Manchester United have been taking a look at Lisandro Martinez in a defensive midfield function during the last week, with a view to probably enjoying the brand new signing in that function towards Liverpool. Erik ten Hag is aware of he has to alter one thing throughout the group, to attempt to begin altering every thing else across the membership. Even a stuttering Liverpool, nevertheless, might guarantee it will get worse earlier than it will get higher. Possibly a lot worse.
That’s an ominous thought, given how unhealthy it has been. Ten Hag has been left “completely shocked” by the opening two outcomes. He simply didn’t see any of it coming, particularly with how promising pre-season had appeared.
The Dutch coach has held a sequence of conferences with employees and officers about the best way to get out of this, though a few of these have solely mirrored one other rising concern for Ten Hag. That’s his accompanying shock on the membership construction, amid a lot uncertainty about the way forward for the possession.
Ten Hag is now starting to totally perceive what some soccer figures warned him about, in addition to simply how difficult the Premier League is. He has been struck by how excessive the standard of bottom-half sides is relative to their equivalents within the Eredivisie. That is very completely different to Ajax.
Take one of the vital contentious tales of the summer time. That’s the standing of a megastar in Cristiano Ronaldo.
Whereas Ten Hag did initially need to make the Portuguese his point of interest, he has change into more and more aggravated on the scenario. Many throughout the membership now really feel it could be higher if Ronaldo left.
It factors to one of many main causes pre-season was so completely different. There was a brisker temper across the camp. Gamers like Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford appeared extra vibrant, each in play and behavior. Ronaldo’s return has significantly suppressed the temper, although. It has modified the chemistry. He’s extra intimidating for some gamers than the supervisor.
Regardless of that, Sporting and Atletico Madrid could be prepared to take him on a free. The United hierarchy are at the moment insistent he stays. Joel Glazer, who just about each resolution on the membership has to undergo, is particularly unwilling to sanction it. He significantly values Ronaldo’s industrial profile.
So, Ten Hag nonetheless has to work round that, which is one purpose he has wished one other ahead. There has solely been extra frustration there, which factors to among the greatest points with the construction.
United have been scrambling round for switch targets, in that method that basically exposes a membership who don’t have a correct plan in place and are largely reacting to every thing. It’s like Arsenal 2011, Chelsea 2017 or Barcelona 2020. Business figures discuss of how they might signal nearly anybody and also you wouldn’t truly be stunned.
Take among the names of the previous few days, proper as much as a Jamie Vardy who many at Leicester Metropolis contemplate spent. Danny Welbeck, who has been broached at conferences, is undeniably one of many higher choices.
Ten Hag has insisted on a striker by 1 September, in addition to a midfielder and one other full-back, whereas he continues to deliver up Frenkie de Jong. He’s prone to be dissatisfied. Many now see De Jong’s signing as not possible.
So, Ten Hag most likely gained’t get one of many gamers he noticed as important to accelerating implementation of his splendid.
The primary two video games have proven why that signing was rather more necessary than folks realised. It’s why they’ve been such a shock, and have even gone past the terrible outcomes they have been.
In essentially the most astonishing second of the season to this point, which was Brentford’s nearly farcical second objective, 4 United gamers didn’t execute the elemental first step of Ten Hag’s total gameplan. It’s why that is so deep a disaster. The gamers actually can’t do the fundamentals.
Martinez could possibly be deployed in midfield towards Liverpool
(Getty Pictures)
As David De Gea went to play a easy go from a kick-out, he and the three gamers round him so visibly hesitated, which so clearly energised Brentford and your entire stadium. They may sense the worry. They may sense alternative. Mathias Jensen profitable the ball and scoring turned an inevitability.
What may Liverpool do in the identical scenario? Can Ten Hag actually play the identical method? In opposition to this opposition?
Ten Hag has a dilemma, which is the place it’s not possible to not have appreciable sympathy for the supervisor, if additionally some reservations.
The Dutch coach’s opening two video games present a supervisor that has been ideologically dogmatic on one hand, however making far too many compromises on the opposite.
He has been insistent on United enjoying precisely the way in which he needs, however with basic roles stuffed by senior gamers who can’t or gained’t play that method. De Gea doesn’t have the flexibility to play together with his ft to that stage. Ronaldo doesn’t have the desire to press like that, having once more argued towards it in coaching. And these are the 2 bookends of his group, the pillars.
Examine that to Pep Guardiola, when he tried an identical strategy at Manchester Metropolis. Joe Hart wasn’t even given an opportunity. Guardiola simply knew he couldn’t do it from coaching. Sergio Aguero was in the meantime made to alter his total recreation.
Guardiola was ruthless. The Metropolis supervisor, nevertheless, might afford to be ruthless. Can Ten Hag? It does really feel like there may be an impediment nearly in all places he turns.
He might drop De Gea, however United don’t at the moment have an appropriate alternative, it could considerably eat into their restricted funds to get one, and even then the Spanish goalkeeper is on £350,000 per week. That’s some huge cash to go away on the bench in a summer time when United have been so frugal.
De Gea’s type and suitability for Ten Hag’s system is one among many issues
(PA)
Equally, questions are growing over whether or not it’s so smart to spend money on all of Ten Hag’s particular targets, earlier than they’ve their recruitment division sorted. There may be an inherent threat to, within the phrases of 1 supply, “filling the group with Eredivisie gamers”. The leap to the Premier league is big, and that’s earlier than you get to the extra literal quips about Martinez.
It isn’t an exaggeration to say that United’s begin, and consequently their total season, may need been formed by the very first few seconds of the marketing campaign and that preliminary beginning line-up. Ten Hag performed Martinez at centre-half, and Brighton instantly focused him with a excessive ball. It immediately set United on the again foot, creating panic, and doubt. You possibly can argue they haven’t but recovered.
Therefore Ten Hag has to make the change. It may be argued, given what Liverpool might do to United, that the plain answer is to simply sacrifice the system for this recreation and go as deep as attainable.
The standard counter-argument to that, from a training perspective, is that the short-term achieve isn’t definitely worth the medium-term value. When a supervisor is making an attempt to introduce a brand new system, a group can by no means actually understand it in the event that they don’t stick with it in essentially the most exacting conditions. That’s how you actually be taught. There’s one other instance there from Guardiola. In his underwhelming first season with Metropolis, when John Stones was getting pilloried for unhealthy performances as he initially struggled with the extent his supervisor wished him to play the ball out, irrespective of. Guardiola advised him to disregard all criticism, all screams from the gang.
The issue, as Brentford’s second objective confirmed, is that United are a way off even that. They’ve a lot to grasp to even get to that time.
It’s a outstanding factor to say of a membership of this scale, however that’s the consequence of a sequence of poor teaching appointments. The squad have had no training in fashionable strategies as a bunch. So, it ought to appear apparent that United simply search to frustrate Liverpool, particularly given Jurgen Klopp’s personal poor begin to the season. It equally helps they gained’t have the suspended Darwin Nunez, so can’t bombard United in the identical method.
If United attempt to proceed as is, although, this might get even worse than Brentford. The stadium might get very hostile – if the sport even takes place.
All of this comes amid the prospect of extra fan protests, and growing uncertainty over the way forward for the house owners.
Ten Hag has no selection however to disregard that for now. He has to drive a change.
