Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager

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We were absolutely shit last season. We have improved under him, our play is much better, players are finding their form again, he had a solid transfer season, our defense is solid, work ethic improved, we finally start pressing other teams and we scored some nice goals. If that is only ok for you, especially considering last season, you underestimate how hard it is to improve an team who has been underperforming for the majority of the past 8 seasons
we have finished 2nd twice in the past 4 seasons

The results are maybe 'ok' but the job he's doing definitely isn't only 'OK'

When you take into account last season's performances and the squad he inherited, he's doing a fantastic job in not only changing the mentality of the squad but he's slowly instilling a playing style into a squad that hasn't had one for 5 years.
So Brighton manager must be the G.O.A.T.
 

MDFC Manager

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I agree. We kinda play the same in many cases. Don't nearly dominate possession and have some dead halves. He's been OK
I'll take OK, think he'll be the first to acknowledge there's a long fecking way to go. You can't deny that the early signs are positive though.
 

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Why do you think he’s asking for signings? Because he knows his squad lacks depth. I’m sure that EtH knows that this season is a season of rebuild and transition but that he will be drumming into them about trying to win every game and finish as high up the table as we can. It will be a good success to finish top 4.
We all know his squad lacks depth.
But I have seen enough in the last 4 matches to know that if he strengthened in the areas that have been mentioned, we would have a great chance at the title.
I am not dreading the match on Sunday. Win, lose or draw we will make a good showing.
He has sorted the defence and the midfield of Bruno, Eriksen and McT are doing very well.
The problem is the forward line.
If Rashford and Martial are out, we are pretty thin.

EtH is not just looking at the First team. He is looking at all aspects of the club. Youth team, Training facility and so on.
There is a lot about him that reminds me of Fergie.

Lets hope the club is sold this season. Or we may well see Erik walk end of the season if he is not supported by the Glazers.

I for one will not blame him.
 

golden_blunder

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We all know his squad lacks depth.
But I have seen enough in the last 4 matches to know that if he strengthened in the areas that have been mentioned, we would have a great chance at the title.
I am not dreading the match on Sunday. Win, lose or draw we will make a good showing.
He has sorted the defence and the midfield of Bruno, Eriksen and McT are doing very well.
The problem is the forward line.
If Rashford and Martial are out, we are pretty thin.

EtH is not just looking at the First team. He is looking at all aspects of the club. Youth team, Training facility and so on.
There is a lot about him that reminds me of Fergie.

Lets hope the club is sold this season. Or we may well see Erik walk end of the season if he is not supported by the Glazers.

I for one will not blame him.
Jesus you really deal in extremes don’t you
Why would ETH leave? He’s just gone off a summer where the club has broken their spending record to back him. He said that he’s here for the challenge. I swear some of you would like to see him leave so you can moan
 

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Jesus you really deal in extremes don’t you
Why would ETH leave? He’s just gone off a summer where the club has broken their spending record to back him. He said that he’s here for the challenge. I swear some of you would like to see him leave so you can moan
People are obsessed with this idea of manager seppuku which just doesn’t happen without an extremely severe turn of events (we should know, the last major case I recall was Casey Stoney after all) or if the manager is an oddball (Conte), neither of which appear to be the case with Erik.
 

shaggy

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Ten hag isn't walking at the end of the season, Christ. He's just spent well over £100 million and he was fully aware of the mess we were in before taking the job. I'd say he'd love to be known as the man who got us back up to the top which would cement him as one of the top managers in world football.
 

We need an rvn

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we spend an arm and a leg on casemeiro (leaves him on the bench) along with signing Eriksen and also Lisandro. So what do we need again? Xavi/Busquets and Iniesta?
Not sure if casem was his signing to be honest as his preference was fdj.

but put to one side. Casem probably needs a bit more time to adjusting to eth style of play and learning the language (compared to Antony and Lisandro who play at Ajax) and malacia who speaks Dutch
 

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:lol:


Every first goal we have scored since Brentford game has been well worked team goal, some a lot of passes involved. If you can't see that difference then not much people could say or show graphs and stats to prove it to you.
Right... the Leicester goal was brilliantly worked goal, not a transition right?

lets all rave about it cause we scored 3 opening goals that were good, its like saying we have never scored good goals in the last 2/3 years.

Even under Ole, we scored some cracking team goals.

The way people are going on about what Ten Hag has done is as if we are a completely different team, I am sorry to say, we are not.

We could easily be humbled by City.
 

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I agree. The results have been been better than the performances and the last 4 games PL could easily have been draws or even defeats.

It feels like we're heading in the right direction from rock bottom a few weeks ago but many are getting carried away.
Exactly. We have had better results but I want to see us dominate games, peg teams back and strangle them, that's when I will be like, Yes Ten Hag has done brilliantly.

