Soccer is not an easy sport to play, and perhaps it’s an even harder sport to coach, especially at the top level. Manchester United appointed Erik ten Hag over a year ago, and I think it’s about time we take a look into his first 12 months at this sideshow of a club.
The Good
Erik ten Hag clearly is a man of strong resolve and determination. For better or worse, he knows how to impose his will on his players and get them to play a style of football he sees fit. Everyone remembers that infamous after back to back soul-crushing defeats to start the season. This was maybe his most ingenious move of the season as it came with wholesale changes to the starting XI as well. He gave the old guard their fair chance, and after they shit the bed, he went nuclear.
I think playing under Erik ten Hag is a rather simple equation. Working hard, following his principles, and performing well equates to consistent game-time. A very sink or swim mentality seems fairly juvenile when talking about multi-million dollar athletes with inflated egos, but the simplicity is beautiful. There is no room for confusion about the objectives and what it takes to play under him. He appears to be a simple man with a simple plan, and that is maybe his strongest attribute in a professional sport where everything is extremely complex.
The Bald
Ten Hag’s simplicity can also be his demise. In his first season, he went balls to the wall and tried to compete for everything under the son. I kinda understand the mentality as any form of success will do, but it seemed detrimental to maintaining squad fitness. Manchester United playing more games than any other European club this season (don’t fact check me on that) and that is a sure fire way to run your team into the ground come May.
I think Ten Hag needs to figure out a way this season to pick and choose his moments for this team to compete. My expectation is that he will learn from this and focus on 3 of the 4 competitions (CL, EPL, and FA Cup) for his main squad next season. Bagging the EFL to me means he can more heavily prioritize the rest of the field and hopefully find another piece of silverware to keep the Carabao Cup warm.
The Ugly
Ten Hag’s man management style can be brash. He clearly has his trusted soldiers, and he has a tendency to run them into the ground. I get that its hard to trust players when every single game feels like life or death, but he needs to find a way to rotate the squad a little. Some squad players could end up getting a little frustrated at their lack of matches. I know nothing about professional sports, but winning only cures so much in a team. Maybe its a blessing in disguise and some of the players who don’t sacrifice for the team aren’t made for United, but then again United don’t have the deepest squad ever either. Hopefully with a few more trusted reinforcements, we can see some decent squad rotation next season.
The Verdict
Overall, I’m not sure you could have anticipated this season when looking at the beginning of August. United over-performed, a few question marks were answered, and a few still remain. One Answer that leaves no room for debate is that Erik Ten Hag is a world-class manager. Finding a way to get this team an EFL Cup, 3rd place in the Prem, and the FA Cup Final is pretty impressive. His game will evolve, and as time passes, I expect serious production from his teams if he is given solid talent. I love Manchester United’s Bald Bastard, and long may he reign.
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