Erik Ten Hag was far cry from visionary manager he was at Ajax
With defeats and draws mounting, Erik Ten Hag was walking on thin ice. The latest defeat, against West Ham United, ended his agony and the torrent of criticism from the fans and media, making him the fifth full-time manager in eleven years to be shown the pink slip. What began as a bright new era for Manchester, after Ten Hag’s team finished third in his first season, quickly spiralled into a period of stagnation.
Ten Hag deserves sympathy, in that a copious amount of injuries crippled him last season, where the record title-winners finished eighth. This year, rumours were abound that Ten Hag’s powers were clipped, that he did not have a free hand in transfer decisions and picking the playing eleven. Whatever be, he was a far cry from the visionary manager he was at Ajax. His United iterations were both sloppy and clumsy. The style, if at all there was one, was indinct. The form of big players dropped, youngsters, but for Alejandro Garnacho and Diogo Dalot, made marginal improvements. Performances fluctuated, and his men made fundamental errors at either end of the pitch. The sense of identity was non-exent. None of those involved in the ecosystem—the players, the manager and the fans were enjoying the game.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on the touchline during the English Premier League match against West Ham United at the London Stadium. (PA via AP)
But Ten Hag’s sacking throws further questions, about an environment where everyone, from the manager and support staff to players, underperformed, suggesting the signs of a deeper malaise. His axing takes the whole process of resurrection backwards. Another year of change of uncertainty looms, the vicious cycle keeps wheeling away with little definite signs of progress. If the caretaker manager Ruud van Nelrooy, a club legend shows signs of promise—-and how much time would he be granted—would he be upgraded into a permanent one? What of the players, traipsing through an uncertain time? His sacking might have been inevitable, but how many managers must the storied club hire and fire before they restore their glory days?
