Premier League
Ten Hag makes his case as Man United’s worst modern manager
It’s never a good thing for a Manchester United manager to be compared to David Moyes, but Erik ten Hag is now posting more alarming statistics than the man generally regarded as the worst manager of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Old Trafford.
United’s 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday — United’s 14th loss in all competitions already this season — followed the same rinse-and-repeat pattern of many of their collapses. Concede first, equalise and then throw the game away with amateurish defending. Add in some dismal individual performances and confused tactics and you have the story of Ten Hag’s season so far.
It was chaotic as usual, but chaos doesn’t lend itself to success too often. Rather, it generally leads to failure, and Ten Hag’s second season is beginning to resemble Moyes’ only campaign as United manager, when he was fired just 10 months after replacing Ferguson in May 2013.
The problem for Ten Hag is that his team is now performing worse than Moyes’ was after 20 games of the 2013-14 season.
Moyes’ United were seventh after 20 games, with 34 points from 20 games, having scored 33 goals and conceded 24. Fast forward and now Ten Hag’s United are also in seventh, with just 31 points from 20 games. With 22 goals scored and 27 conceded, Ten Hag’s team is scoring fewer and conceding more than the side that cost Moyes his job.
Moyes was never convincing when he attempted to explain poor results and performances, and Ten Hag is falling into a similar trap.
“Every time you have to swap [players], the routines are not there and top football is going quick, so you need the communication in the split moment,” Ten Hag said when asked why his team makes recurring mistakes. “We went for the win and there was one counterattack where we probably did not defend too good as a team, but what I saw in the second half was a team going for a win and that was what we missed in the first half. I saw some decent football in the second half.”
Ten Hag has new bosses since INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 25% stake in the club, and INEOS director of sport Dave Brailsford was watching on Saturday from the directors’ box alongside Ferguson, the legendary former manager of Man United. Although Ten Hag insists INEOS is keen to work with him, the sound of the clock ticking on Ten Hag’s reign became louder every time the camera shot switched from Brailsford to a forlorn-looking Ten Hag on the touchline.
It was a similar story with Moyes before his sacking. Back then, the camera shot would be of a frustrated Ferguson before cutting directly to the struggling manager, looking more and more haunted with every defeat.
One can only imagine what Ferguson was whispering into Brailsford’s ear during this defeat at Forest, although it is a safe bet to assume that he wouldn’t be over-complimentary about the performance of Antony, United’s £85m winger who has not registered a goal or assist all season.
The Brazil international was substituted on 54 minutes to chants of “What a waste of money!” from the Forest supporters, but the former Ajax winger’s lack of impact in a United shirt is becoming a major problem for Ten Hag simply because the former Ajax manager pushed the club to sign him 18 months ago.
“He is so frustrating,” former United captain Gary Neville told Sky Sports. “I blame the football club. It’s not [his] fault he was bought for that money. There has to be a ‘no’ when it gets to that level. If I was looking at him at £25m, we would be looking differently.”
Pursuing Antony was a misjudgment on Ten Hag’s part, but he repeats it every time he selects Antony in his starting lineup. The player is simply not good enough for a club aiming to contend at the top of the Premier League, so Ten Hag’s inability to accept that will not help his cause with his new bosses — Brailsford will be on a three-person football board with co-owners Joel Glazer and Ratcliffe once INEOS’ investment is ratified by the Premier League in the weeks ahead.
There are mitigating circumstances that Ten Hag is dealing with, of course. United’s injury list has been lengthy all season and forward Rasmus Hojlund, who finally scored his first Premier League goal for the club in Tuesday’s 3-2 win against Aston Villa, missed the Forest game due to illness.
But all managers must overcome injuries and illness problems — they are a fact of life in elite sport — and those Ten Hag is expected to compete with are doing a better job of it right now.
When asked to pinpoint United’s biggest problem, Ten Hag was direct: “The injuries,” he said. “Also some issues but mainly the injuries hold us back in the process. In January, we have a lot of players returning so then our levels can be higher.
“We have had nine different partnerships in the back. It doesn’t matter as well, the fans don’t want to hear this, they want to see us winning and that is what we have to serve them.”
The upside from this game was that Marcus Rashford scored from open play for the first time since September. Alejandro Garnacho also showed himself to be a star of the future again. But with Nicolás Domínguez and Morgan Gibbs-White scoring either side of Rashford’s goal for Forest, the points went to Nottingham Forest, leaving Ten Hag with more negative statistics.
Under Ten Hag, Man United now have lost 14 games this season with another 18 games left to play — Moyes lost only 16 in one full season at United.
Meanwhile, United’s 21 defeats suffered in 2023 in all competitions is the club’s worst mark since 1972 and the fourth-worst tally in its history.
This team has also lost the same number of games — nine — as it suffered in the Premier League throughout the whole of last season. Nottingham Forest, for their part, beat Man United for the first time since 1994.
So, the crisis returns. Next up is an FA Cup third-round tie at Wigan Athletic, who sit 18th in EFL League One. Ten Hag simply cannot contemplate losing that one.
