29 May 2024 02:49:07
Hey ed002,
Firstly thank you very much for taking the time out of your day for the updates that you are giving us. I know you mentioned you doubt ETH will be staying on and mentioned tuchel, pochettino or de zerbi as the possible replacements. Just wondering are they the 3 main candidates now or do we still need to worry about the possibility of southgate being hired? Thanks.
{Ed002's Note - I think they are the primary options.}
29 May 2024 09:36:21
It seems if there is a managerial change, Tuchel is being mentioned more than most.
For the posters who know more than me about the tactics that managers use, and types of players they gravitate towards, do Manchester United have what Thomas Tuchel would typically look for? Any glaring gaps, or do you think he'd be lacking the same types of player that EtH is? Or would he make better use of players currently out of favour?
29 May 2024 10:48:37
Jesus, Tuchel. Short-term, likely to fall out with people, really don't think he's an improvement.
29 May 2024 11:04:13
Agree AJH, I don't warm to him at all, in fact he comes across as a bit scary if I'm honest and hasn't stuck anywhere for long.
29 May 2024 12:05:42
Tuchel - has won the most stuff, seems to fall out with his superiors at pretty much every club.
Pochettino - premier league experience, reputation for working with younger players
de Zerbi - won leagues in Romainia and cups in Italy and Ukraine - terrible end to the season, looks like his style of play has been figured out.
I’m not sure these three guys are that suited to the structure being put in place with regards to footballing style and transfers. Also someone needs to come in and be the bad guy to clear the decks and sort out the dressing room culture. I think we are better off giving EtH the opportunity to do it in his last year. Let him clear the ranks, work under the new structure working to their strategy, if it doesn’t work out at least the new guy comes in with most of the squad issues sorted.
29 May 2024 15:37:30
Personally I'd rather keep EtH for another year, but if the decision is to part ways then of those three I'd prefer Pochettino.
Tuchel has the best record, but has a habit of falling out with people. He's also far too pragmatic for me and doesn't have the best record with developing young players.
De Zerbi plays good football, but is very inflexible in terms of his tactics. He also doesn't tend to stick around long, often jumping ship the moment he thinks a better club is interested in him.
Pochettino plays decent football, and has a good record with young players. However, ultimately he seems to struggle to take a team across the line. His sides seem to lack that steely winners mentality, often crumbling when in sight of the finish line.
However, of the three given the younger players in our squad I think Pochettino looks the best fit.
Oddly though I feel like if we signed Pochettino instead of EtH then the current ownership would still be looking to replace Pochettino, with EtH a likely candidate if he was still doing well with Ajax. It feels more like they are looking to replace the manager to bring in their own man rather than because the current manager doesn't have the requisite skills. Strange old world.
29 May 2024 19:16:24
Shappy for me it’s pointless keeping ten hag for another season for then us to get rid and then re start this project with someone new
I’m a ten hag in. they either need to give ten hag a new deal and trust what he’s doing and what he’s done over the last 2 years
Or get rid and give the manager they choose time. we can’t be then getting rid if we do worse next season with a new manager
We need to start a new or trust ten hag and trust the short term pain for long term gain.
29 May 2024 20:24:02
The sad thing about those 3 candidates is none give me any level of comfort that we would do better and if anything we may be back in the market not too long after any of them being appointed for a new manager. Rinse and repeat shall continue.
29 May 2024 22:45:26
I’m really grateful to EtH and the team for the FA cup!
But over the course of the last 18 months we have not been good enough. Eth’s people management has been a consistent issue.
Tactically we have rarely looked good and seem to drop or raise our level as per our opposition.
Being objective EtH has failed to consistently get results. Which is to me is the people managing, he fails to get the best out of all his players.
The cups in two seasons show he has something but they’re anomalies when compared with European and League Performances.
INEOS will look at this objectively and come to a rational conclusion. Can multi million pound investments be trusted with this Coach.
The new set up is intended to make the manager a head coach and this could be a way to put known entity in and change the guard.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see De Zerbi with the ex Nice, new Ajax coach to come in 2028 depending on results. INEOS will be making long term plans.