Bruno pass in behind is not something that Ten Hag has worked on, its his natural game to play those passes.

I think he has done well to get some confidence back but the team still needs to play better and keep the ball alot better.
 

Escobar

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we have finished 2nd twice in the past 4 seasons


So Brighton manager must be the G.O.A.T.
We have, but under Jose, things were miserable, and the decline under Ole was brutal and for everyone to see. Finishing 2nd does not mean much in the big picture. League position alone is not the main criteria to see whether United is on the up or not
 

Flexdegea

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Right... the Leicester goal was brilliantly worked goal, not a transition right?

lets all rave about it cause we scored 3 opening goals that were good, its like saying we have never scored good goals in the last 2/3 years.

Even under Ole, we scored some cracking team goals.

The way people are going on about what Ten Hag has done is as if we are a completely different team, I am sorry to say, we are not.

We could easily be humbled by City.


I honestly thing you are making this scenerio up in your head. After them 2 performances at start of the season, he has dropped who he has needed too and has made some big calls. If you asked back then about winning the next 4 games you'd not have got many people saying we would have done it. So even to say he done Ok makes no sense. The team looks a different animal than it has for a year now.

The way the team came out against Liverpool was a huge turnaround considering where we been. Since then we have been really solid defensively. Again easy to pretend that is a expected thing just because we supposed sitting back when we not, when we been leaking goals like water for over a year. We start games quick tend to dominate the ball then get the goal, and switch up the tactics. Not sure what more you are expecting.

Ole has zero relevance to anything that is happening at the moment. Same way Jose had big wins too. Means nothing to what we are seeing at the moment.


Your post is very hyoerbolish from the negative perspective. Comments like we raving mad, it's hardly raving mad, I was just pointing out our opening goals have tended to be well worked goals since the turn around, then the tactically change up because we don't have the players to dominate the whole game. If anything him showing he's very pragmatic has actually been the most impressive quality I've seen from him so far, especially after seeing the players he has got.

You saying we scored a goal on transition, like it's a bad thing and shouldn't count, this is gain hyoerbolish from me there :lol: , but I'm not sure what the moaning is about.


The humbling thing could happen. I'm expecting to lose more matches this season. I seriously don't expect us to go rest of season unbeaten so their will certainly be some humbling defeats. Any one thinking different are being unrealistic, or setting high barriers so they can moan.
 

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Nein, nyet, no, bu
We had a mentality of players who show aggressiveness and aren't intimidated under Ole?
Yes of course. In his 1st initial run everyone was enthusiastic and playing with aggression. Then in his 1st full season after signing Bruno especially just after the return from COVID we "started" playing aggressive. We got some decent results vs better sides in the league at times. I dont see whats different about the Leicester win, Saints win, Sociedad loss, Liverpool or Arsenal wins than what we have seen before. Some very scrappy with not much going on, oppo teams having their fair share of attempts on goal and us playing with great counter. We did the league double over Pep in 2020, In 2021 we got a win and a draw vs City etc
 

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ETH has lifted team spirits and has clearly set a standard for the players to raise their game to. I think criticism around the performances is justified but he has said himself in a post match interview there's alot to improve on in this regard. You can also see in the training ground videos there's much emphasis on passing placement and the weight / speed of the pass. incrementally the performances should improve as a reflection of what's being done behind closed doors.

One area which is more aimed towards Murtough however is the club aught to exclusively sign younger players moving forward. Eriksen and Casemiro are undoubtedly good purchases but for future acquisitions younger profile of players should be targeted for sustainability in the long run especially the midfield.
 

romufc

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I honestly thing you are making this scenerio up in your head. After them 2 performances at start of the season, he has dropped who he has needed too and has made some big calls. If you asked back then about winning the next 4 games you'd not have got many people saying we would have done it. So even to say he done Ok makes no sense. The team looks a different animal than it has for a year now.

The way the team came out against Liverpool was a huge turnaround considering where we been. Since then we have been really solid defensively. Again easy to pretend that is a expected thing just because we supposed sitting back when we not, when we been leaking goals like water for over a year. We start games quick tend to dominate the ball then get the goal, and switch up the tactics. Not sure what more you are expecting.

Ole has zero relevance to anything that is happening at the moment. Same way Jose had big wins too. Means nothing to what we are seeing at the moment.


Your post is very hyoerbolish from the negative perspective. Comments like we raving mad, it's hardly raving mad, I was just pointing out our opening goals have tended to be well worked goals since the turn around, then the tactically change up because we don't have the players to dominate the whole game. If anything him showing he's very pragmatic has actually been the most impressive quality I've seen from him so far, especially after seeing the players he has got.

You saying we scored a goal on transition, like it's a bad thing and shouldn't count, this is gain hyoerbolish from me there :lol: , but I'm not sure what the moaning is about.


