A top, top coach who has us more organised and energised than we have been in years, despite having one arm tied behind his back by the board. If they buy him an extra attacker before the window shuts then a title surge isn't out of the question, but they won't.
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?
Looking at how much he's getting out of our current squad,think he might just be able to get a tune out of Depay/Morata. I still think Thuram could be ideal for €15m as can be utilised after this season too.
Yeah you get the impression he would find fault when we really give someone a hiding and that is music to our ears
Love him so far. The only problem I have is we always seem to be in a rush in the build up, playing alot of risky passes. I'd like a bit more calmness in midfield but I'm not sure if it's Ten Hags tactics causing it or because we have Bruno and Eriksen in midfield
They gave him almost £250m in his first window and unrestricted control, even against our biggest players. This is just making shit up as far as I can see.
For this to happen they’d have to be absolute morons.
They will have seen what has transpired since SAF left, no way would a new owner be looking to replace ETH.
Didn’t seem that mad, in league football he’s underwhelmed everywhere. Even at PSG he managed a first half of a season that lead to them not winning the league.
Seems to do well enough in Cups mind but Tuchel is massively overrated judging by his league CV. Last season he only managed a points haul to match Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s best (74), ETH looks set to twat that despite the clusterfeck he inherited.
Yeah, I feel the same. The next two games should not really matter in the bigger picture. We have to be consistent in the league, that’s key. Even if we lose the next two, that’s not really important as we are a team in construction and they are settled. Anyway, I wouldn’t mind good results, that would be great.
T’en Hag is doing a hell of a job. He shouldn’t be judged by the next 2 games.
Love that we keep winning comfortably and with keeping clean sheets. I’m worried though that because we’re in good form the board are gonna think we don’t need to strengthen because we’re coping with the squad we’ve got. That’s a down side we’ve always had. When things are going well we leave it as it is. When we lose and things go bad that’s when we panic and buy to keep everyone happy. We need to capitalise on this form and go for another addition to give us that extra boost. Arsenal are still trying to buy despite being on top. I feel like 1 good striker this window and we could sneak into the top 2.
As others have pointed out, Solskjaer looked like the second coming when he first rocked up, so caution is required, but Ten Hag was my choice for manager and, after a disastrous start, it is great to see our development and hear of the various things he has taken control of behind the scenes.
I really hope he goes on to be the success I want him to be.
I really hope he goes on to be the success I want him to be.
He's not a big fan of rotation, fair enough we're getting the points but I expected to try something different than Eriksen - Casemiro midfield and Bruno in free attacking role. I'm a bit worried we don't have a plan B, but otherwise more than happy with ETH.
He'll do extremely well to keep this points per game ratio considering how thin we are in attack and 2/3 key forwards are always missing.
He'll do extremely well to keep this points per game ratio considering how thin we are in attack and 2/3 key forwards are always missing.
I definitely dont recall ETH for having a great plan B at Ajax. On the other hand, he's very good at making plan A work, which I would argue is way more important then being able to pull of a hail mary now and then...
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I think the one difference though is that Ten Hag has made cultural and structural changes in the club which took a few months to pay off and we are seeing that now. Ole just gave everyone a hug and made them feel better for a while after Jose and it soon wore off.
Absolutely, but there's no guarantee cultural and structural changes will not suffer the same fate, but it looks so promising for now...
Halfway through the season now and managed to make Top 4 with a game in hand. Better than I expected, to be honest. But he needs to be supported this transfer window.
Two more games till its officially halfway in the league. Our next two games are against teams above us too.
Technically, it is halfway, since we already played both City and Arsenal and should have been at 19 games now, but Leeds and Crystal Palace got postponed. I'll be positive and say we can at least 4 points from those.
Hopefully irrational, but I'm terrified the new owners take a dislike to him and get rid. When the Glazers took over there was no chance they would sack SAF. ETH doesn't have that legacy and prestige to be so safe. Everyone knows it would be a daft decision to sack him but who knows which egotistical cnut will sit at the head of the table in future.
Having to rely on benevolence is so depressing. Hopefully fan/community ownership becomes a thing one day.
Ole's situation was a bit like Wenger's start. Benefitting from having the discipline and structure of the previous regime and just telling his players to go enjoy themselves and play attacking football. The wins came fast and furious and the Glazers probably thought he was the man, but alas. After a while, without further tactical coaching, the previous lessons start to fade and Ole's success became unsustainable.
EtH on the other hand had a horrible foundation to build upon and he has been a credit to himself.
All these owners care about is results. ETH is getting them.
I know we spent a lot in the summer but the club really needs to back this man again in January, even if it means spending less in the summer.
We're only a top striker away from a major title challenge and Christ we've waited long enough for this.
