Does Ten Hag deserve same patience as Mikel Arteta?
Why does Mikel Arteta deserve patience but not Erik ten Hag? We have some Man Utd fans coming out fighting.
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Ignore the media because Ten Hag is doing okay
The media, I must admit, is quite unique. If one were to form judgments solely based on media portrayals, the conclusions reached would often diverge significantly from reality – not just in sports but in nearly every aspect of life.
Man Utd lost this weekend. They’ve been branded “Disgraceful” & “arrogant”, Ten Hag is “delusional” and a “fraud”, & Bruno is a ‘disgrace”, & an “embarrassment”. I guess they must have been smashed 5-0 by Fulham, with Bruno scoring an own goal and getting sent off, with Ten Hag inexplicably playing Onana up front. In reality, they lost 2-1 to a last minute winner while pushing for their own.
I’ve long said that Man Utd’s struggles often receive more attention from the media compared to most other clubs’ best days. The pattern continues with another loss, accompanied by a week of harsh criticisms and limited analysis. On the other hand, when Liverpool’s “younger” players secure a victory against the wealthy Chelsea, the media tends to portray it as a clash between the underdogs & the billionaires, despite Liverpool being top of the league, leading in scoring, & their manager eyeing a quadruple.
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This narrative contrasts sharply with the reality of facing a mid-table team struggling to score, whose manager is primarily focused on securing his job.
Interesting observation: It seems Klopp has a notable success rate against specific opponents, with 25% of his LFC trophies coming against Pochettino and 50% against Chelsea and Spurs. If you exclude the WCC, Super Cup, and Community Shield, those numbers rise to 40% and 80%, respectively.
Ten Hag currently has widespread consensus from Skysports to F365 to G Nev, that he has to go (Naturally putting no pressure on him or the team). Currently residing in the top ten PL managers for points per game, more points than the lavishly-backed “Billionaire Bottle Jobs” Chelsea, 3 points behind “potential manager of the year” Ange, & equal on trophies with “five years on the job” Arteta.
Remarkably, Ten Hag has achieved all this in under two years without a consistent goal-scorer, defence or a stable starting XI. All while transitioning the squad to new players, the team to new tactics, the club to a new culture & the organization to new beginnings.
Bruno – the sham – is again leading the league for chances created this year, just as he did last year. The man is the team’s captain, runs for absolute days, tracks back, & rarely misses a game. Occasionally, he may go down after a challenge, & to be fair, such instances warrant criticism. Better to play up the negative side of the narrative than the positive side of the facts.
It’s interesting how media coverage can shape the perception of events. Just this weekend, it was the Michigan Primary in the US. Despite Biden winning the Michigan primary decisively with 81.1% of the vote, 78% ahead of his competitors, headlines seem to suggest a narrow victory. Similarly, Trump’s 68.2% victory was just 41% ahead of his closest rival. The nuances are often downplayed in favor of a narrative that might not necessarily align with the numerical outcomes. This discrepancy between facts & media portrayal mirrors the broader trend observed in various contexts, highlighting the influence of media framing on public perception.
I acknowledge that negative outcomes or perceptions can give rise to true or even false ideas. However, I believe the primary role of the media is to uncover the truth rather than craft narratives that serve their interests, be they driven by profit or alternative agendas. In the case of Brexit, adhering to honest & truthful journalism could have potentially prevented its occurrence.
Facing the reality of Manchester United’s performances, I mentioned last week that they tend to concede numerous chances, albeit rarely high-quality ones. Mistakes rather than systemic issues often result in goals. The team operates with a sense of chaos, but it appears to be a controlled chaos when the right players are on the field. The most justified criticism, in my opinion, revolves around their consistent struggle to prevent crosses & improve their defensive capabilities in that aspect. Additionally, the insistence on crossing & attempting to score from such plays persists, despite lacking proficient headers of the ball.