The humbling thing could happen. I'm expecting to lose more matches this season. I seriously don't expect us to go rest of season unbeaten so their will certainly be some humbling defeats. Any one thinking different are being unrealistic, or setting high barriers so they can moan.
The thing is I am not moaning, I am being realistic. We have improved defensively? yes, I mean we kind of had to, if we didn't why did we hire a top quality coach?

Secondly, I have never said a goal on transition shouldn't count, you are making it up to help your narrative.

I am sorry, my standards expect us to score good goals, dominate teams at home, dominate teams at the bottom of the league.

So Ten Hag, in my eyes has done OK, if he didn't drop the players and continued the same team, he would have done terribly. We are not this amazing team, apart from United fans who think we will finish 4th, most footballing people will tell you, this team isnt great, finishing 5/6th is the prediction.

So, lets see how it goes, the reason I say okay is if you looked at our fixtures at the start, 4/6 wins is not amazing, its OK.
 

Flexdegea

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The thing is I am not moaning, I am being realistic. We have improved defensively? yes, I mean we kind of had to, if we didn't why did we hire a top quality coach?

Secondly, I have never said a goal on transition shouldn't count, you are making it up to help your narrative.

I am sorry, my standards expect us to score good goals, dominate teams at home, dominate teams at the bottom of the league.

So Ten Hag, in my eyes has done OK, if he didn't drop the players and continued the same team, he would have done terribly. We are not this amazing team, apart from United fans who think we will finish 4th, most footballing people will tell you, this team isnt great, finishing 5/6th is the prediction.

So, lets see how it goes, the reason I say okay is if you looked at our fixtures at the start, 4/6 wins is not amazing, its OK.

No one said it's amazing but it's not a Ok job all things considering.


If you think this team is 5th/6th at best then what the negativity about?

We are 5th, so if we ain't great while you got the high high standards we should be doing all this.


You got a mix of a high high bar but unrealistic expectations. If we end up finishing higher than 5th it surely be a very good job he has done all things considered.
 

romufc

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No one said it's amazing but it's not a Ok job all things considering.


If you think this team is 5th/6th at best then what the negativity about?

We are 5th, so if we ain't great while you got the high high standards we should be doing all this.


You got a mix of a high high bar but unrealistic expectations. If we end up finishing higher than 5th it surely be a very good job he has done all things considered.
Exactly, so me thinking they are 5th best and us being 5th means its Okay, they are where I expect them to be.

I am not negative about it, I am just saying its nothing special.

I have high standards because there are things I expect from a top top coach, which is dominate football matches, which I hope will come through the course of the season.

Where I am negative is, I have seen top coaches come and this improvement of the team not materialise.

Yep, if at the end of the season, we finish above 5th, it would have been a very good job.
 

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Yes of course. In his 1st initial run everyone was enthusiastic and playing with aggression. Then in his 1st full season after signing Bruno especially just after the return from COVID we "started" playing aggressive. We got some decent results vs better sides in the league at times. I dont see whats different about the Leicester win, Saints win, Sociedad loss, Liverpool or Arsenal wins than what we have seen before. Some very scrappy with not much going on, oppo teams having their fair share of attempts on goal and us playing with great counter. We did the league double over Pep in 2020, In 2021 we got a win and a draw vs City etc
First initial run showed the opposite. He choked in cups.
 

roonster09

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First initial run showed the opposite. He choked in cups.
He didn't. Chelsea away, Arsenal away, Wolves away is a tough run.

PSG and Barca in CL is among the hardest ties.
 

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We only played two Premier League games in September, one of which was a fairly forgettable 1-0 against Leicester.

Happy for him, but a strange one (strange month in general I suppose).
 

OmarUnited4ever

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Nice award, though only played 2 games but won both and the other 2 games were postponed.

So far so good Ten Hag, still long way to go but I am pleased with what Ten Hag did so far.

Huge game vs City, small chance to win it but what matters more is the performance and hardwork .. no tepid display against City please
 

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Nice! I think a win vs city would be massive for us and for people/teams to start taking us more seriously.. I doubt we would win though, I hope I’m wrong. Also is there a press conference today?
 

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Ralph Hasenhuttl on Manchester United: "It is not a big secret that when they lose the ball that the reverse gears are not the best from everybody."
When Rangnick came in to takeover as the manager, he quickly identified that one of the biggest weaknesses (if not the biggest) is the team's quality off the ball. Often times when the the opposition counter attacked us, our players were found terribly out of position. And then, rather than busting gut to make sure the attack did not lead to a goal, our players seemed happy to just jog backwards and hope that either the goalkeeper or someone else deals with the said attack. Our team press (when the team did try to press) mostly looked utterly disorganized and chaotic with players like Bruno and Fred running around like headless chicken. It was cake-walk for PL defenders and midfielders to bypass our press with only a simple shoulder drop. Our defense appeared timid and players barely communicated with each other. Maguire and De Gea communicated the most in terms of giving each other an exasperated look after a goal went in as if to lay the blame squarely on the other.

