Bayern nightmare could have saved Ten Hag's Man Utd job

Tom Weber

Updated: 7 Oct 2024 09:18 CDT
4 min read

Manchester United have begun taking an interest in Omar Marmoush, but had they acted sooner, he could have perhaps saved Erik ten Hag's job.

Article continues under the video

The Dutchman is under intense pressure and the consensus in the media appears to be that he will not survive at the helm of Man Utd much longer. After five winless games, Ten Hag's future is hanging in the balance and he could be sacked this week, with club chiefs set to meet on Tuesday to deliberate his fate.

Last season, Man Utd's biggest problem was their defence. The Red Devils conceded an unprecedented number of shots and this has, on occasion, also been an issue this term, such as against Tottenham and Porto.

However, in general, the backline has been much improved this season and the attack has given Ten Hag bigger headaches. Man Utd's finishing has not been particularly impressive and it is the biggest reason why the manager looks set to lose his job.

However, this could have been a preventable problem had they been a bit smarter in the transfer market in the summer.

Marmoush ideal for Ten Hag football

On Sunday, Man Utd began being linked with Bundesliga hotshot Omar Marmoush, joining the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in keeping tabs on the Egyptian.

The Eintracht Frankfurt striker has been in red-hot form this term and terrorised Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga's 'Toppspiel' on Sunday when the first-placed Bavarians travelled to the second-placed Hessians.

Marmoush was unstoppable in a crazy game of football that ultimately finished 3-3. After Bayern had taken the lead, the 25-year-old responded by running into space and clinically slotting the ball past Manuel Neuer. He then set up striker partner Hugo Ekitike for the 2-1 before netting the dramatic late 3-3 after Bayern had stormed in front again.

Marmoush's pace was a nightmare to deal with for Bayern's high defensive line and the game illustrated that he would be an ideal forward in Ten Hag's system.

Though Rio Ferdinand recently thundered that Man Utd 'need to stop playing transition football,' Ten Hag's stated goal has been to make the Red Devils the 'best transition team in football.'

Marmoush thrives in transition and could have been a useful asset to Man Utd had they paid attention to him sooner. The 25-year-old was not an unknown commodity prior to this season - in fact, he was the subject of high-profile interest in the summer after netting 17 goals last term.

The Egypt international has already scored nine times this season while providing six assists in just nine appearances for the Eagles. Marmoush has been unplayable for almost 12 months and Man Utd should have perhaps considered signing him over Joshua Zirkzee in the summer.