you can hardly claim to be building for the future.

On balance, I'd keep him but his decisions since the World Cup have been terrible.

His favouritism towards Antony is embarrassing, while his decisions regarding Weghorst are inexplicable. If we have really agreed a new deal for De Gea on £200K per week plus appearance bonuses then the whole idea of Ten Hag wanting to play a certain style of football seems complete nonsense.

I do not understand why it is considered acceptable for Antony and Sancho to perform as they have done, while Pellistri is a near permanent unused sub. Elanga has been rubbish but he seems to be one of the few players to have been dropped for underwhelming performances.

If the manager does not rotate then it should come as no surprise if the team is completely exhausted towards the end of the season.

I would have a lot more faith if the key decisions were coherent.

 

[AjaxCunian]

I think if your central midfield partnership is Casemiro + Eriksen, then you can hardly claim to be building for the future.

On balance, I'd keep him but his decisions since the World Cup have been terrible.

His favouritism towards Antony is embarrassing, while his decisions regarding Weghorst are inexplicable. If we have really agreed a new deal for De Gea on £200K per week plus appearance bonuses then the whole idea of Ten Hag wanting to play a certain style of football seems complete nonsense.

I do not understand why it is considered acceptable for Antony and Sancho to perform as they have done, while Pellistri is a near permanent unused sub. Elanga has been rubbish but he seems to be one of the few players to have been dropped for underwhelming performances.

If the manager does not rotate then it should come as no surprise if the team is completely exhausted towards the end of the season.

I would have a lot more faith if the key decisions were coherent.

He has made huge mistakes, but Pellistri and especially Elanga shouldn't be the hill you die on.

Elanga is completely useless, Weghorst level.

 

[Stacks]

I'd agree with that the way it keeps being mentioned on the caf, it's a bit over the top

I think because it used to be Coca Cola and then Milk cup it always sounded lame. I feel it only looks good along another trophy

 

[Mr Pigeon]

You've got to love people who see ten seconds worth of highlights of a player, making a slightly decent move during a game from weeks ago, say that Ten Hag doesn't know what he's doing if he doesn't play that person every match. This is despite the person knowing feck all about what the player is like during training or even what they were like when they were on the pitch for more than what Match of the Day showed.

It's the same folk that are in the endless "who should we buy" threads, just spouting off a list that they got from FIFA even when it doesn't make sense because a) the player hasn't played many matches in 18 months or b) City have first right of refusal on them if we tried to buy them. But, hey, YouTube had a bunch of shite compilation videos that make said player look great so why isn't Ten Hag, the guy who played pro football and has professional coaching badges, not listening to Jimmy Feckwit on RedCafe who sells caravans or wanks off to hentai for a living...

 

[Rojofiam]

You've got to love people who see ten seconds worth of highlights of a player, making a slightly decent move during a game from weeks ago, say that Ten Hag doesn't know what he's doing if he doesn't play that person every match. This is despite the person knowing feck all about what the player is like during training or even what they were like when they were on the pitch for more than what Match of the Day showed.

It's the same folk that are in the endless "who should we buy" threads, just spouting off a list that they got from FIFA even when it doesn't make sense because a) the player hasn't played many matches in 18 months or b) City have first right of refusal on them if we tried to buy them. But, hey, YouTube had a bunch of shite compilation videos that make said player look great so why isn't Ten Hag, the guy who played pro football and has professional coaching badges, not listening to Jimmy Feckwit on RedCafe who sells caravans or wanks off to hentai for a living...

My favourite one is when the majority of posters vehemently criticize the substitutions made by the manager or the time at which they were made...usually after a bad result, as if they know better than the best football managers on the planet. Even bums like Lampard will be 10x the knowledge they'll ever have on any topic related to managing.