SUMMARY
- Erik ten Hag faced setback as pressure increased due to polarizing comments after Manchester United's match against Nottingham Forest.
- The Dutch boss faced questions about his future at the English club following their 14th defeat this season, specifically whether he is the right fit under INEOS control.
Erik ten Hag suffered another setback when Manchester United faced Nottingham Forest on match day 20 of the Premier League. The pressure on the Dutch boss was increased after some polarizing comments in the post-match interview.
The Dutch boss was pressed about his future at the club after the English suffered their 14th defeat of this season. Erik ten Hag was asked whether he thinks he is the right man for the English club under the new control of the INEOS group.
The former Dutch boss boldly claimed: “They know me and know when I have a squad that is available, results will be there. We were over-performing last year, so far this season we are under-performing. We have to step up. I have to lead the process.”
🔴 Ten Hag on how he convinces INEOS he is the right man…
“They know me and know when I have a squad that is available, results will be there”.
“We were over-performing last year, so far this season we are under-performing. We have to step up”. pic.twitter.com/pbFirKf2ZC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 30, 2023
The bold comments about over-performing have rubbed the fan base of the English club the wrong way. In the first season under Erik ten Hag, Manchester United finished third in the Premier League last season and won the English League Cup. For many clubs this might be considered a success, however, standards at Manchester United are on a different level.
Fans showed no mercy to Erik ten Hag by criticizing the mentality of the English club. Comments like “He won’t make it past January,” “Finishing third is over performing, My God where are the standards? I’m beginning to hate this guy,” “Overperforming??? This man is a lïar,” “Just look at the excuses, Mid-club mentality,” echoed the sentiments of the fans.
Erik ten Hag numbers with Manchester United in his first season
These latest comments from Erik ten Hag have put the spotlight on his first season at the club. The Dutch boss joined Manchester United from Ajax in a move that received widespread excitement and anticipation among fans.
However, even though Manchester United finished 3rd in the Premier League and managed to win a trophy, the major talking points revolved around the man management of Erik ten Hag. The Dutch boss faced power struggles within the dressing room as he began to integrate his style of play at the English club.
Not once did Erik Ten Hag publicly call him out to prove to him that he can score goals,not once. https://t.co/W8YfHdsly8
— L’’ (@lanrrrre) December 30, 2023
In his debut season, the Dutch boss faced problems with Ronaldo, De Gea, Maguire, and Elanga. These issues sometimes pushed the on-field performances to the backseat.
Manchester United finished 14 points behind champions Manchester City however, the Red Devils were comfortably the third-best side in England, behind Manchester City and Arsenal. They recorded 75 points in the league with the most clean sheets in the league.
The main issues were in the attack, where they only scored 58 goals in the league. The attacking output was the lowest in the top six sides in the Premier League. The first season of Erik ten Hag at Manchester United can be deemed a success. However, the over-performing comment can be polarizing, as evidenced by the latest pushback from the fans.