While the team sure can improve in terms of keeping the ball and playing out from the back, I think even EtH has identified aforementioned issues as the ones he needs to deal with first. Especially after what he saw in the first few games. The team appears to communicate a whole lot more now and the team appears that much more organized. Despite being dominated in terms of possession, the defense doesn't look shaky and chaotic. I do not expect us to play like a team that camps in opposition box and breaks the opposition defense down with crisp passing. We have seen glimpses of it but there's some way to go. What I am glad about is the improvement in off the ball IQ and organization. Rest will follow soon.
 

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Some people on here are too negative, or too impatient. We have won our last 4 league games after a horrible start including Liverpool and Arsenal, which are both opponents that have been used to playing dominant attacking football whereas our players have not. People should not expect us playing them off the pitch. We could definitely be playing better, but it's not like we've been bad. There's new players, a new system, all-time low confidence levels after last season and we're still getting results after just two months of playing. Saying ETH has been "OK" is fair, but I think he's been doing a good job so far, primarily because of the way Dalot, McT and Rashford have progressed thus far in comparison to last year and the fact that he showed the cojones to make roster changes that our previous managers were afraid to make.

Theres a big chance City will make it look easy tomorrow, but I wouldn't be surprised either if we steal point(s).
 
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Some people on here are too negative, or too impatient. We have won our last 4 league games after a horrible start including Liverpool and Arsenal, which are both opponents that have been used to playing dominant attacking football whereas our players have not. People should not expect us playing them off the pitch. We could definitely be playing better, but it's not like we've been bad. There's new players, a new system, all-time low confidence levels after last season and we're still getting results after just two months of playing. Saying ETH has been "OK" is fair, but I think he's been doing a good job so far, primarily because of the way Dalot, McT and Rashford have progressed thus far in comparison to last year and the fact that he showed the cojones to make roster changes that our previous managers were afraid to make.

Theres a big chance City will make it look easy tomorrow, but I wouldn't be surprised either if we steal point(s).
Good post mate.
 

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Some people on here are too negative, or too impatient. We have won our last 4 league games after a horrible start including Liverpool and Arsenal, which are both opponents that have been used to playing dominant attacking football whereas our players have not. People should not expect us playing them off the pitch. We could definitely be playing better, but it's not like we've been bad. There's new players, a new system, all-time low confidence levels after last season and we're still getting results after just two months of playing. Saying ETH has been "OK" is fair, but I think he's been doing a good job so far, primarily because of the way Dalot, McT and Rashford have progressed thus far in comparison to last year and the fact that he showed the cojones to make roster changes that our previous managers were afraid to make.

Theres a big chance City will make it look easy tomorrow, but I wouldn't be surprised either if we steal point(s).
The bolded was my biggest take away from in particular the Arsenal game. EtH has had 6 league games in charge [5 by that point] where as someone like Arteta has had what, 3 years & also a sizeable budget, I’d expect them to look more cohesive in the most part.

The encouraging thing with EtH is how fecking clear it is that players our players are now being coached. The 3 players you mention are prime examples.
 

mav_9me

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When Rangnick came in to takeover as the manager, he quickly identified that one of the biggest weaknesses (if not the biggest) is the team's quality off the ball. Often times when the the opposition counter attacked us, our players were found terribly out of position. And then, rather than busting gut to make sure the attack did not lead to a goal, our players seemed happy to just jog backwards and hope that either the goalkeeper or someone else deals with the said attack. Our team press (when the team did try to press) mostly looked utterly disorganized and chaotic with players like Bruno and Fred running around like headless chicken. It was cake-walk for PL defenders and midfielders to bypass our press with only a simple shoulder drop. Our defense appeared timid and players barely communicated with each other. Maguire and De Gea communicated the most in terms of giving each other an exasperated look after a goal went in as if to lay the blame squarely on the other.

While the team sure can improve in terms of keeping the ball and playing out from the back, I think even EtH has identified aforementioned issues as the ones he needs to deal with first. Especially after what he saw in the first few games. The team appears to communicate a whole lot more now and the team appears that much more organized. Despite being dominated in terms of possession, the defense doesn't look shaky and chaotic. I do not expect us to play like a team that camps in opposition box and breaks the opposition defense down with crisp passing. We have seen glimpses of it but there's some way to go. What I am glad about is the improvement in off the ball IQ and organization. Rest will follow soon.
Good post because this is where things start. Work off the ball is the foundation.

I expected this from Rangnick but extremely disappointed it never materialized.
 

Boondog

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This break has been brutal. Just the timing of it, almost feels like the season didn't really start. But hopefully it will benefit the manager.