MANCHESTER ‘DISUNITED’: A CLUB IN CHAOS
Image Source: Goal.com
“One thing is clear; we are not consistent. We can beat the best teams in the league, but we also lose the games we should win.”
-Erik Ten Hag, (Manager at Manchester United Football Club) after the club’s 1-2 loss at the City Ground stadium in Nottinghamshire.
Manchester United Football Club does not seem to have come to terms with Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, the last season when they lifted the English Premier League trophy high in the air. They have now gone 11 years without a single Premiership, and currently sit 8th in the table, well outside of a European spot. They were humiliated in the 2023 Champions League, where they finished at the bottom of their group. They have also been eliminated from the last 16 of the Carabao cup, and the only trophy they can fight for now is the F.A. Cup. What has gone so horribly wrong for the “Red Devils”?
Problems, Problems
Having finished 3rd in the Premier League last season and won silverware (their first trophy since 2017) in the form of the 2023 Carabao cup, things did not look very bleak for the club. It looked as if losing a player like Cristiano Ronaldo hadn’t had any impact at all on the squad’s quality and morale. Erik Ten Hag was looking confident to lead his squad into the new season.
His comments after that 2-1 loss away to the Nottingham Forest make him sound delusional. He criticized his team’s inconsistency while also claiming that his team is capable enough of beating the best clubs in the league. Barring Chelsea (who sit in the 10th spot currently) and Aston Villa, Ten Hag’s squad has not beaten any team in the upper half of the league. If his squad is capable, they should demonstrate their abilities on the pitch. Simply talking about potential and capacities does not get a team anywhere. Quoting the late Johan Cruyff, “Quality without results is pointless. Results without quality are boring.” Being a Dutchman and having coached Ajax, Johan Cruyff ought to have had an influence on Erik Ten Hag. What we see his team do, however, on the pitch, is the exact opposite of Cruyffian ideals.
The players lack the quality desirable in someone who deserves to wear a Manchester United jersey, which is what the fans often exclaim. It must also be noted that it is the manager who is assigned the duties of picking the starting 11 and choosing the same players repeatedly, does not rectify the problem. Donny Van De Beek is one such player whose career was jeopardized by Ten Hag when he refused to play him, always picking Scott McTominay and Fred in his starting lineup- both were prone to putting up abysmal performances on the pitch.
Solutions?
Erik Ten Hag must regroup his squad and rethink their playing style. He has to make sure that sub-average performances are not accepted. He must also experiment with players in the youth team and give them chances on the pitch instead of always going ahead with the same set of players who are seriously out of form. He will have to introduce a strict training schedule and ensure that those players who start should do well in training. He must also enforce these changes immediately, or at the very least, ensure that they finish within a Europa League spot (Top 6) in the Premier League.
If these changes are not made at the earliest, Erik Ten Hag’s position as manager will be in danger but above all, Manchester United’s repute as an elite football club will be under severe threat.
Team Profile
- News Writer
- Ishaan Shahabadi is an individual driven by a diligent passion for international affairs, politics, reading, and writing. With a comprehensive understanding of these subjects, he possesses the expertise to add significant value and seamlessly integrate into the proposed process. Ishaan is committed to prioritizing assigned tasks, meeting deadlines, and ensuring optimal performance, showcasing a robust work ethic. His dedication and proficiency make him a valuable asset, ready to contribute meaningfully to any project or initiative he undertakes.
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