Man United fans are split on either retaining or dismissing their coach, Erik ten Hag. After a challenging season, United’s new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and his team are yet to disclose their plans for Ten Hag, stirring up debate among supporters.
However, Ten Hag had a relatively successful first season by clinching the Carabao Cup, reaching the FA Cup final, and securing third place in the Premier League. However, this season has been different. Meanwhile, United exited the Champions League and will unlikely finish higher than fifth in the Premier League. In other words, despite reaching the FA Cup final again, the negatives have outweighed the positives.
The Case for Sacking Man United’s Boss
The argument for sacking Ten Hag is compelling. Historically, finishing in the top four has been the minimum requirement for Man United’s managers, which is now mathematically unattainable. However, they could even end up below Newcastle and Chelsea, marking their worst Premier League finish below seventh place.
Meanwhile, United have conceded 81 goals across all competitions, which is the highest in a single campaign in 45 years, while also struggling to score. Their 52 league goals are the joint-lowest among top-half Premier League teams. Since arriving at Man United in 2022, Ten Hag’s style of play has been faced with consistent questioning.
Many fans believe it relies heavily on individual skill moments rather than a well-constructed tactical plan. Meanwhile, Man United have allowed 620 shots in the Premier League season, surpassed only by Sheffield United and Luton Town.
Arguments to Keep Man United’s Boss
Supporters advocating to retain Ten Hag argue that the team’s injury issues have been the primary difference this season. Man United has dealt with over 60 separate injury or illness cases, totaling more than 1,300 days of absences. This has particularly affected the defense, leading to Ten Hag using 13 different center-back pairings. Also, including the deployment of midfielder Casemiro in defense over the last three games.
Meanwhile, Lisandro Martínez has only been available for 11 games, while Luke Shaw has made just 15 appearances. Their injuries have impacted on United Solidity leaving the left side of defense absent for most of the season. Martinez and Shaw have started together only five times. However, United kept more Premier League clean sheets than any other team last season. Therefore, providing a reasonable argument that tactical issues are not the sole reason for their vulnerabilities.
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Man United’s Boss: Improvement or Decline?
Despite these challenges, Ten Hag can also highlight United’s improvement in scoring. Since the beginning of the year, they’ve scored 44 goals in 20 games, averaging over two goals per game. Nevertheless, this hasn’t been enough to persuade some United fans, who argue that the team’s decline isn’t a new problem. Since the Carabao Cup final in February 2023, United have lost 33% of their games, including a humiliating 7-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield. Recently, they lost 4-0 to Crystal Palace in an abysmal performance, raising further doubts about the capabilities of Ten Hag.
Ten Hag’s involvement in United’s recruitment has also come under fire, especially his decision to advocate for the £86 million acquisition of Antony from his former club Ajax. The Brazilian winger has proven to be a significant disappointment so far, contributing minimally on the pitch and creating a large financial burden for the club.
Conclusion
while some Man United fans support keeping Ten Hag, others advocate for his dismissal due to the team’s poor performance this season. Despite injury problems being a significant factor, United’s weaknesses still need to be addressed.
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Edmund Jaja is a sports enthusiast, Content Writer, Editor, and Storyteller from Nigeria. He’s been a die-hard Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United fan since the Fergie era, with the zeal and passion to inspire through writing.
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