Man Utd boss Ten Hag hits back at ‘very subjective’ Carragher after Liverpool legend slams his tacti
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag has had a dig at Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher over his “very subjective” analysis of the Red Devils’ tactics in recent matches.
The Red Devils have won six, draw one and lost one of their last eight matches in all competitions with Ten Hag turning around their form after a poor December.
However, a 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham on Saturday has knocked some belief that Man Utd had turned a bit of a corner under Ten Hag and Carragher has explained that recent good results have been “very fortunate”.
Carragher said in his analysis on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football: “Over the last few weeks, Manchester United have been in great form but still the underlying numbers have been really poor.
“They’ve been very fortunate, so we’re not talking about them now just because they lost to Fulham. It’s about performance. They defend like a team I’ve never seen before. They like to press high with a deep block.
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“It’s impossible. They like to do two things at the same time. You can only do one or the other. We’re all pressing high or we’re all defending deep. They’re trying to do both.”
On a potential lack of understanding of Ten Hag’s tactics, Carragher added: “I’ve chosen clips against Fulham, but I could have chosen clips from where they’ve won games like against Aston Villa. It’s still the same problem.
“I want to highlight a problem from the very kick-off. If I highlight Kobbie Mainoo, this is not a criticism of him, it’s more of what are his instructions before the game?
“He’s not sure if he should be looking after the holding midfielder or watching the No 10. He’s caught in between.
“It’s straight from the kick-off. You should know your job from kick-off. That’s down to the coaching staff.
“You can see the big problem then had just 20 seconds into the game against Fulham. It’s been the problem for Manchester United all season.
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“They’ve shown they’re a poor side at handling counter-attacks. They’ve got no pace at the back and they’ve got a lack of legs in midfield.”
Carragher continued: “Another big problem for them is when they’ve got the ball. Some people say there’s no patterns of play with Manchester United.
“What’s their philosophy? I tell you one of the reasons why there’s no patterns of play and another reason why they get done on the counter-attack… Look at the positions the players find themselves in when Raphael Varane is on the ball.
“You look where the right-back is [Diogo Dalot] and he can’t receive a pass. Mainoo is on the last line. His position can’t be right. Bruno Fernandes, your No 10 is playing like a striker, and on the other side, Victor Lindelof can’t receive the ball.
“It leads to a turnover and how many times have you seen Manchester United players having to run 40 yards back to their own goal this season?
“Look at the ones who are sprinting. The ones who took up wrong positions. Dalot, Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes and Lindelof. They’re sprinting 30, 40, 50 yards five or six times in a game – hence why they get so many injuries in a game.
“With Fulham’s winning goal, we see that Marcus Rashford won’t run while Harry Maguire and Christian Eriksen can’t run. That’s a massive problem for them.”
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But Man Utd boss Ten Hag fired back at Carragher ahead of their FA Cup fifth round clash with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, he said: “Some analysts are objective in their comments, [offer] very good advices, some are very subjective – Jamie Carragher is one of them.
“For the first moment he is criticising and now he wants to make his point. In the first half an hour [vs Fulham] he had a point. Fulham surprised with their midfield setup and we had to find a solution. We did after half an hour.
“I wasn’t pleased with the defensive performance, especially down the left side and that has everything to do with willingness, spirit and passion. That was good in previous weeks, therefore we won football games.
“Footballers are not robots, sometimes they have bad days. It was unacceptable and we have to do better tomorrow.”
Where are they now? The 12 Man Utd academy graduates to make one appearance for the club since 2010
Manchester United’s academy is one of the most famed in football and has a long history of developing some of the game’s greatest players, as well as helping to create countless professional football careers worldwide.
Like with any academy, not every player on the books at United can make it at the Theatre of Dreams. To even get as far as making an appearance for the Red Devils is achievement enough in itself, with many going as far as graduating from the academy, but being unable to get that dream moment.
A long career at United is always the dream, but for these 12 players since 2010, one appearance was all they got. Here’s what they’re up to now.
*Note – We’ve excluded players still on the books at United who have one appearance to their name and could yet still add to that.
Larnell Cole
Manchester-born and bred midfielder Cole was a schoolboy at United and highly rated in the academy, impressing at various levels and in the FA Youth Cup.
His only appearance for the club came as a substitute in the League Cup in September 2011, replacing Federico Macheda in a win over Leeds United.
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He moved to Fulham in 2014, but spent most of his time out on loan and has enjoyed a largely non-league career since 2019. Cole, now 30, currently plays for Warrington Town.
Robbie Brady
Brady signed for United shortly after his 16th birthday after impressing in Ireland for St. Kevin’s Boys. His only appearance for United came in the 86th minute of a League Cup clash against Newcastle in September 2012, replacing Alex Buttner.