Indeed, this season has highlighted how crucial certain players are to Manchester United’s functioning. The absence of Shaw and Martinez has been detrimental to the defensive capabilities, emphasizing their significance. Similarly, losing the main goal-scorer or a key midfielder, like Casemiro, significantly impacts the team’s ability to score and maintain midfield security.
Carragher’s emphasis on defensive mistakes might overlook the fact that the personnel available may not be the most suitable for the job. Ten Hag’s decision to adapt the system 30 minutes into the game, with positive results, reflects tactical acumen.
Fulham’s manager showcased a similar ability to adapt when missing a key midfielder, reshaping the team successfully. This parallels instances like Bradley replacing Trent, where a system change significantly improved the team’s chances of winning. The effectiveness of backup players, as seen with Kelleher/Bradley and Paulinho/Muniz, demonstrates that sometimes they can be equally or even better suited for specific situations.
Conversely, the comparison of Maguire to Martinez, Lindelof to Shaw, & Rashford to Hojlund highlights how certain replacements may not measure up to the effectiveness of the original players in their respective roles.
I remain steadfast in my support for our manager, given his track record of success & the positive direction in which he is steering the team. Despite the numerous challenges beyond his control, I appreciate the progress we’re making. This situation mirrors the perception of the current US President, where the media might portray “not bad” as terrible & label “terrible” as “pretty good”.
In conclusion, this exploration into the media’s impact reveals a stark contrast between portrayals and reality. The exaggerated reactions to Manchester United’s recent loss, the disproportionate focus on their struggles, and the tendency to craft narratives rather than present facts all underscore the media’s unique influence. Understanding how football works and seeing how the media shapes what people think highlights the need to trust our own judgment and find the real facts amidst all the stories.
Calvino
…OH YE BLOODY FERDINANDS AND NEVILLES. SHUT THE F*CK UP AND TRUST THE PROCESS…
I understand most of you are enjoying the chaos with Man united( WHY NOT, WHEN THAT WILL BRING MORE CLICKS AND VIEWS TO YOUR SH*TS)
Last season( 2022/2023) most of you were like MANCHESTER United are heading the right direction with ETH, Erik Ten Haag was wanted by Man City Thank God he Chose MUFC, He was asked to wait till Pep leave, He can do it, Now that he has won the Carling Cup let’s Trust the Process and his Football style. To mention but a few.
2023/2024…..
Sack Erik Ten Hag (even though Champions League football is still within Grasps)
He has no philosophy, Man United are heading back ward again with him. He is just another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Oh Ye Hypocrites
Let’s take a look:
ARSENAL Under Arteta-
2019/2020 FINISHED 8TH 56pts(no European football) Won FA Cup
2020/2021 FINISHED 8TH 61pts ( 6points better still no European Football) No trophy
2021/2022 FINISHED 5TH 69pts ( 8 points better, First European football) No trophy
2022/2023 FINISHED 2ND 84pts ( 19 points better, Champions League football) No trophy
The improvement under Arteta is clear but that won’t be possible without the Trust from the ARSENAL BOARD
MAN UNITED UNDER Erik ten Hag
2022/2023 Finished 3rd 75points ( champions League football, 1 trophy and also good football) No notable injuries except Martial’s , more stable starting Eleven e.t.c
2023/2022- INJURIES, NO STABLE STARTING ELEVEN e.t.c
The major Reason Erik ten Hag should stay is that he has Shown he can win Trophies, The same reason Arsenal Didn’t sack Arteta because He won them the FA with Bloody Aubamayang, something he has failed to achieve again in 4 Seasons and still counting.
VeryDark Pasha Nigeria( ETH still have the best PL win ratio post Fergie Era sir Jim won’t sack Ten haag, He is unlike you pessimistic Hypocrites, The Glass is Half-full not half Empty)
Was that Ten Hag’s moment?
Just thinking about parallels, in the early days Ferguson was minutes away from getting the sack at Manchester United, they scored a late FA cup goal against Nottingham Forest, they go on and win the cup and the rest as they say is history. Was this Ten Hag’s Ferguson moment?
