Inside Ten Hag's turbulent time at Manchester United

The axe has yet fallen connected Erik 10 Hag arsenic Manchester United manager.

His past authoritative engagement was successful London, conscionable arsenic his archetypal was.

It ended successful defeat, which is however it started, though helium was lone watching astatine Selhurst Park connected 22 May erstwhile United were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace successful Ralf Rangnick’s past crippled arsenic interim boss.

The time after, successful the media country astatine Old Trafford, Ten Hag spoke for the archetypal clip astir the situation successful beforehand of him. The erstwhile Ajax manager was adamant joining United was not a hazard contempt the messiness helium seemed to beryllium inheriting astatine his caller club.

As helium has repeatedly reminded everyone aft his broadside won the FA Cup last successful May this year, lone Pep Guardiola astatine Manchester City has done amended than his 2 trophies since the summertime of 2022.

But different mates of observations Ten Hag made connected that Monday greeting person not survived the trial of time.

One was astir the dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool nether Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp and whether that epoch could travel to an extremity with the brace inactive successful post. "Yes," was Ten Hag’s curt reply.

The different was astir however helium planned to execute it. The 54-year-old said his program was "huge" and that it would beryllium rolled retired to unit and players. "You volition see," helium said.

However, for the sixth clip since Sir Alex Ferguson retired successful 2013, the 5th clip since Liverpool appointed Klopp and the 4th clip since Guardiola joined City the pursuing twelvemonth successful 2016, United person erstwhile again concluded that they person the incorrect antheral starring their team.

And a large crushed for that is that Ten Hag’s 'plan' was ne'er successful evidence. Or astatine slightest it was, conscionable once, successful past season’s FA Cup last astatine Wembley, erstwhile the mode of triumph implicit Manchester City was the main crushed for him keeping his job.

City were beaten acknowledgment to a cleanable program that was connected amusement from the opening minutes - suck defenders to the shot and play long, precise passes into abstraction for the speedy players and past enactment them. It was thrilling and brought a richly deserved success.

However, different than that victory, it has mostly conscionable been words. Ten Hag has been progressively mocked connected unforgiving societal media platforms for his repeated usage of phrases specified arsenic 'project' and 'game model', and demanding players and fans ‘stick to the plan’, which helium said again earlier the Brentford crippled connected 19 October.

But astir memorable successful a bid of withering attacks connected Ten Hag came from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher successful the aftermath of a 4-0 decision by Crystal Palace.

"Manchester United are 1 of the astir poorly coached teams successful the Premier League," said the erstwhile Liverpool and England defender.

As good arsenic that humbling nonaccomplishment astatine Palace, Ten Hag's tenure besides included:

• A four-goal decision by Brentford successful August 2022

• A 6-3 nonaccomplishment astatine Manchester City successful October 2022 erstwhile United were 4 goals down by half-time

• A grounds 7-0 decision by Liverpool successful March 2023

• A nonaccomplishment astatine Chelsea successful April contempt his broadside starring heavy into stoppage time

• A VAR telephone successful their favour heavy into extra-time of past season's FA Cup semi-final that saw them scrape past Championship broadside Coventry connected penalties aft giving up a 3-0 lead.

Whereas Aston Villa’s Unai Emery, appointed 5 months aft Ten Hag, implemented a intelligibly defined program that has taken them to the apical of the Champions League table, Ten Hag continued to speech astir his.

A erstwhile manager with a heavy knowing of United, outlined what helium felt was a deficiency of identifiable style.

"Erik is simply a coach," helium said. "We each assumed erstwhile helium came in, helium would manager the players successful a definite way.

"But it is hard to spot what that mode is. Are United a pressing team? They don’t truly person the players to press.

"They play with 2 antiaircraft midfielders but past bring the full-backs inside, which clogs up the midfield. And erstwhile the absorption break, neither of the sixes are effectual astatine stopping them.

"The issues are beauteous basal but they are not being rectified."

After the location triumph against Everton past March, 1 of six retired of 7 Premier League games successful which United had faced 20 shots oregon much connected their goal, Ten Hag dismissed the problem, saying the visitors had a "low xG [expected goals]".

The thought that United bash not person antiaircraft issues is ridiculous. They person conceded 3 goals oregon much nether Ten Hag connected 24 occasions, including against Liverpool and Tottenham already this season. That is the astir of immoderate Premier League nine since Ten Hag took over.

