Erik ten Hag - Manchester United manager

[hobbers]

We have obviously decided that he's the right man to lead us forward so we reflect that by offering him a new contract.

Brainless decision unless it's tied to reducing his transfer influence, and reducing his wage or giving him bigger penalties for not hitting targets.

And like I said, either way it's performative, to create a narrative in the media that it was a proactive move, when it obviously isn't.

 

[Remember the geese]

Or you respect the contract that he already has? We chose to keep him, not to back him(which is a meaningless notion in the first place). He has 12 months and the possibility to trigger an extension clause there is no actual need to give him more time than 12 to 24 months. And unless you know that you want him under contract for more than 24 months there is no reason to give him more than that.

I'm definitely going to disagree on this one. We've made the right call here. Just about long enough to give him and the club some stability and assurance going forward but not so long that we've pinned ourselves into a corner.

 

[Scorpy]

For the love of God just take away his transfer powers, we can't keep wasting money on utter garbage.

As for him staying on - it's depressing as he's a terrible manager, but the lack of adequate options forced our hand I suppose.

 

[Pexbo]

Brainless decision unless it's tied to reducing his transfer influence, and reducing his wage or giving him bigger penalties for not hitting targets.

And like I said, either way it's performative, to create a narrative in the media that it was a proactive move, when it obviously isn't.

It’s definitely not performative. There’s reasons like you listed along with the fact you can’t send your manager into the season with his contract expiring. It’s uncertainty for signing players and it creates a problem if players think “feck it he’s gone in a few months”

 

[JPRouve]

I'm definitely going to disagree on this one. We've made the right call here. Just about long enough to give him and the club some stability and assurance going forward but not so long that we've pinned ourselves into a corner.

It gives exactly no stability or assurances to the club. If he doesn't perform during the following 12 months he will be sacked, the only difference is that it will cost the club far more money.

 

[Adnan]

Yep we’ve tried a few different systems against City and played false 9 a load with Sancho as well this pre season in addition to what you say. Plus we knew ETH liked Hojlund off the bench and he’s our only CF. But, moreso, why would any coach be being told what setup to use?

Jason Wilcox who has zero top level coaching experience is going to tell Erik ten Hag how to coach or setup the team. If that's the case then INEOS should've made Wilcox the head coach.

I think all they should do is emphasise to the coach about wanting to implement a more dominant brand of football. And it's the coach's job to make that happen whilst the likes of Wilcox and Ashworth oversee the recruitment to support the coach in succeeding in implementing the play-style via well thought out transfers backed up by data and analytics.

 

[Remember the geese]

Brainless decision unless it's tied to reducing his transfer influence, and reducing his wage or giving him bigger penalties for not hitting targets.

And like I said, either way it's performative, to create a narrative in the media that it was a proactive move, when it obviously isn't.

Obviously we reduce his influence and include various clauses that he has to meet. Reducing his wage is just petty and pretty pathetic.

There was no proactive move. Just a move. Sacking him and appointing a manager who isn't good enough wouldn't have been proactive either.

 

[Bobski]

The only compelling argument for keeping him were the 69 injuries we had during the season.
He could barely ever field his best eleven.
Let's hope he will be backed with the right transfers and not have the same nuimber of injured players.

Utd were terrible and terribly set up before the injuries started to mount up. Now highly likely his idiotic system would have had more success with a few of the better players more available to give him moments that win games but unless he changed his approach there still would have been a massive hole in midfield for the opposition to run through.

Concerns around Ten Hag aren't just on last season, there were many concerning signs post the league cup final in 22/23 as well.

 

[Suv666]

Sacking him and appointing a manager who isn't good enough wouldn't have been proactive either.

I wasn’t able to get gold so instead of going for bronze I chose to stew in shite.

The shite is Ten Hag if that wasn’t clear.

 

[Remember the geese]

It gives exactly no stability or assurances to the club. If he doesn't perform during the following 12 months he will be sacked, the only difference is that it will cost the club far more money.

Of course it does. Not giving him a new contract gives the perception that we have zero faith in him. Pretty poor that. Especially where our current players and potential signings are concerned. Ten Hag would have every right to talk to other clubs in order to secure his own future. It may even alter his management and make him think more short term in order to protect himself and his reputation. Just a bad environment really.

 

[antohan]

If I see an Eredivise player or someone TH has worked with before joining I’m storming OT January 6 style.

I'm pretty sure Nvidia is overbought

 

[Remember the geese]

I wasn’t able to get gold so instead of going for bronze I chose to stew in shite.

The shite is Ten Hag if that wasn’t clear.

You're under the assumption that the bronze you see available is better than ten Hag. I'd massively question that.

