Game Week 8: Back to Reality (thankfully!)

[Editor]

Yeah Nine, anyone who has seen anything of Ajax over the past few years will know what type of football Ten Hag wants to play and that is anything but sitting deep and hitting on the counter. That Utd want to play more expansive football is clear from the very fact we passed up on Conte. We took the game to Liverpool, for example, only retreating once we’d gone ahead, which proved to be a smart move. If Ten Hag loses his job, I can assure you it won’t be for being too defensive. Anyone having seen his Ajax teams over the years will attest to that. The challenge is that he took over a side who were built to counter attack and it’s a balancing act managing that transition. Go too early with the ‘wrong’ players and you get results like the first 2 games.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

I keep pointing to Arsenal as an example and that’s because they were in a similar position to us when Arteta first took over. They were constantly parking the bus in the big games but you don’t see that now. Whilst Arsenal are far from the finished article and the jury is still very much out on them, what can’t be denied is that they’ve shown that these transitions take time and it’s silly to write a manager off after 7(!) games.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

EtH is searching for a style but sitting deep and playing on the break is not the style United fans were looking for and I wonder how long they will accept it, a trophy would help and United have a good chance of winning the Europa League but there are reflections of Mourinho here but EtH needs time and hopefully he will get that

I think this is madness to suggest Nine 🙂! Reflections of Mourinho? I can only assume you didn’t watch us much under Mourinho or haven’t seen much of Ten Hag’s teams in the past. I’m mot sure anyone has ever compared the styles of those two particular managers. That said, Ten Hag has a lot to prove, unlike Mourinho who has proven it many times over. Again, if Ten Hag loses his job for being too defensive, I’ll be absolutely amazed!

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[nine nine nine]

Ed, Ten Hag at Ajax isn’t Ten Hag at United and the Dutch League is a weak League. Ironically how United played yesterday was the reason you didn’t want Conte and how United played yesterday was very close to Mourinho’s pragmatic style. Just my opinion Ed.😊

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

The Dutch league being a weaker league is irrelevant when we’re talking about styles though. A style is a style and Ten Hag is very much known for an attacking, Dutch style of football. His Ajax were an absolute joy to watch in the CL which, if you didn’t get chance to do, I totally get that you have that point of view. You won’t find a quote from anyone anywhere talking about Ten Hag’s football being defensive or boring. I’d suggest you might find a few about Mourinho and Conte! Chalk and cheese Nine from a style perspective 🙂. Now if only they could be more similar in terms of trophies I’d be a happy man.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

A style simply isn’t defined by one game and certainly not after only 7 games at a club.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Chucky McChuckface]

“One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter!”

As much as we all talk about styles, I think we would all prefer to win first and foremost. There aren’t many teams who get to have their cake and eat it… and then go back for seconds, and then pop our for some liposuction and a personal trainer, and then just pay somebody else to do it all for them anyway.

And to quote some French bloke, “We all think we have the prettiest wife at home!”… you’ve all be complaining about how boring Conte has been this season, but I wasn’t that fussed for the first 7 games… just waiting for the penny to drop about Royal Bell-end… we looked soooo much better last season with Donkey playing there, and I very much doubt we’d be any worse with the Spence lad either.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

100% agree Chucky. The combination of exciting football and results is what everyone wants. I’m also very much of the opinion exciting football comes in many shapes and forms. I loved some of our performances under Ole on the counter, some great results at the Etihad included. But, the absolute minimum any fan will settle for is one of those (style vs results) as long as it compensates enough for the other one. I’d have very much taken a Mourinho bus parking yesterday and a 0-0 with it. It goes without saying.

Still, Ten Hag and Mourinho are, stylistically, worlds apart. Mourinho is miles more successful though.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[sean the sailor]

Some managers , from the off will try play their way and that’s it. Klopp, pep, conte, Jose etc but it only improves when you get better players to play the way the manager wants.

