Erik ten Hag admits Manchester United board ‘not happy’ with team’s results
- United down in 14th with eight points from seven games
- Ten Hag still confident he can turn team’s form around
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United’s board were “not happy” with a start that has left his side in 14th and with only three wins in 10 games in all competitions.
The form meant the manager’s job was again in the spotlight ahead of the international break. Ten Hag said before Saturday’s Premier League game at home to Brentford that the hierarchy, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who controls football policy, Omar Berrada, the chief executive and Dan Ashworth, the sporting director were not satisfied with his team’s performances.
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“We are calm but we’re not happy,” he said. “No one, not the players, staff, board. But we are calm and know what we’re doing. Calm in our strategy and we are getting to where we want to be, and we can do what we want to do this season.
But in the main, Ten Hag has retained the backing of the fans at Old Trafford. He was asked whether he would understand if this support waned should results not improve. “We are on the same page and in the same boat,” he said.
If you have a strong connection between each other they see the problems we have to face at the start of the season and they know if we stick together in the end we’ll repay them and their trust in us. That’s what we did the last two years. I’m convinced this will happen.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 no manager has stayed on for three full seasons. Since Ratcliffe and the football department realize time is needed to make United challengers again, Ten Hag was asked if he needed five seasons to do so, with the current one his third.
I don’t think in how many years,” he said. “I want to win every game, make every season a success, trophies and titles. I think I have to win every game and match the standards to win every game to get where you have to be.”.
One thing for sure, there’s almost no club in the world where expectations are so high, and that’s set from the era of Sir Alex, and the rest of us have to deal with this. Demands [are] the highest in every process and we’re not there in every process. We so far haven’t got to challenge for the Premier League or Champions League, but that’s the ambition.
# What is the comparison of Erik ten Hag’s first and second seasons with Manchester United?
Erik ten Hag’s First Season and Second Seasons with Manchester United
Comparison- Erik ten Hag’s First and Second Seasons at Manchester United
First Season (2022-2023)
Indeed, it is a great feat for the coach to win the game for a team to finish third in the Premier League, and take away the EFL Cup while going to the FA Cup final that marks a championship, winning the cup is their first in six years.
Team Performance: Overall, more clean sheets than any other team at that point in time, Ten Hag’s teams have had really strong attacking play as they averaged 2.3 per match in the latter part of the season3.
Injury Management: Less injury issues than in his second year, that is to say a relatively fit squad for games much more regularly.
Second Year (2023/24)
Problems: United ended the Premier League season at its worst placing in history and suffered from serious injury problems, with more than 60 different cases impacting availability.
Cup Success: Despite league troubles, Ten Hag had United win the FA Cup, beating Manchester City 2-1 in the final.
Tactical Review: As a result, the tactical aspects of his game were questioned since there was reliance on individual skill rather than teamwork and this exposed the team to vulnerability in defense.
In summary, while Ten Hag’s first season was good enough to be satisfied and stable, the case of the second season presented as a problem of injuries and league inconsistency.
# What was the difference between the two seasons with regard to Manchester United’s performance in the European competitions?
Manchester United’s performance under the management of Erik ten Hag in European competitions did differ in his first and second season:
First Season 2022-2023.
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# Competition: UEFA Europa League
Performance: United made it into the knockout stages with a brilliant run all season.
Results Cumulatively: Won five out of six games in the group phase with quite good performances, then lost to the quarterfinals.
Second Season 2023-2024
Competition: UEFA Champions League
Progress: The team performed woefully, being the worst of the group.
Total Performance: United bagged only one victory in five matches and shipped 14 goals which testified to defensive frailty, besides underperforming poorly at the Continent.
This is a counterbalance in the measure of performances of Manchester United from a strong performance in the Europa League to a poor show in the Champions League.
#Who were Manchester United’s players who performed well in European club competitions?
Some standout individual performances for Manchester United in European competitions for the 2022-23 season came from:
Marcus Rashford vs. Barcelona, Europa League: An astonishing appearance at Nou Camp by Rashford included a breathtaking goal and some contribution to an own goal by Jules Kounde, where his pace and skills were frankly against the best defence.
Marcel Sabitzer vs. Sevilla (Europa League): Sabitzer scored two crucial goals but was showcased as a player in the attack as the whole team got knocked out.
Lisandro Martinez vs. Liverpool (FA Cup): Primarily domestic cup affair, but Martinez showed intent when he was involved on all the crucial plays-scoring and assisting-showing his reach to kill under pressure.
These matches distinguished individual excellence amidst the team’s success in European performances.
#How did the performance of Lisandro Martinez against Liverpool shape success for his team?
Lisandro Martinez’s match against Liverpool on August 22, 2022 especially had a real impact on Manchester United’s success during that game and set a great tone for his time at the club.
Notable contributions from Lisandro Martinez:
Defensive Resilience: Martinez showed good defensive skills in a goal-line clearance that could have gone in to be an own goal for Manchester City, which was also a last-ditch block against Mohamed Salah showing his determination and capability to rise to the occasion .
Playmaking Ability: He made a line-breaking pass that assisted Jadon Sancho for the opener, and that shows he is capable of playing a role in contributing to offense from the back.
Aggressive mindset: His aggressive style of play was “The Butcher”, and instilling self-confidence in his team and energizing the crowd made him a natural leader on the pitch .
# Team Success Impact:
Victory: United ended the match with a 2-1 victory, which during Erik ten Hag’s initial days as a manager was quite a much-needed victory. This kind of victory did finally appear to give the team the momentum it required and, most importantly, cemented Martinez as an iconic figure in the eyes of the fans .
Fan Connection: His performance won fans over, thereby creating a really good rapport with the fans and fans always claim that a healthy relationship between the players and the fanbase plays a very important role in boosting the self-esteem of the team .
In total, Martinez impressed against Liverpool, not just as a contribution to an important win but also in marking himself as the most prominent player who should continue with United’s defensive lineup.