 

[Lewnited]

I don't know where the notion that you can't have a manager on the last year of their contract has come from. Keeping him on if we're not seeing a suitable alternative is fine, a 24 month contract extension should be earned.

So either the club feel he's earned a fresh contract based on last season's performance, or we're potentially going to hand out an undeserved contract just for the optics. Either way would feel silly to me.

 

[hobbers]

It’s definitely not performative. There’s reasons like you listed along with the fact you can’t send your manager into the season with his contract expiring. It’s uncertainty for signing players and it creates a problem if players think “feck it he’s gone in a few months”

But that's why you'd activate the contract extension that's already in place. The only reason to negotiate a new one is to reduce his influence or incentivise performances by taking more money away if he doesnt meet targets.

And if they think he's going to agree to terms like that there may yet be a sting in the tail to all this, like there obviously was with Tuchel's negotiations.


It is funny though how everyone who was coming out with the 'let him see out his last year and then decide next summer' crap were instantly proven to be in cloud cuckoo land. Ten Hag staying always meant more money from the club into his bank account, the only question is how much more.

 

[Robbie Boy]

100% agree. We need to articulate our support for him, he can't be entering the new season under any risk of being fired midway through it, he must have proper assurances for the future.

Erm what? Ole signed a new contract - when he was going into the last year of his contract - and was fired literally months later. Stop talking nonsense.

 

[baskinginthesun]

I don't know where the notion that you can't have a manager on the last year of their contract has come from. Keeping him on if we're not seeing a suitable alternative is fine, a 24 month contract extension should be earned.

So either the club feel he's earned a fresh contract based on last season's performance, or we're potentially going to hand out an undeserved contract just for the optics. Either way would feel silly to me.

You give him a new contract in case he comes good and other teams start sniffing about. The contract is probably more about protecting United than rewarding ETH.

 

[FootyGirl88]

Good listen

This is a really good listen, thanks for posting,
Ornstein very objective in his analysis of the situation.

 

[Sarni]

Erm what? Ole signed a new contract - when he was going into the last year of his contract - and was fired literally months later. Stop talking nonsense.

That’s because that season unfolded as an utter disaster. He would not have been fired if we had stayed at the level we had been at before 21-22.

If we get this much worse vs last season next year then ETH will be at risk new contract or not. But that would mean bottom half football, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Think we’ll do better or the same at worst.

 

[Suv666]

You're under the assumption that the bronze you see available is better than ten Hag. I'd massively question that.

my nan is better than ten hag

 

[Zlatans Knee]

And if there is will you come back and tell us all that you told us so?

Haha, depends on how fulfilled my life is this time next year

 

[Robbie Boy]

That’s because that season unfolded as an utter disaster. He would not have been fired if we had stayed at the level we had been before 21-22.

If we get proportionately worse vs last season next year then ETH will be at risk new contract or not. But that would mean bottom half football, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Think we’ll do better or the same at worst.

The same? So 8th? Yeah, he'll be sacked if we finish 8th, and likely long before that. Wasn't Ole sacked when he was in like 7th or 8th place in Nov/Dec?

I'm just curious as to what these "assurances" are that he should be given? He has a job to do, and if the season unfolds anything like last time around, he should rightfully be sacked by Christmas.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Of course it does. Not giving him a new contract gives the perception that we have zero faith in him. Pretty poor that. Especially where our current players and potential signings are concerned. Ten Hag would have every right to talk to other clubs in order to secure his own future. It may even alter his management and make him think more short term in order to protect himself and his reputation. Just a bad environment really.

Yeah. There's two side of this argument really, which is quite nuanced unfortunately.

If we were a well run successful club with all the footballing structure in place on and off the pitch (like Madrid), we should very rightly tell ETH to honour his contract and do the best of his job in a professional and assertive manner. The issue now is that they have 'objectively' decided to stick with ETH and for the next 12 months to work, they need to plan beyond that. That will require more buy in from ETH because they need to work with the manager that has his fingerprints all over the squad.

I personally hope the new contract thing is the current 'buy in' now, which is say discussions will drag on into the season (or call if a bluff if you will) and allow INEOS to make an ultimate decision to see what the next season would look like under him in January.

However, I'll won't be surprised if they announce a new 2 year deal or something before the season starts. I wouldn't agree with it but I understand why.

 

[Suv666]

I'm pretty sure Nvidia is overbought

back in the day people used to put in effort and draw stuff

Now all they do is use this chap gtp

 

[Sarni]

The same? So 8th? Yeah, he'll be sacked if we finish 8th, and likely long before that. Wasn't Ole sacked when he was in like 7th or 8th place in Nov/Dec?

