21 Apr 2022 11:52:08
Welcome to Manchester United Erik Ten Hag.

Huge rebuild awaits.
Hope he gets to work with Ralf Rangnick to build a proper challenging squad.


1.) 21 Apr 2022
21 Apr 2022 12:02:26
would surely be a better set up with Rangnick as Sporting Director, rather than adviser to Murtough and Fletcher ( whatever it is he does )


2.) 21 Apr 2022
21 Apr 2022 12:40:08
Does it make any difference if they listen to him? They seem to have done so far.


3.) 21 Apr 2022
21 Apr 2022 14:00:17
Murtough seems a good organiser, might be better for him to handle that side of things and give RR the freedom to take a more holistic approach and a roving brief to advise on needs and direction.

With RR and Erik deciding on recruitment and most importantly having the power to overule the technical department's analysis if they really want a player. So far you have to question how that technical department assess the qualities of a target, cause at the moment they seem to have recruited a bunch of bottlers.


4.) 21 Apr 2022
21 Apr 2022 15:32:37
Lots of rumours on social media now about Steve McLaren joining up as well as United speaking to the agents of Antony and Timber.

Who knows what’s true now - rumour overload!

Only the rt. hon. ed922 can give us the truth on any of these rumours - or new interest - now.

Until then, I will believe nothing.


5.) 21 Apr 2022
21 Apr 2022 16:03:57
Oops apologies Ed’s!

Need a bigger phone and glasses.


6.) 21 Apr 2022
21 Apr 2022 16:23:35
Nothing says new start like bringing back the assistant manager from over 20 years ago.


7.) 21 Apr 2022
21 Apr 2022 19:41:25
If that’s who Ten Hag wants in then back him Bilko.


8.) 21 Apr 2022
21 Apr 2022 20:53:15
EtH has doen his homework bringing McLaren back, it rains a lot in Manchester.


9.) 22 Apr 2022
22 Apr 2022 00:10:30
I hope the plan isn’t to bring over a load of Ajax players…we’ve done all this years ago with Depay and Blind.


10.) 22 Apr 2022
22 Apr 2022 04:12:51
Depay wasn't from Ajax.


11.) 22 Apr 2022
22 Apr 2022 06:59:41
I'm sure he will bring 1 or 2 Ajax players, ones he knows and trusts and a basis to build from, but he has a large budget available to him for the first time. Let's see how he uses it.


12.) 22 Apr 2022
22 Apr 2022 07:53:58
Arfonsal, Depay came from PSV like RvN and Park not Ajax.

Blind I actually thought was a good transfer. He was solid if not spectacular and we sold him back to Ajax for around the same fee we bought him for. Effectively having him for just his wages for 4 season's.

I also don't understand the derogatory tone at Ajax players. Ajax have produced some of the best players over the past 30 odd years.

Did you not rate VDS when he was one of our best ever goalkeepers?

De Ligt and De Jong are doing very well at Juventus and Barcelona.

Like any transfer whether it works out has far more to do with whether the players suit the style of play of the buying club, and whether they adapt to a potentially new country and culture.

Players who typically struggle to adapt to the UK climate and culture have tended to be South Americans with no previous European experience.

While Mediterranean players have been a little hit and miss. Oddly most Portuguese players seem to adapt well to the EPL.

Yet the biggest reason for a player to fail at their new club is just poor scouting. Bringing in a player who has excelled playing a very different style to what your team plays.

We've seen it with Kagawa and Mkhitaryan from Dortmund, a team that played a pressing system moving to United who at the time didn't play a pressing system.

Or with Donny, a player from Ajax who played a high line, pressing possession based game. He came into a United side that was in flux, trying to move from a counter attacking side to a more ball dominant side, but still sat too deep, and used an ineffective press.

More often than not players don't fail because they are bad players, but because they are player ill-suited to their new team.

If EtH signs players who are used to his system, and his style of play it's much less likely that they will fail.

Also for a new manager who needs to quickly turn things around bringing in players who know how he wants to play can accelerate the process, rather than having to spend months educating and coaching the players in his methods.


13.) 22 Apr 2022
22 Apr 2022 13:46:22
The lads in juve and Barcelona don't get picked regularly neither are 1st choice this season nor does zyech or dvdb Dutch league is muck. Lots of great players have come from that league but more misses than hits.


14.) 22 Apr 2022
22 Apr 2022 22:00:53
Syljman, Shappy - my point was more down to managers bringing over players they’ve worked with to the club. We had Moyes bringing Everton to Man Utd, LVG brought a few Dutch players. RR wants every good young player in Germany (if you listen to the rumours) .
We might be in luck, and all the best talent are in Ajax and they’re happy to follow the new manager. My hope is that they’ve scouted everywhere.