I did not expect to be here already. Something has awakened in me that I haven’t seen since May of 2022. Something is seriously wrong with Manchester United, and now the rot has surrounded the last major piece of the Club. I have no confidence in Ten Hag and his ability to right this ship after witnessing this Brighton beat-down.
Man Management
Erik Ten Hag brought a sense of antiquated freshness to this team that resembled the great Sir Alex Ferguson. The team is the chief concern, and individuals are expendable. The mentality seemed to work last year, but the cracks in the foundation are starting to show. I can’t speak to the actual day to day of what the behavior is within the team, but something feels off. Ten Hag was ready to welcome Mason Greenwood back into the team and has somewhat shown his support towards Antony. Sancho has been sent out for the second consecutive season away from the team. Ten Hag has created his own problems that he has to solve.
Ten Hag purchased an pretty unproven Antony for over $80 million from his former team he managed just a few months ago. Questionable purchase at best, but everyone was behind him at the time. Add a debut goal against Arsenal, and everyone thought the move was pure genius from ten Hag. The following 8 months were a little questionable. Antony racked up start after start and in 39 games, Antony only managed 7 goals and 2 assists. Pretty underwhelming return for a consistent run of games. Sancho in 38 games was able to rack up 7 goals and 3 assists. I think the average fan might contend neither player has really earned their spot, so what’s the difference between the two other than one played for Ten Hag last year? Nepotism is rearing its ugly head. This management I fear only works on
In-Game Tactics
Maybe his most indefensible area is Ten Hag’s inability to adapt. There is no deviation from the plan when things go south. United feel like the most predictable decision tree in the Premier League currently. Did United start well or poorly? No matter what, United will concede and hang their heads. If the high/mid press is currently all of the rave in the league, why are United the only team that suck both at it? United’s zone press can be beaten in like 10 passes every single time. Repeat this for 90 minutes and you get more losses than wins in the current season, and a horrible goal return.
These tactics leave the defense caught out and hoping for an average-at-best shot stopper to come on top out in high xG situations. I like Onana, but 5 games into the year and it’s clear that he does not have the magical saves De Gea possessed for over a decade at Old Trafford. Can Ten Hag right figure it out?
What’s Next
Our podfather John says Ten Hag should remain manager no matter what this season, but I’m wondering if there are any stipulations to “no matter what.” Ten Hag is going through a brutal period right now, and the team largely looks devoid of confidence, ideas, and creativity. There is little belief in the team and most games feel like a waiting game until United concedes. United have to right the ship, or else United they could be headed for a mid-table finish alongside Chelsea. I’m not envisioning a 3-0 win against Bayern so that means United have to win emphatically next weekend to make me feel any sort of belief in the team’s abilities. Ten Hag, your days may be numbered.
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