Areta is a very good example Ed. They used to have players behind the ball but now arsenal are great to watch. Still have my doubts about them but they have been fantastic so far

Utd didn’t do the simple things yday. It’s looks like they froze. Sancho Just frustrates me.gives the ball away and doesn’t work hard enough. Madness playing erikson in there againest city. He’s been very good but it’s a weak midfield two againest someone like city.

Casemerio will come into the team now. Ten hagg really needed results after the first two games and he had to change something.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[nine nine nine]

Ed, it’s intriguing to see whether EtH can bring his Ajax style attacking football to United.

I completely agree that in Ajax’s run to the Semi Finals of the CL they played exciting football but yesterday what we saw tactically from EtH was closer to Mourinho than it was to Ajax in the CL but in fairness United were playing City and you can’t play too open against them.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Luckydestiny]

I have no doubt ETH will get utd to a level where they can play like Ajax against the majority of prem teams but taking on city at their own game will take a hand written note from God imo.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[sean the sailor]

Interesting to see potter go with 4 at the back for Chelsea lads when he prominently played a back 5 at Brighton.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

I get what you’re saying Nine but I just think the Mourinho comparison is so wide of the mark. Mourinho yesterday would have played 4 centre backs with the wingers tucking in as a back 6 with Fred and Casemiro as 2 DMs. Ten Hag (rightly or wrongly) played 2 wingers who don’t track back, played 2 attacking midfielders in Bruno and Eriksen. We had slightly less than half of the ball and only slightly less shots on target. I’m not downplaying that we were battered, just the fact that it in any way resembled a Mourinho performance IMO. A Mourinho team would not have conceded 6, that’s for sure. Extremely poor whichever way you look at it but still so incredibly early for the manager.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

Utd didn’t do the simple things yday. It’s looks like they froze. Sancho Just frustrates me.gives the ball away and doesn’t work hard enough. Madness playing erikson in there againest city. He’s been very good but it’s a weak midfield two againest someone like city.

That’s it Sean. Sancho is a massive mystery to me. He looks unrecognisable from that player at Dortmund. Not the first time we’ve been tricked by Dortmund after Kagawa and Mkhitaryan. I’m sure they put something in the water over there before selling them to us.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Luckydestiny]

Potter is flexible Sean, sometimes a back 4 in defence but a back 3 in offense. Sometimes back 5 in defence too.

If you look at chelsea’s squad now, unlike when Tuchel came in, it doesn’t scream back 3 anymore, for a start there are only 3 centre backs in the squad (chalobah doesnt count he is more of a defensive mid/emergency centre back) , so whatever shape we take there is never likely to be more than two traditional centre backs in the team.

I called that on the chelsea TT site when tuchel was sacked and said whoever comes in, they are likely to move to a back 4. At least when defending, with variations in the set up when we are on the ball depending on opposition.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

Leicester must be the only club left in the PL who still do those terrible “you’re shit ahhhh” shouts at the opposition’s goal kick 😄 Rodgers lives to fight another day albeit against an awful Forest side.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[sean the sailor]

Ah ok lucky. He’s a very good coach potter. Brighton really played some great stuff under him but it took a few years

Ed, buying 21 players is just maddness. How do you integrate that many new oriole into a squad. I thought forest be much better but they are dreadful. He be gone soon after spending all that money. Mind blowing stuff

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[nine nine nine]

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has told the club’s hierarchy not to offer any players new contracts until he works out who deserves them. (Telegraph)

Seems sensible.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Mikus LFC]

Nine, a huge problem now is the power of the players. We know it’s a players game now. Clubs can’t sack players in the way they can sack managers because of the financial hits they will take. So players have generally become untouchable and know the manager will always be the fall guy. Don’t know how you can reverse that culture other than big performance bonuses, but in a competitive market, you’ll struggle to appeal to players to sign up to that.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Editor]

Nine, that should really go without saying (that the manager should be the one deciding who gets renewals). It says a lot about the club that that isn’t already the case. Some of the renewals we’ve done over the last few years were completely illogical. Phil Jones a prime example.

_____________________________

React below 👇

*hover/click on the number below the reaction to see who reacted

[Author]

Posts