 "5 mistakes the new Manchester United manager must avoid after Erik ten Hag's sacking")
“Eras come to an end,” Erik ten Hag once said, though he had rivals Manchester City and Liverpool in mind when he said this back in 2022. As it turns out, it was a foreshadowing of what was to come a couple of years later.
On 28 October, an era — if you can really call it that — came to an end: The Erik ten Hag era at Manchester United . This outcome felt inevitable, especially after the Red Devils’ 1-2 loss to West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday. On Monday, United confirmed in a statement that the club had decided to part ways with Ten Hag and that Ruud van Nistelrooy would take over on an interim basis until a permanent successor is found.
Also see | Five managers who could replace Erik ten Hag a Manchester United coach
Many names have been doing the rounds as replacements for Ten Hag, including the likes of Thomas Frank, Gareth Southgate, and most recently current Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim . But, whoever takes charge of United on a full-time basis will have a huge task at hand. And it will be important to not make the mistakes that the Dutchman had made during his two-year stint.
What are the mistakes the next Manchester United manager should avoid? We take a look:
Style of play
One major thing that United lacked under Ten Hag was playing attractive football. Midfielders lacked creativity and the attackers lacked those finishing touches up front. The problems were that basic for United under Ten Hag.
It’s not just the attacking style of play that has been questioned. Lack of defensive stability is another aspect where United went wrong under the former Ajax boss. Manchester United were one of the worst teams defensively in the Premier League in 2023-24 and were quite vulnerable on counter-attacks, with players often losing possession of the ball.
United leaked 58 goals in 28 matches last season and have already given away 11 goals in nine matches in the 2024-25 ongoing season.
Falling out with players
To be honest, United have been the complete opposite of what their team suggests. Ten Hag often had bitter relationships with a few players during his tenure, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho leading the list.
Even though Ten Hag should be praised for helping youngsters like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo make a mark, it’s the falling out with players like Ronaldo and Sancho that made him infamous at the club.
Manchester United are already a club in crisis and the last thing the club needs is a player vs manager fallout. Whoever comes in to be the next Manchester United manager must build a trustworthy relationship with players because the off-field rapport between the manager and the players is important for the on-field results.
Tactical blunders
More often than not, Erik Ten Hag was a victim of committing tactical blunders during his time at United. While there were multiple tactical blunders from Ten Hag, one of the latest instances was starting Noussair Mazraoui as a number 10 against Fenerbahce in the UEFA Europa League. This was a game for which Bruno Fernandes was suspended, so Ten Hag had to tweak the Moroccan’s position.
Although Mazraoui put up a disciplined effort at the No 10 position, the aspect of creativity was missing from the player who usually plays as a right back. The coach had a better option in Amad Diallo who could have played at No 10, but instead, the Ivory Coast international wasn’t introduced up until the 90th minute.
Taking risks is fine, but making tactical blunders like these can affect the entire tempo of the team.
Scoring problems
Scoring woes have been a recurring issue not just under the Ten Hag era but for almost close to a decade now. To back this up, United have had 27 big chances to score in the Premier League this season, but have missed out on 22 occasions.
This is the joint-most chances missed by a club, with Tottenham Hotspur being the other club with the most chances missed in the Premier League this season. Garnacho, Zirkzee, and Fernandes have missed a combined 13 opportunities to score.
Back-up striker needed
Lack of clinical finishing is something that the new Manchester United boss must work on, and he must help the strikers, particularly Zirkzee and Hojlund, reach their full potential. This is an area where Ten Hag never really succeeded.
Coming back from an injury setback has not helped Hojlund’s case, who has struggled to find a consistent rhythm.
There was so much hype around Joshua Zirkzee when he came to United this summer, but his story so far has been disappointing. Zirkzee scored in United’s 1-0 win over Fulham in the opening weekend of the Premier League in August, but the former Bayern Munich star has somewhat struggled to cope with the high-intensity, competitive nature of the Premier League.
Apart from Hojlund, United lack a proper striker who can produce the goods. Zirkzee, who was brought for £36 million, is probably not the answer.
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