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Manchester United's disappointing season has been marred by accidents and off-the-field drama, however the change in techniques on the sector by supervisor Eric ten Hague in comparison with the earlier marketing campaign has puzzled followers and pundits alike.
The earlier season's “Ten Haag ball” – a artistic, progressive possession-based system that includes a deep-lying playmaker and a fluid entrance three – achieved nice success, with United qualifying for the Champions League, profitable the League Cup , reached the FA Cup ultimate and Europa. League semi-finals.
Nonetheless, considerably inexplicably, the supervisor introduced in pre-season that he wished to make United “one of the best transition group on this planet” and all of the sudden utterly modified his tactical set-up.
The deep positional participant was changed by a ball-carrying midfielder, and the ten Hag ball was changed by the chaos ball, a tactic primarily based on fast counter-attacks, dominating the opposition in possession and a excessive stage of possession. Press out.
The outcomes to this point, it's most likely truthful to say, have been disastrous. United have confronted extra photographs in opposition to them than another group outdoors the relegation zone, essentially the most in a season since 2003, with 9 matches nonetheless remaining.
Watching United this season has been like watching decrease league underdogs, even in opposition to groups like Luton City and Bournemouth.
There stays hope amongst many who the techniques that Ten Hag had in thoughts had been applied resulting from accidents to key personnel, and that he might return to the extra managed system of final season.
However an fascinating video going viral on social media exhibits that these techniques are, in reality, not performing out of character for Ten Hag. They aren’t an aberration. He appointed him at Ajax and defended him staunchly even when the nice Ruud Gullit identified his apparent weak spot.
Ruud Gullit questions Eric ten Hag's techniques and his open midfield throughout a soccer discuss present on nationwide TV.
ETH admits that leaving the midfield open with out anybody masking it could possibly by no means occur, which ought to let you know, it's all concerning the high quality of participant at United.
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/djbra99O8o
– Eric Ten Shelby 🧣 (@ErikTenShelby) 2 April 2024
In a 2019 video, Gullit is analyzing Ajax's Champions League house defeat to Actual Madrid (which Ten Hague's group later gained earlier than shedding to Spurs within the semi-finals of the competitors).
Gullit factors out how simple it’s for Actual to take advantage of the hole left between the protection and midfield when Ajax go ahead, and when possession is given up.
The good man additionally mentioned that related lapses had been made in opposition to Bayern Munich within the group levels, which ought to have been extra punished.
Compère requested Gullit if he acknowledged the sample of a group that appeared unbeatable one minute and could possibly be crushed by anybody the subsequent.
“The annoying factor about Ajax is… when issues aren't going nicely, what do you do subsequent?” He replied.
“And that's once they grow to be weak.
“Particularly in transition…I’ve seen this many instances earlier than.
“For the time being they’re taking a whole lot of dangers, particularly in midfield, and all of the sudden you get ridiculous counters.”
Gullit then talked by an instance from a match, saying, “It's intercepted after which they’ll run right away”.
Different examples of groups finishing up simple counter-attacks had been proven earlier than the commentator requested if there was not all the time hazard in taking part in a excessive press.
“Properly, there's all the time going to be one participant within the center who says 'What if?'” replies Gullit, citing Manchester Metropolis's Fernandinho for example.
“It's one thing it’s a must to have: 'What if we lose the ball?'”
However Ten Haag didn’t agree.
“The way in which we play, these dangers are already calculated,” he mentioned earlier than Actual Madrid's aim was restricted by the standard of the opponent.
Ten Hague's Ajax achieved great success that season, profitable the Eredivisie by a landslide and having fun with that spectacular run within the Champions League. So his protection of the dangers as “calculated” had some benefit.
Nonetheless, at Manchester United, taking part in within the unforgiving Premier League, they clearly don’t do that.
The horrific gaps within the video are frighteningly acquainted to United followers and the regarding issue is the supervisor's stubbornness and perception within the system that permits them. This implies, if Ten Hag stays at Manchester United, it appears, there might be ball chaos.
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