Andrew Goonerabroad Brown
Unai is the one…
I just want to highlight one thing that impresses me the most about Emery. When this season started, potentially our most creative player (Buendia) was injured long term.
In our first match, our former captain (and fan favourite) Mings was also injured for the rest of the season. In the first half of the season, Jacob Ramsey missed 11 games (and still does not seem to be back at full fitness) and our first choice left back was also injured and has only been able to play half our games so far. His replacement was out for about a month (out for 4 games and only playing 43 minutes of the last three).
We lost Torres for 6 games (and he only featured briefly in two others), Carlos is going to be out for over a month with a hamstring injury, we have lost Konza for at least a month. Our only other forward, Duran, is out for an unknown time period. And we also now have lost Kamara for the rest of the season.
I am not saying that our injuries are worst than others. Rather that, from the opening weekend, our team had plenty of excuses for not having a great season. It might end up petering out, but to be where we are despite this is a credit to our manager who has completely changed our mentality. When I heard about Kamara in particular, I just thought that we were done this season. But this is the mentality of our manager;
“We are building all together a winning mentality — fans and team”. “As tempting as it can be to think of the injuries and setbacks as an excuse, we have a no excuse culture at this football club”. “We must be ready to win”.
I keep hearing about how Newcastle and United, and even before that Spurs (who lost a couple of players for a couple of months, but have those back now) were crippled by injuries. No one seems to mention the injuries that have hit Villa and will continue to deprive us of first team players for the rest of the season.
Davey S
On that anti-Liverpool narrative
Dazza, Dublin. In the words of another Dubliner, there is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
Darren, also Dublin, LFC
Yawning at Liverpool exceptionalism
Yawn, we get it, Liverpool (and indeed Chelsea) fielded some (two each starting) youth players in the final. And then the result could have gone either way. (Would this have been the basis of the defence if they’d lost? Are Chelsea not permitted to use the same?)The way it’s talked about here, it’s as though they’re the only team to have done this. I feel like the 1996 FA Cup final saw something similar… Neville, Neville, Beckham, Butt, Giggs, Scholes, four of whom started (and for balance, also McManaman, Fowler and Redknapp on the other side).
It’s great when a club backs its academy prospects (please don’t include players you’ve purchased for the first team, though, that entirely misses the point). I’m always a fan of seeing that, and I’d love to see more rules brought in to require it. But please stop being so OTT. Just be happy you won the game and got your hands on the cup. Not everything has to “mean more” or get “net spend” involved. It used to be funny but it’s so earnest now it’s f**king tedious.
Badwolf
…Is there anything more fun than annoying Liverpool supporters? The last few mailboxes have made me think they genuinely think it means more for them. Ye, when you consider yourself the most successful, are about to send off your best manager in decades and have 1 league title to show for over 3 decades, it better mean more. How else do you keep the pretence?!
Zdravko
Sick of all the Kloppaganda
I’m not but did I just coin that term?
Paddy (loves brackets) McGuigan
Squad number fun
You might laugh but I think Paul McDevitt has a point.
Squad number aggregation (SNA [\?/]) based on starting 11.
The truth is clear – Man Utd never stood a chance with an SNA of 222 vs Fulham’s 179.
When the team sheets went up for Villa (153) against Forest (208) we could all see what was going to happen.
Poor Newcastle (240) may as well have stayed in the dressing room rather than take on Arsenal’s impressive total of 155.
Similarly Burnley (185) against Palace’s stunning and rather fun total of 123. Just cross your fingers and park the bus Vinny mate.
Almost as low for Wolves (124) who took 3 pts from Sheff Utd (179); of course they did.
Only 13 in it between B’ton (174) and Everton (187); perhaps the red card tipped the balance and a draw was inevitable.
In an effort not to be one of those people who ignore known facts that don’t support their theory, I have to include the – against the numbers – West Ham (158) victory over Brentford (138). Although Brentford had 59pc possession; 8 SOT compared to Utd’s 6; seven corners to 1 and it took Jared Bowen’s first ever hat-trick to beat the theory.
