03 May 2024 19:55:13
In-depth interview with Gary Neville and EtH here (29 minutes).
I'm not expecting it to change people's minds on whether he should stay or go. And I don't want to open up another debate, but it gives some good insights into things this season and he comes across really honest and sincere.
I think it's quite clear that he understands the club and what it needs, whether he is given the time or not is up to Ineos.
04 May 2024 07:08:00
Good interview. Comes across very well. Sounds like a man that will be there at the start of next season.
04 May 2024 08:37:21
I thought GR asked some good questions, many of them ones we’ve all been asking. Ie the shots conceded and glaring gaps in midfield.
I think any serious owner, DOF or whoever who has gone in above EtH this season will have seen the issues he’s faced. A few oddities of his own making but mostly out of his control.
04 May 2024 09:15:15
I like EtH,
His first season I thought that we played some really good football.
The turning point was the league cup win against Newcastle. Newcastle really gave Utd a good game androugked a few feathers. This unsettled the players to pont where they appeared to question the teams ability. This was when Utd started to wobble abit.
The real turning point was the Martinez injury against Sevilla. Utd without Martinez are a completely different team. His absence has been sorely missed this season.
The second season, questions have been raised about EtH and rightly so. He has made some questionable substitutions and stuck to playing out of form players, who should have been dropped.
However injuries have blighted the team this season and have shown just how much quality this squad lacks.
Roll on next season!
04 May 2024 10:30:35
Good post MH. I saw this reply from Pilib de Brun today on X. Pretty much sums it up. I think ETH does well with a proper structure and a quality team. Give him time.
He doesn’t have the pace in the back 4 Sav to play a high press/ a high line, it’s essentially the same back 4 that Solskjaer had (except Ten Hag has no left back for more than half our games this season) . Ole had to play a counter attacking style to for this reason. The problem is, when you play that way you’re forced to invite teams to attack you which will inevitably lead to conceding more shots. Martinez is a massive loss, we have nothing else remotely like him, we lose his leadership, his defensive skills and his ball playing ability. Not having a left back is unforgivable, Wan Bissaka can not play left back, he can’t overlap because he has no left foot which greatly impedes who plays on the left wing and the central striker. When Shaw played at Wolves, Rashford scored centrally after 5 minutes, he also set up Hojlund for a strikers goal that nobody else can provide on the left. The squad is massively unbalanced, he’s got one fit center back, no left back, he’s given more minutes to teenagers than the top 6 combined, he has lost a bunch of fitness and technical staff that he wasn’t allowed to replace, he has a medical department that’s a decade behind and he’s been working for a club who haven’t been trying to win the league for a decade. There’s lots of fair criticism for Ten Hag and he’s not obviously blameless but a fully fit Utd team is basically a top 4 team, the fact he’s had 70+ injuries this season, wasn’t allowed to spend in January, I don’t think it’s capital offense to be sitting in 6th and in his 3rd cup final in 2 years. I genuinely can’t believe how they left the guy without a left back mate, it is shocking sobering ineptitude.
04 May 2024 11:27:55
And one actual striker. Who is 20. Ridiculous.
04 May 2024 11:30:36
He wasn’t great, but what was the story with Reguilón? I could understand him leaving if Brentford purchased him.
04 May 2024 11:53:29
Angel that’s a great point, ETH’s back 4 is Ole’s back 4, only worse because AWB is playing at left back.
The quote mentions AWB doesn’t have a left foot. Well he doesn’t have a right foot either. Never have I seen a player in our red shirt with such poor technical ability. Another where the effort seems to be there but the quality is not.
We’re still playing McTominay who was half of the McFred partnership we all wanted to see the back of, and Casemiro is a crock.
Frankly I think we’ve done well to get to another FA Cup final, considering we all agree that 80% of the squad should be sold and lunatics have been running the asylum behind the scenes.
04 May 2024 11:55:01
It’s interesting that they clearly had a choice of Kane (first choice) then moved onto Hojlund. Two completely different profiles. I assume Kane was more an opportunity because he became available but a younger raw striker was the target.
