Manchester United will be expected to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they take on bottom club Sheffield United on Wednesday.
But after the calamitous display put in by the team against Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, nothing can be taken for granted with this lot.
United fans saw their beloved team relinquish a three-goal lead and almost lost it at the death against a team from the Championship. Conceding late goals has become something of a trademark for Ten Hag’s team this season.
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance at Wembley and he was accompanied by new technical director Jason Wilcox.
Wilcox-EtH working together
The former Manchester City academy head has been tasked with conducting an audit into the type of job carried out by the Dutch manager this season.
Wilcox and Ten Hag met after the last-four clash and as indicated by the manager during the pre-match press conference ahead of the Blades encounter, further discussions are planned in the coming week.
The former Southampton sporting director has been reportedly tasked with figuring out a style of play for the club which will be carried out throughout all age group right up to the first team.
And Ten Hag, who shifted from a possession-based style last term to a transition-heavy tactic this season, will have to follow order if he is to stay at the club.
According to journalist Alan Nixon, writing on Patreon, Wilcox has asked Ten Hag to drop the ineffective transition style which has not all served the club well this season and adopt a more possession-based style from Wednesday’s game against Chris Wilder’s team.
The Sheffield game will be followed by Burnley’s trip to Manchester with Vincent Kompany’s team languishing in 19th place.
Despite the injury crisis, showcasing a more proactive style should not be that hard an ask considering the calibre of opponents.
New playing style?
But for now, players keep treating the ball like a ticking time bomb, afraid of holding on to it and always relinquishing control. Many have wondered as to what exactly goes on in training during the week!
But whether Ten Hag, who wanted to make this team the best in transitions, will be ready to drop this style remains to be seen. He was brought in to help the club play like his Ajax team did but he has been adamant that he will not play in that particular way.
Under the Glazers, the managers have usually had a lot of power over recruitment matters and when it comes to the style of play. But with a new backroom staff in place, INEOS will begin calling the shots as is the case in most elite clubs.
Considering the majority of players at the club, counter-attacking football does not work due to average age of players in the squad and their lack of pace.
If the club had tried to sign physically strong and fast players during the two Ten Hag’s seasons, this would still have made sense.
But such a drastic change after a successful debut campaign has fans and pundits questioning what exactly Ten Hag has in store. If he fails to prove he can play this way, the report states INEOS will be forced to look elsewhere.
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