Ten Hag hits new low with bizarre use of €190m worth of talent
Cameron Smith
- 29 Oct 2023 12:55 CDT
- 4 min read
Manchester United looked in the game during the first-half of the Manchester derby, but the second-half was a show of dominance from Pep Guardiola’s men.
Man Utd had a few fleeting moments of promise, Marcus Rashford’s chance just before the 70th minute was one such example, but Man City were able to cut through Erik ten Hag’s side time and time again.
Andre Onana made several key saves and he was arguably the main reason why Man Utd came away with a 3-0 defeat against their fierce rivals and not worse.
READ MORE: What is Man Utd’s biggest loss of all time?
Before the game had even begun, Man Utd fans vented their frustration on social media, with Ten Hag’s team selection not one that was warmly welcomed by the Red Devils fanbase.
It’s little surprise that Ten Hag’s job has been called into question in the aftermath of the loss too, with multiple decisions leaving the Old Trafford crowd perplexed.
Rasmus Hojlund was taken off in the 73rd minute, despite the fact Man Utd needed a goal, while an encouraging first-half display saw a bizarre change in which Mason Mount replaced Sofyan Amrabat in midfield.
READ MORE: ‘More penalties conceded than goals scored’ - Hojlund mocked for Manchester derby blunder
That substitution dropped Scott McTominay into a deep midfield role - one which he clearly isn’t suited to - with Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Mount also on the field at the same time.
McTominay isn’t a typical No.10, but he certainly isn’t a No.6 and all four of the midfielders mentioned would ideally like to operate in the same position on the pitch. None are first-phase players and all four are at their best in more advanced areas.
As a result, the lack of defensive stability in midfield ensured Man City played through Ten Hag’s side countless times in the second-half; most notably for the third goal when Rodri walked into a shooting position before Onana parried and Erling Haaland set up Phil Foden to tap home.
The €70.7m signing of Casemiro last summer was seen as an excellent one during his debut campaign, but his steep decline has severely hampered Man Utd and they are without a defensive presence at the base of midfield.
Ten Hag isn’t entirely responsible for Man Utd’s issues and off-field problems have hampered the Dutchman, but he is to blame for some questionable decisions, in regards to team selection, substitutions, and signings.
Ten Hag’s signings unfavoured
Ten Hag has had a big say in Man Utd’s transfer activity since he joined the club and many of their new arrivals have been personally handpicked by the Dutchman.
Lisandro Martinez and Antony were both signed from Ten Hag’s former club Ajax, while Mount was identified by Ten Hag as a key target this summer.
Martinez missed the derby through injury, but both Antony and Mount were benched for the occasion.
Ten Hag personally identified both players as transfer targets, yet didn’t favour either in one of Man Utd’s biggest games of the season.
The acquisition of Mount continues to perplex many, with the Englishman shifted out to the right wing during the second-half of the Manchester derby and not dovetailing with Fernandes as Ten Hag may have envisioned.
A defeat to Man City isn’t the end of the world - they are the best team on the planet as things stand - but Man Utd’s lacklustre performance after requiring a late penalty save to beat Copenhagen in midweek is cause for concern.
Despite spending close to €450m since Ten Hag’s arrival, Man Utd still look four or five signings away from being able to compete with the best teams in the Premier League and that is an issue.
The former Ajax manager has been unable to build on a promising first season and pressure will continue to mount if things don’t improve soon.
