Ten (Cafe) Hag's at the wheel

[Nineteenx]

Betis and Barcelona were both desperately poor against them, both shocking defensively and both trying to play possession, not pressing and both very open to be played through as a result

It puts our RCB and No6 meltdowns v Real into perspective for what they were, we gifted them all 5 goals, Barcelona have had the beating of Real this season and Betis drew 0-0 at home with them at the weekend, we should have beaten them in the Champions League final easily too but for Courtois and the cunt French authorities taking the power of our fans from us causing a disturbance in the force

[Insidious]

As far as I can see Utd supporters are happy with him. He reminds me of Houllier, cleaning out the Spice Boys image twenty odd years ago. He's brought discipline and pride back to them. I don't know if he can deliver a big title but I'd certainly take him more seriously than Solskjær or Wreck it Ralf

Likely finish the season with at least 2 of the following 4 objectives -

- League Cup win (check)
- FA Cup win
- Europa League win
- Qualification for next season's Champion's League

Has reduced Maguire's playing time, Ronaldo is gone and a wage cap is allegedly coming in (nobody can earn more than £200k-per-week) which will help them manage spending, with (you would imagine) the spending of the next few transfer windows likely to be more sensible than under, say, Solskjaer, on account of the fact that they now have an actual Football Manager who has taken a young and talented side to a Champion's League semi-final in his time.

I think they need more before I would be worrying about them winning League titles or the Champion's League, but he has started his journey well. Can foresee them regularly qualifying for the Champion's League for the next 2-4 seasons and that stability (rather than dipping in and out of the competition) should stabilise them plenty.

Tonight's result is a good tonic for the drubbing they received against us. Their fans won't forget (or be allowed to forget) a 7-0 demolition for a long time, but if they can maintain progress it will soften the blow.

The question marks will arise when they hit a bad patch at some stage next season or the season after - we know just how impatient their fans are.

[Nineteenx]

I think they'll try and get in Kane and De Jong in the summer and maybe a CB and move Maguire on

Has to be remembered Ten Hag has had a top team before and failed and even were they to make those 3 signings, it's still not a top team, there are too many remaining in their squad with Gomez, Fab and Keita meltdowns in them, as Sunday demonstrated, including new boys Martinez and Anthony the same issue his Ajax side had in Europe in 18-19 in the Champions League semis, complete meltdowns and bottle job

He's a good manager who insists on professiolism but seems to lack the ability to instill the level of winning mentality and competitive edge at the very highest level

The Europa League is his level you feel

[Insidious]

I think they'll try and get in Kane and De Jong in the summer and maybe a CB and move Maguire on

Has to be remembered Ten Hag has had a top team before and failed and even were they to make those 3 signings, it's still not a top team, there are too many remaining in their squad with Gomez, Fab and Keita meltdowns in them, as Sunday demonstrated, including new boys Martinez and Anthony the same issue his Ajax sides had in Europe

I'm intrigued to see who they target. Casemiro is a good player but it's very short-term planning. Kane would be a good signing, but again very short-term planning.

In lighter news, Antony's xAG is apparently at 0.04 so if he keeps that up he will get one assist every 25 games or 4 assists every 100 games - but of course it's Núñez who is the "flop" if you asked their fanbase.

Next season is shaping up to be interesting for the neutral mind, as it seems almost everyone at the top is either in the verge of improvement or on the verge of transition/decline - nobody seems truly "set" just now so it could be a fun ride.

[Nineteenx]

Hopefully we finish really strongly winning all our remaining games culminating in another Champions League win with all our forwards fully bedding in and becoming match winners and lose the 3 meltdown liabilities in the summer and recruit well

Hopefully recruiting THE RIGHT midfielders for the only way of playing Jurgen's been truly successful with this time, prime Hendo and Gini upgrades, not right backs maquerading as No6's or all fur coat and no knickers don't believe the hype show pony's who are the master of the 'nearly pass' and playing the ball they think our other players should have rather than the ball they want

[fiordearg]

Likely finish the season with at least 2 of the following 4 objectives -

- League Cup win (check)
- FA Cup win
- Europa League win
- Qualification for next season's Champion's League

Has reduced Maguire's playing time, Ronaldo is gone and a wage cap is allegedly coming in (nobody can earn more than £200k-per-week) which will help them manage spending, with (you would imagine) the spending of the next few transfer windows likely to be more sensible than under, say, Solskjaer, on account of the fact that they now have an actual Football Manager who has taken a young and talented side to a Champion's League semi-final in his time.

I think they need more before I would be worrying about them winning League titles or the Champion's League, but he has started his journey well. Can foresee them regularly qualifying for the Champion's League for the next 2-4 seasons and that stability (rather than dipping in and out of the competition) should stabilise them plenty.

Tonight's result is a good tonic for the drubbing they received against us. Their fans won't forget (or be allowed to forget) a 7-0 demolition for a long time, but if they can maintain progress it will soften the blow.

The question marks will arise when they hit a bad patch at some stage next season or the season after - we know just how impatient their fans are.

I think they will give him 3 years and at the end of that time they are not pushing for big titles they will look for a bigger name. For now he's ticking the boxes for them

[Nineteenx]

It looks like Ten Hag's complete lack of appreciation of the greater physical demands the Premier League puts on players with so many of theirs now breaking down through him overplaying them like he's still in the Dutch League could come back to bring their season and supposed renaissance crashing down around him

As we saw at Anfield and as previously documented on this thread by me, there are several players in their squad who all have meltdowns and brain farts of Gomez proportions in them and simply lose their heads and go to pieces when things don't go their way who have cumulatively done it in the same game so many times it simply can't be overlooked or dismissed

If as suspected Martinez is out for the season, and Varane's niggling injuries persist, leaving them having to field Maguire and Lindelof in most of their remaining games and they are knocked out of the Europa League and FA Cup in the next 3 games while also dropping a couple or three points v Forest, there is every possibility and likelyhood their season will implode completely in my opinion

[Nineteenx]

Bump - There may well be some discussion to be had on this topic shortly

[Nineteenx]

Tra La la la, tra la la la, la la lah Eric's at the wheel, at the wheel, Erics at the wheel

Again the question marks hang heavy over a huge number of this filthy squad and their incredible potential to absolutely fall to pieces and give up when they find themselves up against it and Ten Hag's inability to stop them doing so, AND that his Ajax side blew a 3-0 aggregate lead against Spurs in the second leg of a Champions League semi final, which raises question marks over his ability to instill the right mentality in his players

[ianlfc]

But he won the League cup