30 May 2024 10:57:24
Utd Road, has his man management been an issue?
Surely it's almost impossible to accurately judge from the outside.
We have known for a long time that this squad needed more discipline, and that is exactly what EtH has brought. Discipline and accountability. He seems to have been fair and consistent with his discipline as well, with everyone who has crossed the line facing consequences for their actions.
He's dropped key players for being late, and he's stood up to players who have been overstepping the mark and dealt with them.
At the final whistle on Saturday he had all the players coming up to him to celebrate with him, they handed him the cup despite him trying to let them keep it. There certainly didn't seem to be any issues between the players and the manager. While reports since have suggested that the players want the manager to stay next season.
Again that doesn't sound like a man who has alienated his players or a playing squad that doesn't want to play for the manager.
Tactically I think EtH is very good, he clearly really knows football and can come up with tactics that almost completely nullified City (arguably the best team in the world right now) .
Looking at the tactics last season and this season something has clearly happened at the club. Last season EtH regularly changed his tactics to suit the players he had and to counter the oppositions. And he was fairly successful with it, making two finals and finishing 3rd. However, the one complaint many fans had was that we didn't have a clear or distinct style of play.
That was something the tried to install at the start of the season but for several reasons it didn't work.
This season however has been very different. We have tried to stick to the same game plan, to install a style of play. EtH even stated at the start of the season he wanted us to become the best transitional side in the world. He set his stall out and he stuck to it.
Now those same fans who complained that we didn't have a distinct style of play last season are complaining that we didn't changes things enough tactically this season. Sounds like some people want to have their cake and eat it.
The issues with inconsistent performances this season are more likely linked to the inconsistency of team selection due to injuries as much as they could be put down to a lack of motivation or determination.
Rashford aside, the majority of players have seemingly played with a good level of motivation and drive this season. They have been lacking in quality and in match fitness/ sharpness, which has led to individual mistakes that have cost us goals.
Besides, a professional sportsman shouldn't need motivating to perform 99% of the time. If they haven't got that mentality and drive then they wouldn't be able to make it as a sportsman at an elite level in the first place.
Loads of super talented kids never make it as a professional, and that is nearly always down to mentality. They lack the drive, fight and determination to push themselves to make it.
If we have players who don't have the mentality to give 100% all of the time then we need to ship them out, it shouldn't be down to a manager to motivate professional players to try their best.
Objectively EtH has won two cups in two years with the worst Manchester United squad in nearly 40 years.
Yes there has been inconsistencies in the league, which is fairly easily explained by the lack of quality in our squad. When we have to rotate the quality in the team drops, as does performance and results suffer. League performance is really a measure of a teams consistency across the season. The most consistent teams will finish near the top, the least consistent near the bottom.
Likewise our struggles in the UCL (the elite club football competition) is equally linked to a lack of quality in our squad. This season that was compounded by injuries and individual errors that cost us qualification from the group stage.
Ultimately I don't actually think EtH's competency or ability will play a big factor in whether the club decide to keep him or replace him. He has shown at Ajax and with two cup wins at United that he has the requirements needed to be successful at the club, and his limitations at our club are linked to the clubs ability to support him and provide a structure that can be successful.
What will play the biggest factor in whether he stays or goes will be whether he fits the clubs plans and whether he is willing to fit into those plans. Does his tactical philosophy align?
Does his ideas about youth development align?
Does his idea of his role at the club match up to what the club want from a manager?
Is he prepared to work in a structure where he gets less say on transfers and is more focused on working on the training ground?
Finally, does his personality blend well with the new people he will be working with. If he clashes or cannot work cohesively with people like Wilcox then it won't work out.
These are the questions that will ultimately decide his fate. If his tactical and youth development ideas match up with the club then that increases his chances of staying.
If he's prepared and happy to work in the clubs new structure and accept a revised role to the one he's had over the last couple of seasons then he will likely keep his job.
If he has had good conversations with the new people he has to work with, and shows promising signs of a positive working relationship then he will stand a great chance of keeping his job.
These are the things that will decide if he stays or goes this summer, not what he has achieved in a broken structure that SJR himself has said has made it impossible for anyone to succeed.