Pep Guardiola once described Erik ten Hag as a class coach and said that he was very happy when Ten Hag was appointed at Manchester United.
But that comment is clearly not true this season. Man United had systemic problems and had to lose to Fulham last weekend, in a lackluster performance at Old Trafford.
Fulham were without two of their best players, Joao Palhinha and Willian, and they were still the better team from the opening whistle. Man United lacks intensity, they reveal openings too easily, giving the opponent a lot of space. Unfortunately, those problems are not new to Man United and Ten Hag is responsible for them.
Ten Hag was once highly regarded at Ajax.
There have been accusations that MU cannot create its own playing style and Ten Hag admitted in October that he could not deploy MU like his old team Ajax, who had a series of memorable matches in the 2018 Champions League. /2019, because he didn’t have the staff for that.
Ten Hag has spent more than £400 million on new players in the two summer transfer windows since he was appointed from Ajax, and he also receives more support from the board than other coaches. of Man United over the past 10 years. The squad was created exactly as Ten Hag wanted and his excuses were not appropriate. Erik has not established a clear playing style and that is unacceptable at an elite club.
Last season’s success was built on excellent defending and the excellent form of Marcus Rashford, but his goals have dried up and the backline has been devastated by injuries. Man United have received 435 shots in the Premier League this season and only Sheffield United, bottom of the table, have been attacked more.
Ten Hag’s tactics were not effective and many people questioned it because the team was unconvincing even when they won matches. Notably, 12 of their 14 wins in the Premier League this season have been by only a 1-goal difference and although they have continuously won in the early stages of this year, there are still worrying aspects. especially the lack of control. That’s why last weekend’s loss to Fulham wasn’t so difficult to understand, especially after it was confirmed that Rasmus Hojlund would be out of action for 2 to 3 weeks due to injury.
Defeat came as a shock after a run of wins and it brought United back to earth just before a crucial week of fixtures for Ten Hag’s future.
Ten Hag’s future at MU is in doubt.
Man United will meet Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup fifth round on Thursday and the competition is their only remaining hope of winning a title this season. A trip to the Etihad against Manchester City is coming up, so Man United could be eliminated from the FA Cup and soon beaten in the Manchester derby.
Of course, they can also reach the quarterfinals of the FA Cup and win against Man City, although that is a scenario that is too perfect for reality. Pep Guardiola believes that Ten Hag is a “class coach” and now is the time for Erik to show it . The next 7 days could decide whether he has a future at Man United or not.
