As the pressure mounted, Erik ten Hag once more engaged in what was lately referred to as a “sackable offense.”
Manchester United suffered a humiliating 3-1 home loss against a superior Brighton club, and Ten Hag is once again under intense criticism.
The current Red Devils team was dubbed “insipid” by The Mirror, and the Dutchman faces a difficult task in trying to turn things around with a critical Champions League match against Bundesliga giant Bayern coming up soon.
Even though he likes to think of himself as a tough guy and recently told the media that his players are unaffected by the controversy surrounding Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and the takeover, the outcomes on the field present a very different picture.
The Manchester club has dropped three of its first five Premier League contests this season, and to add insult to injury, they were thoroughly embarrassed by Brighton, led by ex-Man Utd player Danny Welbeck.
No excuses
Ten Hag and company had a similarly rocky start to the previous campaign, but that was somewhat to be expected given that the Dutchman was trying to install an entirely new style while primarily using players from prior administrations. After another transfer window of extravagant spending, this justification is no longer acceptable.
It must be admitted that Ten Hag was not entirely responsible for all of the issues Man Utd is currently experiencing. At Old Trafford, there was a barrage of jeers as he substituted Anthony Martial for the outstanding Rasmus Hojlund.
Paul Parker, a former Manchester United player, recently claimed that starting Martial over Hojlund should be grounds for dismissal. However, as the coach noted after the game, Hojlund’s back ailment prevents him from playing the whole 90 minutes.
After the game, Ten Hag said that Man Utd “need character” to defeat Bayern, but given the current course of events, they would require much, much more. Despite all the hype about Ten Hag trying to alter the “culture” at Manchester United, concerns now need to be raised regarding his strategies as the “culture” of the Dutchman’s team is obviously no longer producing any fruit.