He left for Hull shortly after – rejoining the club on another loan spell – and made his stay permanent in January 2013. Since then, he’s enjoyed a strong career at Championship level and been capped 60 times for the Republic of Ireland.
The 32-year-old wideman has been with Preston since 2022.
Tom Lawrence
Joining United at just eight years old, much was expected of Lawrence at United after a strong start at youth level.
Consistently punching above his weight in his teens, the midfielder struggled when tasked with stepping up to the reserves and found himself out on loan.
His only United appearance came under interim boss Ryan Gigs in May 2014, starting against Hull following David Moyes’ sacking.
Lawrence has also enjoyed a strong career in the EFL, most notably five years at Derby, but is now at Rangers and has been capped 23 times for Wales.
Saidy Janko
A right-back by trade, Janko joined United in 2013 from FC Zurich and was named Reserve Player of the Year in his first season.
His United debut unfortunately came from the start in their 4-0 thrashing away to MK Dons under Louis van Gaal in 2014, where he was hooked at half-time. Janko left permanently in 2015 and has since played all around Europe.
Now 28, he’s played six times for Gambia after switching his national allegiance and returned to Young Boys permanently last summer, following a loan spell earlier in his career.
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Reece James
No, not that one. Although funnily enough, James is also a full-back. He also made his only appearance for the club in the infamous defeat to MK Dons and left the following summer to sign for Wigan.
The 30-year-old currently plays for Sheffield Wednesday after making a loan move permanent last summer.
Tom Thorpe
Captain of United’s under-21 side that won the league in 2012-13 and the 2011 FA Youth Cup winning side, there was an expectation that Thorpe would capitalise on a defensive injury crisis under Van Gaal at the beginning of the 2014-15 season.
His only United appearance was as a late substitute for Angel Di Maria in the Premier League at home to West Ham, however, and he was released the following summer.
Thorpe floated around the EFL after his release and looked to be building a steady career, but left England for India in 2017 when he signed for ATK.
After that brief stint, he took a five-year career break from football due to injuries and mental health problems, but returned to the game last year with Northern Premier League Division One side Macclesfield.
The 31-year-old is still playing following his break, turning out for fellow eighth-tier side Stalybridge Celtic.
James Weir
Another player given his debut under Van Gaal, Weir had a strong career for United at youth level and made his only appearance as a late substitute for Ander Herrera against Arsenal in 2016 – the same game in which Marcus Rashford a brace on his own Premier League debut.
Weir’s career path turned out quite different. He rejected a new contract at the club at the end of the season in search of regular football and signed for Hull City, but again struggled for minutes in a strange spell broken up by a loan to Wigan.
He retired aged just 28 in February 2024 after failing to shake off persistent injuries that had plagued him since Hull, having also played for Bolton and in Slovakia and Hungary. Stories for the grandkids.
Josh Harrop
On the final day of the 2016-17 Premier League season, striker Harrop was given a start for United by Jose Mourinho and made good on it, scoring on his debut at home to Crystal Palace.
He rejected a new deal from the club and joined Preston that summer, looking to get his career off the ground, but found himself ravaged by various injuries at the club which stunted his momentum.
After loan spells to Ipswich and Fleetwood, he left Preston for Northampton in 2022. Now 28, Harrop joined League One side Cheltenham Town in January 2024.
Demetri Mitchell
Winner of United’s Denzil Haroun Young Player of the Year award in 2018, Mitchell’s debut came in the same game as Harrop’s against Palace, with Mourinho naming a youthful side.
Injuries stunted his progress also, notably hampering a promising loan to Hearts, and he was released by United in 2020. The 27-year-old full-back now plays for Exeter City – and now likes to tweet a lot. 
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Dylan Levitt
Much was thought of Levitt who – alongside James Garner – ripped it up in midfield at youth level for United.
Many thought the pair were essentially at the same level, but while Garner has managed to forge a career in the Premier League after being sold by Erik ten Hag, Levitt was never able to turn his one United appearance into more.
His United debut came against Astana in the Europa League in 2019, but a series of tough loan spells saw his progress halt.
The Wales international has since found his stride in Scottish football, first with Dundee United and now with Hibernian. He’s also been capped for his country 13 times at just 23 years old.
A promising career still beckons.
D’Mani Mellor
Also debuting under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer against Astana, Mellor missed the entire 2020-21 season due to injury and left United in 2022 to sign for Wycombe.
The 23-year-old has since spent time on loan at Rochdale and Sutton United, but recently re-joined National League side Rochdale in his second loan spell with the club.
Largie Ramazani
Belgian winger Ramazani joined United at 16 and was a late substitute for Garner in that defeat to Astana in the Europa League, but left the club the following summer after rejecting fresh terms.