We're only a top striker away from a major title challenge and Christ we've waited long enough for this.
Yes it was all ronaldos fault
Credit where credit is due - let's not forget the difference Ole made when he took over from Mourinho, it was like a breath of fresh air. The difference with ETH is a feeling that there is something more substantial for the longer term and it won't just all turn out to be a short -term recovery.
Otherwise OGS would be cleaning up all the top honors. Fecking Ronaldo.
After he literally just made 5 changes from the starting 11 in the previous game. That’s half the outfield players.
Credit where credit is due - let's not forget the difference Ole made when he took over from Mourinho, it was like a breath of fresh air. The difference with ETH is a feeling that there is something more substantial for the longer term and it won't just all turn out to be a short -term recovery.
Gem of a manager
Still can’t believe that a few on here were almost writing him off after a difficult start.
If he had a real Sporting directors and good owners, this guy could have competed for the title next year.
Hope that he will have the money next summer.
Hope that he will have the money next summer.
We're not blasting teams away but more often than not we're the better side. I don't think we've had many outstanding performances but he's raised the bar and there is a consitency with our performances and how we play.
Massive scope to improve and with time and new addition I've got full confidence that we're on the right trajectory.
I never fully bought in to any of our previous managers at any point but feel like I'm there more or less there with ETH.
Massive scope to improve and with time and new addition I've got full confidence that we're on the right trajectory.
I never fully bought in to any of our previous managers at any point but feel like I'm there more or less there with ETH.
Yes, I can see where people point that out.
However; that's looking at results only. When you analyse the performances, its actually the opposite. Ole when he came in brought a fresh start for many of the players and we started well and then faded with a few 1-0 wins, not the greatest performances.
This however; is different, we are looking better by the game, his coaching is showing.
Ten Hag has credentials from Ajax, we can see his style of football being implemented.
We need to do whatever we need to do to back this manager. The board must give him an attacker.
Yeah, hes been heavily backed. Probably spent poorly on Antony by the looks of it but its still early. Rome wasn't built in a day and it will take another season to have anything like a full squad he is happy with.
Yeah, Oles early days was taking the organisation and coaching from Jose and making the players happy. Quite a combination it turned out. Unfortunately that eventually wore off and teams realised how to play against us and it slowly fell apart under an inept tactician and coaching staff.
Yep. EtH is making proper changes around the club and its working. Fingers crossed it continues.
What options in midfield does he have though? McFred proven shit, VDB also poor, or does he risk trying Iqbal, Mainoo perhaps? Casemiro Eriksen and Bruno are his strongest three.
Rashford was dropped for disciplinary reasons last game, Antony is injured, you can make a case for Lindelof and Maguire.
I do think most changes ETH makes are forced, and I don't have any issue with that, I just don't think he likes to rotate based on his preferences in defense and midfield (attack is a bit of a mess with injuries and other issues).
Never underestimate the ego of rich cnuts!
We have no way of knowing given our secondary options are so much worse in every position.
Sir Alex never managed us against Pep's CityI definitely will accept a draw next week. That feeling when watching us achieve that many wins in a row has been lost for the past ten years. It’s a landmark really to show the winning mentality and mental strength. Under Sir Alex, it’s how we overcame Jose’s Chelsea and Pep’s ManCity when people felt they were unbeatable.
My original expectations in timeline about our development so far is on schedule, i.e., major transformation done before the end of year. Now, it’s the second phase to try to win trophies, including the league though a bit difficult. But, who knows. I am of course very optimistic.
I mean who is going to be in plan B? Donny? Iqbal? We can't lose points.
Well, I admittedly made an overly dramatic post before the game regarding him over rotating. And I'm eating my hat as we speak.
I really hope the potential sale of the club doesn’t hamper possible transfer activity in January. I don’t have any idea of how these things usually work.
I guess a possible scenario could also be that Glazers want to spend to ensure a top 4 spot and thus being able to up the price?
I really hope the potential sale of the club doesn’t hamper possible transfer activity in January. I don’t have any idea of how these things usually work.
I guess a possible scenario could also be that Glazers want to spend to ensure a top 4 spot and thus being able to up the price?
Yep, our football to start his tenure was the best football Ole had United playing compared to any other time that he managed. Which is not a good sign. ETH on the other hand, has had more success sustaining his level of attacking football under Ajax. And if anything, he purposely had United abandon some of his football because the team showed him they were not ready to do it all at once with those 2 opening defeats. This pragmatic approach is what led to people thinking that the football was not all that great at the start.
However, from then on he has clearly reintroduced his preferred way of playing and the players have been able to keep it up. They are no longer mentally fragile, and have come to terms with what is asked of them by Ten Hag.
Much different from Ole's start.