Manchester United's caput manager Erik 10 Hag looks connected during lukewarm up earlier the English Premier League shot lucifer betwixt Manchester United and Brentford astatine Old Trafford stadium successful Manchester connected Saturday. (AP Photo)
With defeats and draws mounting, Erik Ten Hag was walking connected bladed ice. The latest defeat, against West Ham United, ended his agony and the torrent of disapproval from the fans and media, making him the 5th full-time manager successful eleven years to beryllium shown the pinkish slip. What began arsenic a agleam caller epoch for Manchester, aft Ten Hag’s squad finished 3rd successful his archetypal season, rapidly spiralled into a play of stagnation.
Ten Hag deserves sympathy, successful that a copious magnitude of injuries crippled him past season, wherever the grounds title-winners finished eighth. This year, rumours were abound that Ten Hag’s powers were clipped, that helium did not person a escaped manus successful transportation decisions and picking the playing eleven. Whatever be, helium was a acold outcry from the visionary manager helium was astatine Ajax. His United iterations were some sloppy and clumsy. The style, if astatine each determination was one, was indistinct. The signifier of large players dropped, youngsters, but for Alejandro Garnacho and Diogo Dalot, made marginal improvements. Performances fluctuated, and his men made cardinal errors astatine either extremity of the pitch. The consciousness of individuality was non-existent. None of those progressive successful the ecosystem—the players, the manager and the fans were enjoying the game.
Manchester United manager Erik 10 Hag connected the touchline during the English Premier League lucifer against West Ham United astatine the London Stadium. (PA via AP)
But Ten Hag’s sacking throws further questions, astir an situation wherever everyone, from the manager and enactment unit to players, underperformed, suggesting the signs of a deeper malaise. His axing takes the full process of resurrection backwards. Another twelvemonth of alteration of uncertainty looms, the vicious rhythm keeps wheeling distant with small definite signs of progress. If the caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, a nine fable shows signs of promise—-and however overmuch clip would helium beryllium granted—would helium beryllium upgraded into a imperishable one? What of the players, traipsing done an uncertain time? His sacking mightiness person been inevitable, but however galore managers indispensable the storied nine prosecute and occurrence earlier they reconstruct their glory days?