Part of past season's communicative was the measurement of shots United faced against each benignant of squad they faced, location and away.

The issues persist adjacent though United person spent astir £600m connected caller players during Ten Hag’s time. None of the arrivals could beryllium regarded arsenic an unqualified success.

Former brag Ole Gunnar Solskjaer debated astir signing Antony for £30m during his clip astatine the helm but backed off. Ten Hag pushed for the Brazilian winger, who became the 2nd astir costly subordinate successful the club's past erstwhile helium signed for £82m.

Aside from the Carabao Cup triumph implicit League One Barnsley past month, Antony has featured for 49 minutes crossed 3 substitute appearances. His past Premier League commencement was that 4-0 decision by Palace successful May.

It was wide felt that Ten Hag wanted his squad to play retired from the backmost but didn't person the players to header with the tactics.

David de Gea’s limitations with the shot astatine his feet was the main crushed wherefore Ten Hag opted against offering the goalkeeper a caller declaration astatine the extremity of his archetypal play successful complaint and spent £47.2m to bargain Andre Onana from Inter Milan.

On his Old Trafford debut, a pre-season affable against Lens, an precocious Onana was lobbed from adjacent halfway aft an mistake from Diogo Dalot

In that moment, it was highlighted that to play retired from the back, you bash not conscionable request a goalkeeper who is comfy connected the ball. You besides request outfield players who are not going to springiness it distant cheaply astatine points erstwhile the keeper is hopelessly exposed.

It was this benignant of chaotic reasoning that caller owners Ineos were intending to halt erstwhile they brought successful Omar Berrada arsenic main executive, Dan Ashworth arsenic sporting manager and Jason Wilcox arsenic method manager this summer, having concluded, aft 2 weeks assessing the alternatives pursuing the FA Cup last win, that Ten Hag was the close antheral to pb United into a caller era.

All 3 executives were disposable connected United’s pre-season circuit of the United States, wherever erstwhile striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was contiguous aft snubbing a managerial connection astatine Burnley to instrumentality up a relation arsenic Ten Hag’s assistant.

The ex-Netherlands planetary was jovial erstwhile helium wandered implicit astatine the commencement of a grooming league successful Los Angeles to talk to a radical of journalists, immoderate of who covered the nine erstwhile helium was a United subordinate 20 years ago.

Van Nistelrooy’s temper was symptomatic of the nine arsenic a whole. The vibe was 1 of optimism. The targets were clear.

"I judge this nine volition beryllium backmost and winning trophies again," defender Harry Maguire told BBC Sport successful Los Angeles.

"It is frustrating that you can’t enactment a timeframe connected it but with the operation they person successful spot present and the hierarchy, I truly bash judge they are going successful the close absorption and are the close men to bring occurrence backmost to this club."

On that aforesaid travel a week later, Ten Hag spoke astir his precocious ambitions. He said radical with "great abilities" had been brought in.

Eighth, it was mostly accepted, was not bully capable and no-one earnestly considered that would beryllium wherever United finished again.

However, they are presently 14th and person their second-lowest Premier League points tally aft 9 games, with 11 points (they had 10 astatine this signifier successful the 2019-20 campaign).

By the clip Berrada and Ashworth spoke to the regular United reporters astatine Old Trafford connected the time of the crippled against Liverpool connected 1 September, they had already had to digest decision astatine Brighton a week earlier.

Questions astir Ten Hag’s aboriginal were deliberately prefaced with "even if you were to suffer heavy today", which is precisely what happened.

Some of the failings are not a astonishment to everyone. United committed £40m to motion Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich. A root who has antecedently coached the 25-year-old said De Ligt tin conflict with the positional broadside of the game, some successful and retired of possession.

This was brutally highlighted, again by Carragher connected Sky Sports, arsenic helium assessed United’s miserable 3-0 location decision by Tottenham.

Other decisions are arsenic baffling arsenic his media comments. Marcus Rashford was dropped for the Premier League crippled astatine Crystal Palace successful September contempt scoring 3 times successful his erstwhile 2 games.

Sources adjacent to the subordinate person said they were mystified wherefore Ten Hag should extremity up talking astir Rashford’s ill-advised travel to Belfast astir 8 months earlier, earlier the crippled astatine Selhurst Park. It is hardly the benignant of taxable substance that is going to make an ambiance of loyalty and Rashford’s signifier has dipped.

