Manchester United’s Dutch manager Erik ten Hag reacts after the English Premier League football … [+] match between Manchester United and Sheffield United at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on April 24, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
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Having watched his Manchester United team draw 1-1 with strugglers Burnley, Erik Ten Hag summoned a new argument for fans to be positive.
“We are one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league at this moment,” the manager told the BBC.
“We are creating loads of chances by playing good football. Every team gives up opportunities. But when it is up to us, it is weird.”
It’s tough to disagree with the general argument that watching Manchester United is fun.
From rollercoaster 4-3 games against Chelsea and Liverpool to the remarkable 3-3 semi-final versus Coventry City the only consistent element of the Red Devils season is inconsistency.
But whilst it might be plausible to argue about the value of entertainment in the wake of a thrilling last-minute winner against Liverpool, using it as the basis for justifying a tie with the division’s second-bottom side simply doesn’t cut it.
Burnley has been soundly beaten by the entirety of the Premier League’s elite this season most of the mid-table sides have swotted the Clarets aside.
However, the Lancastrian side walked away from Old Trafford disappointed with a point having spurned many chances to win and conceding only thanks to a poor mistake by Sander Berge.
Ten Hag’s argument was weak and desperate, it is not the claim of a manager who has confidence in either his team or strategy.
Were it an excuse made in isolation perhaps it would be forgivable, but it comes once again in a week where the Dutchman showed how thin-skinned he was to legitimate journalistic criticism.
For the second time this season Ten Hag banned certain outlets from asking questions because he was so upset with their coverage of the 3-3 semi-final win over Coventry City-where United surrendered a three-goal advantage and then progressed on penalties.
Reporters from the Sun, the Mirror and the Manchester Evening News were told they could attend but would not be involved in the pre-Burnley press conference.
Asked by one who’d been given the green light whether he understood the reaction to the fortunate win over Coventry Ten Hag replied: “No. Absolutely not.
“The reaction from you [the media] was embarrassing. Twice [two FA Cup finals] in two years, it is magnificent.
“For me as manager, four cup finals in four years. The comments are a disgrace.”
This Isn’t 2004 Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his goal (Photo by David Davies – PA Images/PA … [+] Images via Getty Images)
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As I’ve previously pointed out, taking an aggressive approach to journalists believed to be unfriendly was a tactic of legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson with the glaringly obvious difference being the Scotsman was acting from a position of strength.
So it was interesting to see Ten Hag delving into the history books once again for an example of the 2004-05 Manchester United team which needed time to blossom. That side featured the emerging talents of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, but finished third in the league, and lost the FA Cup final and League Cup semi-finals.
“They forget, 2004-05, they also didn’t play that great football,” Ten Hag said.
“They are building and it takes time but everyone forgets, even the players who were in the team, they forget they were struggling. You need time to progress.
“We are [again] building this club back with young players. We have brought in young players Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo who are all in their first Premier League season.
“We know this League gets more intense every year and those players have to adjust which takes time. I’m very impatient but we need patient fans.”
United fans can justifiably feel insulted by both the comparison and the plea for patience. The 2004-05 side was arguably Ferguson’s fourth rebuild of a squad that had dominated the previous decade and just a few years earlier won three back-to-back Premier League titles and a Treble.
The fanbase trusted the manager would regenerate the team because there was an extensive body of evidence proving as much.
Secondly, Ten Hag has spent lavishly on experienced ready-made players, citing the need to let the impressive talents of Garnacho or Mainoo grow is cherry-picking examples to support an argument.
From Anthony to Casimiro, Sofyan Amrabat to Marcel Sabitzer Ten Hag has repeatedly brought in players with loads of experience who’ve simply not been up to the job.
The emergence of Garnacho has come in part because he’s failed to be able to make the expensive talents of Cristiano Ronaldo or Jadon Sancho work.
While Mainoo’s importance is in large part down to the failure of Amrabat to have any impact and Casimiro’s continued decline.
The average age of the Manchester United squad is 26.1 which just proves in abundance that Ten Hag’s claim about needing to let youngsters develop is inaccurate.
Ten Hag might believe he can use these excuses to buy time with supporters, but he must know the analytical appraisal new bosses Sir Dave Brailsford and Sir Jim Ratcliffe take won’t give such flimsy excuses lip service.
