Opinion

Should Manchester United Wield the Axe on Erik ten Hag?

When Erik Ten Hag was appointed Manchester United’s head coach, he was expected to revive the club from the ruins and create a solid foundation after the post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise that had lingered for a decade. The Red Devils still have not fully recovered – they last won the Premier League in 2013 and have a history of humiliating losses against various clubs.

Anticipation was understandably sky-high when the Dutch coach arrived. Ten Hag was superb at Ajax, and under his guidance, they advanced to the semi-finals in 2019. Without Tottenham’s Lucas Moura’s cruel intervention, they would have played in the final. Alongside visionaries Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, Ten Hag was considered as the next prominent coach in the Premier League.

Right now, Ten Hag is on the verge of being sacked. But does the Dutchman deserve another chance, or is his regime doomed to failure? Delve deeper as we assess his tumultuous tenure to date.

Victory Over Man City and Hollow Celebrations

Manchester United had a terrible season, finishing eighth in the Premier League and being eliminated in the Champions League group stage. However, they brightened up their season by winning the FA Cup against Manchester City.

Following the victory, the Dutch coach suddenly became a hero. He optimistically claimed that the two years of tremendous work at Manchester United had not been futile and had culminated in another title win against the formidable Manchester City.

However, the cold numbers paint a different picture. Before 2022, Manchester had finished inside the top three of the Premier League in two of the previous three seasons – their current eighth-place finish represents their worst league placing since the 1989/90 campaign.

Problems With Cristiano Ronaldo

During his tenure with Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag had a high-profile fracture with Cristiano Ronaldo. It was alleged that the Portuguese legend was not helping enough in the defence and did not show the overall commitment Ten Hag desired.

When Ronaldo eventually left the club for the Saudi riches of Al-Nassr, it became apparent that the problem was not only because of Cristiano – Ten Hag was not able to take matters into his own hands effectively.

Even at his advanced age, Ronaldo was one of the top goalscorers in the Premier League – his exceptional qualities are something we don’t see too often in the English top tier, and he could have surely helped United reach greater heights.

Regressive Talents, Injury Crises, and Questionable Recruitment

The decline of several key players is worth mentioning. Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Antony, and Jadon Sancho – all failed to deliver on their immense potential and reputations.

Sancho was a peripheral figure in the first half of the campaign before he went on loan at his former club, Borussia Dortmund, and became one of the club’s leaders. The usually dependable Casemiro was furious when deployed out of position as centre-back. Even Marcus Rashford and big-money signing Antony displayed declining form.

An irrational transfer policy completes Ten Hag’s pyramid of chaos. The Dutchman spent almost £500million on fresh recruits over two windows. Yet, United’s Premier League and Champions League results became worse. Marquee additions like the £95m Antony, £65m Mason Mount, £75m Casemiro, and a bunch of other expensive signings did not improve Manchester United’s results.

Ten Hag has also blamed injuries for his failures, and there’s validity to that claim. The large number of defensive absentees forced Ten Hag to field 15 different centre-back pairings during the season.

However, most injury cases were muscle injuries, which also plagued other elite clubs, which coped much better. Real Madrid, for instance, won the La Liga/European double and shows that, with the right personnel and medical provisions, these problems can be overcome.

The Bottom Line: Time’s Up for Ten Hag?

It seems illogical to grant Erik ten Hag another shot at Old Trafford to make up for his mistakes. Although they clinched the FA Cup this season, the club has experienced two years of tangible stagnation overall.

Shattered relationships with squad pillars, immense spending without a cohesive strategy, and plenty of injuries have shown Ten Hag’s shortcomings.

Moreover, Ten Hag has not been self-critical of his work throughout this process. Given these factors, it seems increasingly likely that Manchester United will soon decide to part ways with their manager.