04 May 2024 12:13:00
I agree with a lot of what you say Angelred, Having most of the back four changing so drastically all season and not having a proper left back has affected us massively.
Wan bissaka for me hasn't got the concentration levels to play at right back never mind left back, constantly slow to move out and playing people onside all the time, I also think that Shaw not playing affects Rashfords game too but that doesn't excuse the massive drop off we have seen from him.
Look at Liverpool when they had all there defence and midfield players out injured for huge chunks of the season it affected the way they played in a big way.
Would we have been in the top four now if we had been able to play our strongest team consistently all season, I do believe we would have been.
I still believe that ETH will be gone in the summer but if he is still here then I will back him and the team as always.
04 May 2024 12:37:58
He doesn’t strike me as someone who’s worried about his job.
Why would this interview go ahead if Ineos were looking to sack him in 3 weeks time?
SJR has also praised Arsenal for sticking with Arteta.
I can see Ten Hag staying and hopefully improving next season.
04 May 2024 16:21:25
He has said before that he was told by the medical team that both Shaw and Malacia would be back to full fitness and playing in Jan. So, he agreed to send Reguilon back only for both to have major setbacks. I think our finances have been a major problem this past 18 months. One young developing striker fit for a club our size is just crazy.
Bottom line is that we are an impatient club and we want to win now. But we are in a mess following years of awful recruiting and it will take time to untangle. We still owe a fortune in transfers, but our squad is nowhere near. Buying older players with no sell on value has been a disaster. Giving players wages that mean no other club would ever take them has been a disaster.
I would give ten hag another 3 year year contract now, and then set about fixing our squad. If a player is being paid more than they would get at any other club, they are on too much! We need players who want to play at utd, which are young and hungry and ready to roll up their sleeves and work hard everyday.
04 May 2024 16:42:06
A few on here will have cardiac arrests reading your suggestion about giving EtH a new 3 year deal Dodgy.
But whether him or someone else, as hard as it is to suggest that we are still in transition after over a decade of decline, that’s all we are. A sleeping giant someone with a plan needs time to untangle.
05 May 2024 10:03:17
In terms of ETH and a new 3 year contract, the questions are whether it would be as manager or coach given the club seem to be moving away from an all powerful manager scenario. Without authority to bring in his favoured players like he has done, would it work for ETH. Is ETH best in class? Do they see him as best in class? Why bring in best in class above him and stay with someone who isn’t.
The club has suffered from the holy grail scenario, thinking this manager is the one and the only variable is time, give them time? In that time they take the club in a direction, players, style as that manager wants. Then when it becomes clear that isn’t going to work, it’s Armageddon at the club. They appear to be moving to give the club consistency, a coach who will coach the team and not set a direction they think is right. The DOF will set a direction along with experts, not the latest manager.
ETH has not shown much coaching, how has he improved players, his tactics have been all over the place, recruitment awful. If the decision makers keep him, expect more of the same unless he is given better objectives. He cannot throw young players under the bus to hide his mistakes.
I doubt they will give three years contracts now, unless they get Pep after he finishes at City and that won’t happen.
05 May 2024 11:28:58
I feel this continued 'throwing young players under the bus' thing has got a bit out of hand. In the case of Garnacho, it was clear he wasn't tracking back for whatever reason in that particular and we were exposed on that side. Wouldn't any decent manager have done the same, irrespective of the player in question?
As far as I can see EtH has repeatedly defended the youngsters, even if that means bringing them off. To some that might be seen as taking off a better player, to others conserving them or simply bringing on fresh legs.
05 May 2024 15:49:38
spenno
ETH has not treated Rashford or Antony in the same way. When was the last time ETH came out and said similar about how Rashford or Antony did. He hasn’t, he has favourites and to throw Garnacho under the bus like he did was cowardly. His after game comments about Sancho caused the first main issue, when it didn’t need to happen, then his comments about Garnacho were totally unnecessary. He also substitutes him whilst leaving Rashford on playing far worse. It stinks.