Erik ten Hag’s second season at Manchester United has been nothing less than a nightmare. ‘The Red Devils’ are on course to miss out on the UEFA Champions League spots for the upcoming season, after their recent run of poor results.
Moreover, in an embarrassing feat, United were eliminated from the group stages of the UCL 23/24, when they finished bottom of group A. Amidst the disastrous performances of his club, Erik ten Hag has come under huge scrutiny with his job reportedly in massive danger.
🚨 Here’s the video of Ten Hag saying:
“We’re one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league at this moment. We’re creating loads of chances by playing good football.”
Thought it was a fake quote, I’m speechless 😶 pic.twitter.com/fepHmEMx0b
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) April 27, 2024
However, it seems that the Dutch tactician has still not given up on his Manchester United side. The 54-year-old has recently said that his side plays some of the most entertaining and dynamic soccer in the Premier League. He said, “We’re one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league at this moment. We’re creating loads of chances by playing good football.”
The quote has baffled the Manchester United fanbase who cannot wrap their heads around Erik ten Hag’s quotes. The fans do not seem to be enjoying the playing style of their team, which has become infamous for not creating enough chances. The English team has had to battle very hard for even the narrowest of victories, and the dynamism in Manchester United’s play is surely absent.
Erik ten Hag wants his team to defend well for the remainder of the season
Staying on the topic of United’s playing style, one of the major flaws of Manchester United is their leaky defense. ‘The Red Devils’ have a poor goal difference of 1, which is the lowest amongst the top 6 teams of the Premier League 23/24. Part of the reason that Man Utd. have conceded 51 goals in 34 games, is because of several injuries to their defenders.
However, it looks like Erik ten Hag has had enough of Manchester United’s defensive problems. The Dutch tactician has called for his team to defend well and play with more intensity.
“Out of possession, we have to be more organised”
Erik ten Hag wants his team to be better defensively in the remaining part of the season 🔴 pic.twitter.com/u0TLfaqTpD
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 26, 2024
The former AFC Ajax manager said via (Daily Mail Online), “Out of possession, we have to be better organized, be more disciplined, and play at a higher intensity. Keep doing the stuff in possession because we’ve made huge progress this season in possession, in attacking transition, we’ve scored so many goals.”
Erik ten Hag, however, praised his players for being brilliant on the ball and believes that scoring goals hasn’t been Manchester United’s problem in the 23/24 season. The 54-year-old believes that United has been great on the counter-attack, which has yielded so many goals for the team.
Erik ten Hag will have to take a massive pay cut to remain at Man Utd for the upcoming season
Despite the Dutch tactician’s belief that Manchester United has improved a lot in recent times, Erik is far from being fearful about losing his job at United. The rumors of him getting sacked from Manchester United, have increased when Man Utd were officially out of the UCL race for the upcoming season, after Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
A club of United’s stature that needs a huge transfer and wage budget every season, will suffer deeply without the money that Champions League brings. This would mean that the club would have to do some cost-cutting in the upcoming season.
Erik ten Hag might have to bear the brunt of United not qualifying for the UCL 2024/25. The Dutchman who signed a 3-year-long performance-based contract in 2022, will see his salary drop from $11.2 million to around $8.5 million, amounting to a 25% decrease. It would also mean that his compensation pack is likely to be decreased if Erik ten Hag gets fired in the 24/25 season.
🚨 Erik Ten Hag’s salary will be cut by 25% at Manchester United next season if he fails to qualify for the Champions League.
(Source: @MarkOgden_) pic.twitter.com/TmvAiSbUBD
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 24, 2024
There is, however, more bad news for Erik ten Hag, as United’s new minority investors, the Sir Jim Ratcliffe led-INEOS group has reportedly drawn out a shortlist of candidates to replace ten Hag. This includes England NT manager Gareth Southgate, Brighton’s Roberto Di Zerbi, and FC Bayern Munich’s Thomas Tuchel. It would be interesting to see, how the Erik ten Hag’s future unfolds.