Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United has been an interesting one, to say the least. Since joining in the summer of 2022, the Dutchman has done his best to impart his beliefs and culture to the squad, fetching mixed results. From signing players he has formerly worked with at Ajax, to freezing out icons like Cristiano Ronaldo from the team, ten Hag has faced a fair share of criticism so far.
Major concerns from within the club and its fanbase resonate a need for better results and a clear, identifiable style of play – something which is missing for a while now. Manchester United have played three games so far this season and have won just one, losing the other two and are languishing in 14th place.
Changing the manager at this stage would be quite the challenge given that it would be hard to prise another manager away from their clubs. However, it could be the best decision for both Erik ten Hag and Manchester United as their union does not seem to be gaining new momentum. Having said that, let’s take a look at the three reasons why United should move on from ten Hag.
3. Worrisome run of form without a clear escape route
Despite winning the FA Cup last season, the buzz in and around the club suggests people are still not convinced by Erik ten Hag’s approach to managing a club like Manchester United. The Red Devils have lost three out of four of their competitive fixtures to start this season, and have won just five of their last 15 Premier League games. Such a run of form would see managers at clubs placed much lower in the table get sacked, but ten Hag has stayed on.
Usually, even when teams are in a bad run of form, their attitude or approach to games gives a good idea about when they can possibly snap out of it. However, this is not the case with Manchester United, with teams dominating them home and away, causing major concerns. Their home defeat against Liverpool (0-3) in their last game was a clear indication of how much things need to change on and off the pitch, and the first domino in that is probably changing the manager.
2. Erik ten Hag remains adamant about his success
It has been less than a week since Erik ten Hag defended his team’s results over the last couple of seasons, citing the number of trophies they have won. The Dutchman mentioned that Manchester United are second only to their cross-town rivals Manchester City in terms of winning silverware in the last two seasons.
Not only does this give outsiders a false idea of how Manchester United are performing, but also shows a lack of self-reflection from the manager. Had any of his predecessors gone through a similarly poor run of form, they would have been sacked immediately, while Erik ten Hag remains in charge. This is a questionable move from the board as their ambitions seem to be reduced under the Dutchman.
1. Inconsistent treatment of players
Arguably the biggest concern that fans and other stakeholders associated with Manchester United would have is how Erik ten Hag treats different players differently. His treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo was the first indication of where things could go wrong and how it would affect harmony in the dressing room. Another example was his freezing Jadon Sancho out of the team for a lack of performances, while players like Antony and Harry Maguire started week-in, week-out.
Such an approach makes it difficult for players to remain cohesive as a team at all times, making it easy for rifts to form within the group. Despite having a group whose core has been together for a considerable amount of time, Manchester United do not seem to be playing like a team. Moving on from Erik ten Hag seems like the only way to get out of this rut, allowing a new manager to come in and establish a different culture.
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