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Erik ten Hag’s management of Manchester United has come under massive scrutiny this season after he finished 2022/23 looking like the messiah who would lead the club back to glory.
An abysmal first half of the campaign saw United smash virtually every “bad” record in their history, including most goals conceded, most games lost at Old Trafford, worst start to the season and worst Champions League performance.
Many fans have been baying for manager Erik ten Hag’s head and it has been widely reported that the imminent takeover of football operations by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS may have saved his bacon, because they want to thoroughly evaluate what is going on at the club before making any major changes such as sacking the manager.
However, some fans – the author included – have remained behind Ten Hag, acknowledging the enormous difficulties he has faced this season, with an injury crisis the likes of which have never been seen before, as well as off-pitch dramas with Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and the takeover itself.
We all have eyes. We have all seen some bizarre tactical decisions and questionable team selections and substitutions. But the circumstances are extenuating. Let us see how he does when he has most of his squad back and everything has settled down, we said. Let him be judged on that.
Fast forward to last night, Thursday 1st February 2024. INEOS situation in hand – check. Fully fit first choice XI – check. Coming in on the back of a win – check. In the lead, five minutes into injury time – check.
At this point, United get a corner. Up into the box pile the defenders Ten Hag brought on as substitutes, presumably to hold on to the lead, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans. They are joined by Scott McTominay, brought on to bolster the midfield, and full back Luke Shaw. Raphael Varane is pushed up deep into the Wolves half. defensive midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is also forward.
In fact, United, with a goal lead to defend and deep into injury time, have left just one outfield player, Diogo Dalot, in their own half as they go in search of a totally unnecessary goal.
Of course, Wolves, a team known for their counter-attacking prowess, retrieve the ball and quickly create a two against two situation, breaking forward to score a dramatic equaliser.
Kobbie Mainoo went on to spare United’s blushes with a winner two minutes later, but let us not forget what we saw there. Because that was surely one of the most idiotic tactical decisions ever to be seen on a football pitch, at any level. Even a Sunday league team would not have been so stupid.
Even if Evans and Maguire had the speed of cheetahs, which they do not, they would not have got back in time.
If this is the level of set piece coaching at United, then it is a truly sad indictment of Ten Hag, a supposed stickler for detail, a supposed perfectionist. Set pieces have been an issue all season and nothing seems to have been done to fix it. But this plunged it in realms beyond incompetence. This was farce.
The Telegraph’s Sam Mather asks “So why then did they throw so many players forward for an injury-time corner? Why were Ten Hag’s centre-backs not thinking about their primary task? It smacked of naivety, of a lack of leadership.”
It is possible, of course, that the players simply ignored the play book and did their own thing. But as Mather also notes, “Ten Hag stood stationary at the edge of his technical area, hands deep in pockets, woolly hat covering his head.”
Why was Ten Hag not yelling at the likes of Evans, Maguire and Shaw to stay back? Why was he standing silently in his technical area doing nothing? It suggests he was complicit in the madness.
And even if the players were flagrantly disregarding coaching instructions on the corner, you still have to question Ten Hag’s management. If he can’t get his troops to follow his orders, then that, too, is a big problem.
Way above everything else that has gone wrong for United this season, this Wolves goal is the biggest, smoking gun piece of evidence that Ten Hag is not managing Manchester United competently. Whether he can put that right, only time will tell – if he is given it.
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