Bournemouth clearly blew it with a clear advantage over City – 152 vs City’s 197. Just embarrassed for them really.
Hartley MCFC Somerset (I think that final was down to the one world class player on the pitch showing why we say that about him)
Presumably the kids are more than alright
Just a belated, and hopefully final thought on the whole idea that because Liverpool won the final with (some) kids, their victory was an incredible effort and Chelsea bottled it. Has anyone considered that these kids might be… actually very good at football?
If the Liverpool academy has been doing its job, it’ll have found the best talent for miles around, trained them for years, and then only presented the very best players as options for the first team. They’re likely extremely talented, and although they’re missing ‘big game experience’, Chelsea were missing a player with as much big game experience as anyone, Thiago Silva.
Players who are good enough very rapidly lose the ‘kid’ tag – I haven’t seen any Manchester United fans pointing at Mainoo and using him as an excuse for losing games because he’s ‘a kid’. And he’s only played 13 first team games, as of my last Wikipedia check. But he’s proved himself to be very worthy of a first team spot, and probably could’ve done months ago, even if not as many people had heard of him then.
Put it this way – if the Carabao final had been held in May, when we’d all seen the Liverpool graduates play a few more games and got used to the idea that they’re all very good players, the kids argument would be redundant. Like bands such as Get Well Soon, Moulettes, Within Temptation and Middle Kids, you might not have heard of them but that doesn’t mean they’re not very good. (Sardonic rock, electro-prog-folk, metal, and indie respectively, for reference)
Dan, Worthing
Are they even kids anymore?
I haven’t run the numbers but are Klopp’s kids allowed to be called kids now. Endo didn’t play so the average age would be lower. Were they more kids tonight than Sunday even though they’d be a few days older than when they weren’t kids?
Southampton played the “right way” but didn’t take their chances, especially early on. It was a clean game, high technicality. But it always felt that where Liverpool had a senior player, that there was gap in quality. When Mac Allister came on, to bring the count of senior midfielders up to one, the control Liverpool had went up a gear.
This playing out from the back! Five players in the box for a goal kick! How do Southampton fans not have heart attacks every week? The first goal was a deflection but if the ball stays in your final third, by design, then these things are going to happen.
Is there a path from playing out from the back in Championship to midtable Premier league safety without the David Moyes phase in-between? Brentford say yes, but Burnley saying no.
No Gareth, you cannot play RB Joe Gomez in midfield alongside Rice and Bellingham.
Chelsea managed to win so maybe F365 and Will Ford won’t be so snide. It was a late goal so maybe Leeds were just tired.
Man United at OT next. You can shove your mailbox dramas of VAR, FFP, 115 charges, over celebrating being in third whilst out of all the cups and losing your champions league first leg, that’s still the one.
Alex, South London
Marketing knows fans are dicks
Lewis we all know self congratulatory, mad with exceptionalism and drunk on the smell of their own own farts football fans can be. Look at the way United fans have embraced ‘The Theatre of Dreams’.
Crikey modern football fandom, narratives, and ‘bantz owns’ are taking the fun out of a simple game.
Paul
Erik ten Hag promotes teenager to Man Utd first team to ease injury crisis
Erik ten Hag has promoted Habeeb Ogunneye to Manchester United’s first team in order to ease the club’s growing injury crisis.
Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all currently unavailble.
Victor Lindelof partnered Raphael Varane during United’s win against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, with the Frenchman passing a late fitness test to play.
Jonny Evans, who came off the bench, was also a major doubt for the match.
Ogunneye, 18, was on the bench at the Forest Ground.
© Provided by Metro
The teenager, who is predominantly a right-back, was called into the squad as an emergency and he’s been training with the first team in the last week.
United face Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.
Ten Hag hopes to have Maguire back from injury but Bruno Fernandes could be a doubt after leaving the Forest Ground with a major limp.
The Portuguese midfielder passed a late fitness test to play against Forest but he took a knock in the second half.
The Red Devils’ 2-1 defeat to Fulham last Saturday leaves them eight points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the league table.
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