I'm just curious as to what these "assurances" are that he should be given? He has a job to do, and if the season unfolds anything like last time around, he should rightfully be sacked by Christmas.

All depends on where we are with transfers/injuries. If we fail to address key squad issues (entirely possible with limited budget) and have some injuries to our key players then it’s not unthinkable that we will finish 6th to 8th and it will be acceptable just like it was this year. It’s a long term project we will have entered here.

 

[Robbie Boy]

All depends on where we are with transfers/injuries. If we fail to address key squad issues (entirely possible with limited budget) and have some injuries to our key players then it’s not unthinkable that we will finish 6th to 8th and it will be acceptable just like it was this year.

It's actually completely unthinkable tbh. Not sure what lens you're viewing this through.

 

[Idxomer]

All depends on where we are with transfers/injuries. If we fail to address key squad issues (entirely possible with limited budget) and have some injuries to our key players then it’s not unthinkable that we will finish 6th to 8th and it will be acceptable just like it was this year. It’s a long term project we will have entered here.

He was very close to getting the sack this year while finishing 8th and a cup win saved him. The only thing that may save him next season if he finishes 6th-8th is winning the Europa League.

 

[Remember the geese]

my nan is better than ten hag

Unless your nan is Emma Hayes, I'd massively question that too.

 

[Sarni]

He was very close to getting the sack this year while finishing 8th and a cup win saved him. The only thing that may save him next season if he finishes 6th-8th is winning the Europa League.

He’s not only avoiding the sack but also getting a new deal which makes me think INEOS have taken more than that into consideration and must have a far more positive view on last season that the average fan.

 

[Shady]

A new contract is absolute madness
Imagine having the worst fecking finish in centuries and you’re rewarded with a 2 year contract extension.

fecking midtable club this. Unbelievable
Only keeping him on cause he won a cup, I’m glad we got rid of the Glazers have such incredible strategists now.

Thought the club would be run professionally now like most football clubs are and not on sentimentality like aye he won us a cup lad deserves a raise.

If I see an Eredivise player or someone TH has worked with before joining I’m storming OT January 6 style.

Yep, this feels like our worst decision since hiring Moyes. Complete madness.

 

[croadyman]

This has to be fake. I have never heard of a manager contract stipulating what powers he has with signings etc. And if such a thing exist it should be only for the elite proven managers, someone like Pep or Ancelloti.

Its absolutely crazy to me to think ETH has any room for negotiation.

Yeah and worrying to say the least, suggests that INEOS and Erik are already not on the same page

 

[Suv666]

Unless your nan is Emma Hayes, I'd massively question that too.

no my nan’s dead

 

[kouroux]

Interviewing another manager on the day of the cup final is for show?

Yup. Great show

 

[croadyman]

Probably didn't like Ineos and Ineos didn't like their "we take no shit from stupid owners" personalities.




£20m down the pisser.

Wish we could have got the balance right between manager and owners involvement, presumably you wanted Qatari's to take over if you are calling INEOS stupid then

 

[Remember the geese]

no my nan’s dead

Ah. She's worse then.

 

[croadyman]

A new contract is absolute madness
Imagine having the worst fecking finish in centuries and you’re rewarded with a 2 year contract extension.

fecking midtable club this. Unbelievable
Only keeping him on cause he won a cup, I’m glad we got rid of the Glazers have such incredible strategists now.

Thought the club would be run professionally now like most football clubs are and not on sentimentality like aye he won us a cup lad deserves a raise.

If I see an Eredivise player or someone TH has worked with before joining I’m storming OT January 6 style.

Yeah I wouldn't give him a contract extension unless he proves able to meet certain conditions

 

[SAF is the GOAT]

I don't know what true anymore

 

[Nicoseth]

Yeah I wouldn't give him a contract extension unless he proves able to meet certain conditions

But you understand that having him start the season with one year left on his contract doesn't work, right? It would be like INEOS saying "we're sticking with you but we're not convinced". ETH would be working under almost impossible circumstances. He loses a couple of games and the knives will be out. This contract gives him and the club security.

 

[Amir]

So, either ETH wins the league or Southgate comes in and does really well. And one of the people interviewed will be going down in folklore.

 

[Matt851]

Proud to say I've been ETH in the whole time.

Vindicated.

This is the moment the club becomes Manchester United again.

What does any of this mean?

 

[Matt851]

But you understand that having him start the season with one year left on his contract doesn't work, right? It would be like INEOS saying "we're sticking with you but we're not convinced". ETH would be working under almost impossible circumstances. He loses a couple of games and the knives will be out. This contract gives him and the club security.

Everyone knows he isn't secure and a new contract won't change that if its a short extension