The Red Devils were given a reality check by Fulham at the weekend, but the Dutchman remains blind to their glaring flaws
Erik ten Hag fooled everyone into thinking Manchester United had turned a corner after a strong start to 2024, with four successive Premier League wins taking them back to within sight of the top four. Results started to turn after he welcomed key players back from injury, just as he predicted would happen, and talk of his potential dismissal died down.
But all the problems that were masked by individual moments during that mini-resurgence came rushing back to the surface when Fulham arrived at Old Trafford on Saturday. The Cottagers emerged with a 2-1 victory, their first at the Theatre of Dreams in 21 years, thanks to a 97th-minute strike from Alex Iwobi.
It was only the second time Marco Silva's side have won away all season, but they fully deserved the three points after slicing through United's midfield at will. It was the hosts' 10th Premier League loss of the season, one more than they recorded throughout the entire 2022-23 campaign, and it leaves them eight points behind Aston Villa in the race for the final Champions League spot.
Nottingham Forest are up next in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and they will fancy their chances of repeating their 2-1 win over United – achieved at the City Ground in December – mainly because Ten Hag is still refusing to budge on a set of principles that makes his team far too easy to play against.
Getty'You have to see the bigger picture'
"After one defeat you have to see the bigger picture, and the bigger picture looks very good," Ten Hag said at his latest post-match press conference. "We have to catch up in certain positions and get the injuries back, then we will be more in balance and also strengthen the squad in the transfer windows. You see there are many good players coming up and real high-potential players. They will be getting better, so definitely we are going in the right direction."
The United boss appeared to be referencing Sir Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of a 25 percent stake in the club, with the INEOS chairman currently in the process of putting a new recruitment team in place to overhaul the muddled transfer policy that has been so damaging to the club over the past decade.
But at this rate, there is a very good chance Ten Hag won't be involved in the revolution. Yes, United badly missed Rasmus Hojlund against Fulham, as the Danish striker had been on a scintillating six-match scoring run, and losing Casemiro to a head injury early in the second half was a cruel blow.
United are also having to make do without star defensive duo Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez, but regardless of what starting XI Ten Hag puts out, the theme is always the same. The 54-year-old insists on a high press that his players are incapable of committing to, either through a lack of quality or drive, and opposing teams exploit the massive gaps they leave in the middle of the pitch.
AdvertisementGettyExecution struggles
Across their last five games against Fulham, Luton, Aston Villa, West Ham and Wolves, United have allowed 100 shots at their goal. Ten Hag wants his team to dictate the pace of matches and play quick, incisive passes once they move into the final third, but the players lack the technical quality to execute his vision.
Fulham were just the latest team to play through United's press and pounce on their sloppy passing time and time again. The Red Devils always look vulnerable in and out of possession, and a lack of mobility in defence often leaves Andre Onana exposed between the sticks.
That was clear for all to see for Iwobi's winner, which came after a trademark run from Adama Traore. The former Barcelona winger initially picked the ball up in his own half before bursting past Christian Eriksen and Harry Maguire, and was allowed to advance all the way to the edge of the box before laying it off for Iwobi, who then fooled Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot with a simple touch onto his right foot before lashing into the bottom corner.
In truth, Ten Hag's men didn't really show any signs of life in the game at all until Maguire headed in an 89th-minute equaliser, as Fulham boss Silva alluded to after the final whistle. "It is clear in my opinion the better team on the pitch won the game," he said. "We are the team that created the most chances, that played better and tried to win most of the moments of the game."
United are playing like a side battling to avoid relegation, not one chasing a seat at Europe's top table, and most of the blame has to fall on Ten Hag.
(C)Getty ImagesTen Hag definitely not 'best in class'
“We need to populate all the key roles with people who are best in class, 10 out of 10s,” Sir Jim Ratcliffe said when sitting down for a media briefing after seeing his minority takeover at Old Trafford approved last week.
Omar Berrada has already been appointed as United's new CEO after being lured away from Manchester City, and INEOS are now working to bring in Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth. Top marks must be given for those ambitious moves, but none of the work behind the scenes will pay off if United don't have the right man sitting in the dugout.
After 21 months in charge, it's pretty clear that's not Ten Hag. He's spent £410 million ($500m) on 16 new players since moving to Old Trafford from Ajax, but it could be argued that none of them have been a success.
Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez had impressive debut seasons as United secured a third-place Premier League finish and the Carabao Cup, but the former's age has caught up with him this term and the latter has been ravaged by injury. Brazilian forward Antony, meanwhile, has done absolutely nothing to justify his £85m ($108m) price tag and now finds himself behind Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo in the squad pecking order.
Signings from last summer such as Onana and Mason Mount have also proven to be huge missteps, and even Hojlund took months to settle after his move from Atalanta, after United opted to go for the youngster instead of Premier League goal king Harry Kane. It's little wonder, then, that the Red Devils are failing to put Ten Hag's philosophy into practice.
Ratcliffe's right-hand man Sir David Brailsford was present to watch United's latest abject display, and wouldn't have had anything positive to report back. There is nothing to suggest that Ten Hag is a "10 out of 10" manager right now, and the club won't properly start to move forward until he's gone.
GettyMan City could strike final blow
United's 2023-24 campaign has been a complete disaster, and nothing can change that now. There may not even be anything left to play for by the start of next week.
Ten Hag will be on the brink again if he can't guide United to the FA Cup quarter-finals at Forest's expense in midweek, which would prove once and for all his "right direction" claim is completely ludicrous. He will take his band of misfits to the Etihad Stadium four days later for a huge derby encounter against City, with 15 points currently separating the two Manchester rivals – but the gulf in class between them is far bigger than that.
United were battered 3-0 by their noisy neighbours at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture, and the final scoreline could have been far worse. City had 21 shots at goal to the home side's seven and dominated possession throughout, with Erling Haaland netting a brace before Phil Foden rounded off a comfortable victory.
Another humiliation would effectively end United's Champions League qualification hopes, and surely leave Ratcliffe with no choice but tear up Ten Hag's contract one year early.