He signed for Spanish second-tier side Almeria that summer and is now a regular in the side following their promotion to La Liga. So far this season, the 22-year-old has managed four goals and four assists from 25 games in all competitions.
Charlie Savage
Son of Robbie, Savage made his United debut as a late substitute for Juan Mata in the Champions League in December 2021 while his dad was on commentary duties.
He left United in 2023 in a bid to kickstart his own career, signing for Reading. In October last year, he earned his first senior cap for Wales against Gibraltar.
Zidane Iqbal
Debuting as a substitute in the same game as teammate Savage, Iqbal became the first British-born South Asian to play for United, and the first British South Asian to play in the Champions League.
His sale to Utrecht in the summer of 2023 took United fans by surprise, especially after a string of solid performances at youth level and in pre-season with the first team.
At just 20, Iqbal has already been capped eight times by Iraq and is finding his stride in the Netherlands after an injury-hit start.
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Ten Hag sack: Man Utd decision already made, as Gary Neville outlines where it all went wrong
Gary Neville has hinted Manchester United may have already made a decision on whether to sack Erik ten Hag, while the pundit also delivered a scathing assessment of the Dutchman’s managerial capabilities.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s partial takeover now approved, major change is afoot at Old Trafford. Omar Berrada has been successfully lured from Manchester City to take up the CEO position. Berrada has replaced Richard Arnold and the coup is widely viewed as a magnificent one for Ratcliffe and INEOS who have full sporting control at United.
Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth is the next man in their sights. Ashworth is seen as best in class for the sporting director role, though may cost as much as £20m to prise out of Newcastle.
Elsewhere, the manager’s position is also under the microscope amid fears United will fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League. United currently sit eight points off Aston Villa following their last-gasp defeat to Fulham on Saturday.
Missing out on the top four would impact United’s ability to overhaul their squad in the summer. Ten Hag and Ratcliffe have both publicly talked up the importance of being in the UCL in recent weeks.
In the event United do intend to make a change, they’ll be by no means the only club seeking a new manager.
Indeed, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are in the market for a new boss.
Jurgen Klopp announced he’ll step away from Anfield at season’s end, while Thomas Tuchel and Bayern have mutually agreed to part ways in the summer. Xavi has also announced he’ll leave Barca when the current campaign concludes.
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With one top tier manager potentially already off the table, Man Utd face the very real prospect of selecting a new manager from other clubs’ cast-offs.
That was a scenario put forward on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football during a conversation between presenter Dave Jones and pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.
When Neville was asked to respond, the Man Utd legend suggested his former club won’t repeat past mistakes of sleepwalking into poor decisions they’ve made several months too late.
Instead, Neville believes Ratcliffe and INEOS chief Sir Dave Brailsford have likely already reached a decision on whether to sack Ten Hag – irrespective of whether United qualify for the Champions League.
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“I suspect they’ve already come to a conclusion already” – Gary Neville
“If you look at [Omar Berrada] coming in from City as CEO, and looking to get Dan Ashworth from Newcastle, they’re going to make a decision quite quickly if they haven’t already,” said Neville.
“I suspect Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dave Brailsford already know whether Erik ten Hag will be the manager next season. I can’t believe they’re going to wait until May to make that decision, and then leave themselves short.
“Where Man Utd have been found out in the last 10 years in recruitment is making poor decisions, late decisions, not being ahead of the game.
“I don’t think they’re going to do that, so for me I suspect they’ve already come to a conclusion already. It may already be that it’s Champions League or not, they still will stick with that decision.”
Where has it gone wrong for Ten Hag?
Carragher pinpointed the huge spaces United leave between their defence and midfield as one reason why they concede so many shots and are vulnerable to the counterattack.
Several clips of United’s midfield joining the high press were shown despite the backline dropping deep. The end result was vast open spaces in the centre of the pitch opposing teams can and often have exploited.
Neville concurred when delivering his own assessment and claimed a disconnect between the defence and midfield is an issue Ten Hag has had eight months to address, though for whatever reason, hasn’t done so.
“There isn’t anybody who watches Man Utd whether you’re a fan or not a fan who knows what they’re trying to do every single week, and that is an issue,” added Neville.
“I was just thinking about the first Monday Night Football of the season against Wolves, when you had Casemiro in midfield with Mount and Fernandes pushing up.
“Those spaces in midfield alongside Casemiro were just drastic. It’d been spotted in pre-season as well, in some of those matches. It’s something which has happened repeatedly for eight or nine months – they’ve just not been able to shake it off.
“It’s pretty obvious Erik ten Hag is going to be judged on results in the last part of the season, and obviously getting into the Champions League spots is important. But there is going to be a demand, I suspect, on performance levels – and feeling like the club is going in the right direction on the pitch.
“When the performance levels are like this, so inconsistent, and at times during games really poor, you’re going to lose games. It’s a big problem for the manager.”
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