As you may know by now, I am a United fan, and have been for a long time. I’ve seen the departure of Fergie, and the club weaken its reputation in Europe. When Ten Hag came in at the start of the 2022/23 season, hopes were high. A dismal 2 games against Brentford and Brighton reminded fans of everything that was wrong with the club.
Now, United, or more specifically Ten Hag, papered overed the cracks. Managing 3rd and the Carabao Cup ensured Ten Hag was seen in a successful light. However, his free-flowing possession based tactics that he endorsed at Ajax and that won him many fanatics, soon became a thing of the past. Having attempted this style at the beginning of his tenure, he soon realised that he didn’t have the team to carry this out. The demands of the league were too great. This then turned into a desire to become the best ‘transition team’ in Europe.
Isn’t that odd?
A style of football that got him the job, departed from almost immediately? Granted, the inner workings of the club have been in disarray for a while. Things seem to be slowly changing and seem promising, with INEOS obtaining a minority ownership, and high profile figures such as Dan Ashworth, Omar Berrada coming into the club and John Murtagh and Ed Woodward departing. But is this enough to save Ten Hag’s blushes?
The football has been dire at times this season. Manchester United have now consecutively conceded 20+ shots in their last 7 Premier League games. This is startling. Understood, Ten Hag wants to turn United into a transition team, but the space given to our opponents of late has been astronomical. The performances are haphazard, there is no consistency. This is not about injuries to key players, nor is it anything to do with bad luck. The roots are much deeper.
I think Ten Hag needs to be given the opportunity to prove himself with a more stable backdrop behind him. That includes getting rid of the deadwood and bringing in some players that suit his preferred style of play. The managerial market right now is rather limited for a club as big as United - I have heard the phrase from the Athletic that if Ten Hag wasn’t already the United manager, he would be heavily linked with the current United job.
I think Ten Hag needs another couple months into a new season to prove himself. But any metric needs to be performance based. United can grind out wins with individual brilliance any day of the week. But actual consistency has been few and far between in the last couple of years. The FA cup would be another big success, but it’s not enough to quell the murmurs from the United faithful. We need consistent performances.
Tentative Verdict : Ten Hag should stay.