iHicksy
Full Member
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2014
- Messages
- 1,839
This is basically the crux of it in the second paragraph. ETH saw these guys pre-season, looking good, playing decent football and winning games. He thought he had a foundation here and just needed to add a few players. He's now seen that they absolutely shit the bed under any real pressure and that pre-season has mis-lead him. Now he's seen how they hide in league games he's having to go out and get players who can actually perform. They might not be the first choice, but we're into the season now and have to take what's available.Ten Hag knew he wanted a new midfield. He thought he could get Frenkie, held on for a while. Frenkie to him is a unique, rare player and that he could get him and then some cheap ball winner probably to partner or just coach our existing players into the role.
Ten Hag sees 2 games of Fred and McTominay and Bruno and the rest. Sees that they are in fact mentally shattered still, that they complete shit their pants under pressure and that they have no hope. So he adapts, gives up on Frenkie and moves on to a DM in the style of how he played at Ajax without Frenkie. A true ball winner.
Its one of the problems of a coach just joining in the summer. Often times they want to make their own mind up on the players, but it needs time to coach them for a bit and see them in competitive matches.
In terms of other positions? A joke for it to go this far, we knew the price for Antony, and every summer we try this thing where we think a team is more receptive in the last few weeks when it's always the opposite. No excuse for the RW and RB situations. They are no brainer weaknesses regardless of midfield targets. Ronaldo was probably some naivety from ten hag and misjudging it. De Gea was a situation where he was decent last year, so he figured eh not a big deal I'll stay with him this year, and then now panicking at the sight of what De Gea will be this season.
I think a big part is also Ten Hag seeing the first 2 games and realizing he needs a true ball winning DM in the side and shifting focus to that.