From Hero to Zero: What is wrong with Ten Hag’s Man United?

Erik Ten Hag signed for Manchester United in 2022. In 2023, the Dutch man led the club to a 2-0 win against Newcastle United at Wembley stadium to end a six-year trophy drought for United and also finished 3rd in the Premier League table to take them back to the champions league football.

However since that promising start, United have fallen short of expectations this season.

The Old Trafford side have lost 9 times in 17 matches so far this season and conceded 30 goals in the process. They are finding it very difficult to score opponents or to even defend when they eventually score. United has only scored 11 goals in 10 Premier League games, despite facing three of the bottom five in those 11 games. At least twice as many goals have been scored by every team in the league table above them.

The Red Devils have lost 35 premier league matches since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 but the Scottish manager lost just 34 league matches in his 26years at the club. The club have also made their worst start to a season in 61 years and pressure is already mounting on the man who ended their years trophy drought.

We ask their fans what they think might be the problem at the theatre of dreams and kante commented that “Manchester United is lacking team play and they can’t be depending on individual performance everytime.
He continued to lament that “the players are looking like they have lost confidence in the team. Manchester United can’t even defend the goal they scored, always struggling in every game even against underdogs.”
He concluded by suggesting that “They need players that are ready to play for the badge and club, same way some players need more minutes, people like Pellistri, Reguillion even Mount because they really want to help the club but they’re not in their best form right now”

As United fails to get results on the pitch, frustrated Supporters want the Glazers family, who have owned the team since 2005 after acquiring the majority of the club’s shares, removed from the board. The club’s sale has taken a while, though, as no bidder has come close to the Glazers’ asking price.
Prince who is also a Manchester United fan said, “Alot of things are wrong with United ….. First, there are football clubs where the owners don’t touch the club’s money and everything gotten from the club is used to run the club. Like owners of Liverpool, they never touch the club’s money. They never move money and they do not put in money but its different at Manchester United.

The owners are always after the money in the club. It could be an off field activity but it affects the team performance. The team doesn’t even have a sporting director with direction and no sporting project since Sir Alex Ferguson left. And then, I also think Sir Alex is part of the problem. He wielded too much power as a manager. If someone like Klopp begins to wield power like Sir Alex in Liverpool, then there will be trouble when when he leaves. Ferguson controlled everything from from transfers, the way money is moved.”
” He always make sure that he was in charge. He knew what he was doing. Tactically, he did not leave Manchester United with an identity but one thing was for sure and that is that he loved the club. He was in love with the DNA of Manchester United, it’s culture. Look at Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid also to an extent, then Liverpool and then Manchester United even Juventus. These are cultural clubs. They are not clubs that you just pick any manager to come in. You might be very tactical but if you don’t have that connection with fans, you might not last. I do tell people that Manchester United made a mistake when they sacked Ole Gunnar solskjær. Ole was very okey for the club. People might feel he was bad but one thing with him was that he wanted a DNA at least to be able to play the kind of style he want but nobody gave him time and he knew the kind of players he wanted. Almost similar to Ferguson.”

On his part, Harrison said “Manchester United needs a revamp. The players in the club are the issue for me. When you bring in a new coach and you say you want to start afresh, you don’t get ride of all the players at once. You first of all instil your style of play. Those that will stay will stay and those that will go will go. That is the first thing you should do. Look at how inconsistent Rashford has been and that’s because there’s no style of play in place. De gea shouldn’t have left. He had a deficiency but he’s a top goalie.”

Pedro, also said “The thing is that Ten Hag hasn’t connected to Manchester United DNA and fans. He just wants to bring results so that the fans will be happy but it goes beyond that. If you connect to the fans, even when things are not going well, they will stand by you. And another thing that the fans do very well is motivating club owners to do some certain things.”
” Ten Hag is very okey but was never an elite manager in my opinion but he always act as if he was a Pep with a touch of Jose. Most of the things that is happening to United now is due to his stubbornness to change tactics.”
Pedro went ahead to blame the attitude of some players in the team and was sure to mention names. He called out people like Sancho, Antony and Martial for not giving enough in the pitch.

Another United fan who Identified simply as Emma believes that the club have made some wrong signings over the years and most of the players were brought beyond their price tags.
He said “Manchester United brought back Ronaldo to help take them back to the top but he ended up having issues with the manager that saw him leave for Saudi Arabia. They also signed Sancho from Borussia Dortmund £73 million making him one of the most expensive English footballers of all time. Currently, Sancho have also like Ronaldo have issues with the coach and he he no longer playing for the club.”
” Apart from Ronaldo and Sancho, there have also been other wrong signings like Angel Di Maria and Sanchez even players that have passed their peaks Such as Victor Valdes and Bastian Schweinsteiger”

See also: Man United’s 7-0 demolition by Liverpool a reality check — can they bounce back?