Ten Hag has had to woody with different pugnacious situations.

Right astatine the commencement of his tenure, helium had to subject Cristiano Ronaldo for leaving Old Trafford aboriginal aft helium had been replaced astatine half-time during a pre-season crippled against Rayo Vallecano.

The determination showed spot but acceptable successful spot a concatenation of events that would yet pb to Ronaldo being kicked retired of the nine pursuing an incendiary interview with Piers Morgan erstwhile helium said Ten Hag "doesn’t amusement respect for me".

Ten Hag utilized a luncheon with journalists successful Spain during the World Cup interruption to explicate his thinking.

"When helium is successful bully shape, helium is simply a bully subordinate and could assistance america execute the objectives we have, that is rather clear," said the Dutchman.

"But helium wasn’t. I wanted to enactment with him. He chose different way."

Ten Hag disciplined Rashford soon afterwards for missing the commencement of a squad gathering by leaving the England guardant connected the seat for a crippled astatine Wolves. Rashford scored the victor aft being introduced arsenic a substitute.

Then determination was Jadon Sancho, who was enactment connected a idiosyncratic fittingness programme aft United’s coaching unit noted his carnal stats were dropping. When helium was near retired of the squad for a decision astatine Arsenal successful September 2023, Ten Hag cited the England man’s mediocre show successful training.

Sancho instantly responded connected societal media by saying helium was being made "a scapegoat". Sancho deleted the station but refused to apologise.

Ten Hag ne'er picked him for different Premier League crippled and portion helium did instrumentality to the squad during pre-season, connected transportation deadline day, helium went connected indebtedness to Chelsea.

Last season, Ten Hag had to wrestle with a crippling wounded list, connected which helium had not ever received the champion advice. With Luke Shaw fit, helium was told Tyrell Malacia would beryllium disposable wrong a mates of weeks of the commencement of February past season, truthful Ten Hag opted to fto his connected indebtedness left-back Sergio Reguilon instrumentality to Tottenham.

But Malacia was soon to endure a large setback successful his betterment and Shaw suffered a hamstring wounded astatine Luton connected 18 February. Neither has played a crippled for United since. Despite a bullish summertime connection from the nine astir a revamped aesculapian department, astatine West Ham Ten Hag was without 7 elder players due to the fact that of injury.

However, sympathy tin lone beryllium extended truthful far.

Ten Hag is simply a likeable man. On that pre-Christmas travel to Spain, helium entertained the media implicit luncheon with stories of his younker and aboriginal career. In Los Angeles this summer, arriving much than an hr earlier than initially planned for a bid of interviews with UK media helium laughed and joked with reporters and adjacent offered proposal connected the champion places to spell for java adjacent his Cheshire home.

At the caller Football Writers’ Dinner successful Manchester, helium hung astir and spoke to journalists agelong aft helium had collected his grant for winning the FA Cup.

But during the season, successful an authoritative capacity, Ten Hag’s connection was not great. Some members of the media were told by United unit that Ten Hag preferred ‘blunt’ questions due to the fact that helium recovered them easier to recognize and answer.

The occupation was, the answers, increasingly, did not basal up to scrutiny.

Before and aft the planetary break, Ten Hag spoke astir being connected the "same page" arsenic United’s hierarchy. But for each the bullish words it has seemed to beryllium a question of when, not if, helium would leave.

One source, who has immense acquisition astatine a elder level astatine United, was amazed Ten Hag did not suffer his occupation astatine the extremity of past season. He was incredulous it didn’t hap astatine immoderate constituent earlier the October resumption.

But galore United figures, some successful and retired of Old Trafford, agreed with the sentiment that erstwhile the boulder starts to rotation down the hill, it is simply a substance of clip earlier it reaches the bottom. Now it has.

Many of United’s players volition beryllium bittersweet to spot Ten Hag go.

In April 2023, the Daily Telegraph reported, external 1 of the reasons wherefore Tottenham opted not to effort to bring Ten Hag successful from Ajax to regenerate Jose Mourinho successful 2021 was due to the fact that they felt helium lacked charisma.

There is an constituent of that astatine United.

Multiple sources person confirmed determination has been nary large bust-up and nary increasing sick feeling. But determination was nary transportation either. A deficiency of a basal knowing of what Ten Hag was trying to achieve.

A manager but not a communicator.