-ESPN
Liverpool will have to wait for a few more days to be crowned Premier League champions despite a 1-0 victory at Leicester City after Arsenal kept their slender hopes just about alive with a 4-0 romp at 10-man Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold came off the bench to score Liverpool’s winner in the 76th minute at the King Power Stadium to restore their 13-point lead at the top with five games left.
While Liverpool can almost taste a record-equalling 20th English crown, Leicester’s defeat confirmed their relegation back to the Championship after just one season.
The Midlands club have now been relegated from England’s top flight a record 13 times.
Chelsea secured a massive win in their bid to qualify for the Champions League as they came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage with Pedro Neto scoring in stoppage time.
The win pushed Chelsea above Nottingham Forest in to fifth place, the last spot for qualification to the Champions League, although Forest play at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
Chelsea have 57 points from 33 games, two behind third-placed Newcastle United and one behind Manchester City. Forest and Aston Villa are level with Chelsea on 57 points.
Wolverhampton Wanderers guaranteed their safety as they beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford. Pablo Sarabia’s stunning free kick wrapped up a fifth successive league win, the first time Wolves have achieved that in the top flight since 1970.
Liverpool were wasteful at Leicester with numerous chances going begging and Mohamed Salah suffering a frustrating afternoon including hitting both posts with an early shot.
Salah hit the woodwork again moments before the ball came out to Alexander-Arnold who fired a left-footed shot through the crowd to give his side the points — ripping off his shirt and celebrating wildly with the travelling fans.
“We just keep going, mentally we’re really strong,” manager Arne Slot, whose side could be crowned champions if Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, told Sky Sports.
“They enjoy playing football and it helps when you are playing for something special. Today (Alexander-Arnold) knows when it matters most he can just bring a bit more which is something all the top, top players have.”
DISTANT SECOND
If Arsenal avoid defeat by Palace, Slot’s side will seal the title if they beat Tottenham Hotspur at home next Sunday.
“We will focus on Tottenham and looking forward again to a home game and I think the stadium will be full,” Slot, who can become the first Dutch manager to win the English title, said. “It’s a nice game to look forward to.”
Liverpool have 79 points with Arsenal a distant second on 66. Arsenal may have their eyes now on a Champions League semi-final against Paris St Germain, but they showed against Ipswich they will not hand over the title to Liverpool.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring early on and Gabriel Martinelli made it 2-0 after a delightful flick by Mikel Merino.
Ipswich were reduced to 10 men before halftime as Leif Davis crudely raked his studs down the back of Bukayo Saka’s calf and the second half was academic.
Trossard grabbed his second in the 69th minute and Ethan Nwaneri added a late fourth to leave Ipswich stuck in 18th place on 21 points. They will be relegated if they drop points again or 17th-placed West Ham United pick up one more point from their remaining five games.
Chelsea were heading for a damaging defeat at neighbours Fulham as the hosts led with Alex Iwobi’s 20th-minute goal.
Substitute Tyrique George equalised with an instinctive shot in the 83rd minute, his first Premier League goal, before winger Neto swivelled and unleashed a thunderous strike in stoppage time to send the away fans wild.
Manchester United reached the Europa League semi-final with an astonishing comeback win against French club Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday but their Premier League woes returned against Wolves.
They are in 14th place and have now lost eight Premier League home games this season, their most defeats at Old Trafford in a league campaign since 1962-63.
“Wolves scored in the only opportunity they had. we had many chances, and we didn’t score. If you don’t score goals, you are not going to win games,” manager Ruben Amorim said.
-Reuters
Egyptian outlet, Ahram, has reported that Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract with Liverpool, extending his stay at Anfield beyond the 2024-25 season as he prepares for what could be the final chapter of a storied career with the club.
While the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, British media reports indicate the 32-year-old forward has signed a two-year extension, keeping him at the club until at least 2027.
Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, has become a modern-day icon at Anfield.
The Egyptian international has scored 243 goals in 394 appearances—third on the club’s all-time scorers list—and has helped the Reds secure seven major trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League titles.
“I had my best years here,” Salah told the club’s website. “Hopefully it’s going to be 10. I signed because I believe we can still win big trophies together.”
He has maintained his prolific form this season, scoring 32 goals and providing 22 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. His 27 Premier League goals currently lead the division.
During his time with Liverpool, Salah has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times, been named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice, and claimed two FWA Footballer of the Year awards.
Now entering the latter stages of his career, Salah remains focused on adding more silverware to his collection and further cementing his legacy at Liverpool.
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Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga, who became the second-youngest Premier League player when he made his senior debut in Monday’s 3-0 loss to Newcastle United, had to wear a blank shirt because it is sponsored by an online cryptocurrency gaming platform.
Britain’s Gambling Act 2005, which underwent a review in 2020, prohibits players under 18 from wearing kits displaying gambling sponsors. Monga, an England U16 international, made his senior debut at 15 years 271 days old.
Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri remains the youngest Premier League player in history, having debuted in the competition when he was 90 days younger than Monga.
Leicester, who suffered an eighth straight loss in the league without scoring a goal, are 19th in the standings, 15 points below the safety zone.
-Reuters
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