Man Utd 0-1 Bayern Munich: What next for Erik ten Hag and United?
Thomas Tuchel summed up how Erik ten Hag have to be feeling simply now.
In the aftermath of Bayern Munich’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, a end result that eradicated Ten Hag’s aspect from all European competitors, the previous Chelsea boss eloquently outlined the negatives of being a soccer supervisor when outcomes haven’t gone your method.
“He does not need my advice or clapping on the shoulders,” mentioned Tuchel. “He is skilled sufficient to undergo it.
“I had not a pleasant second final Saturday. Sometimes you are feeling fairly lonely as a coach.”
The distinction between Bayern’s 5-1 loss at Frankfurt final weekend and the place United are actually is easy.
For Bayern, the end result felt like a freak. A foul day in an general constructive season, definitely so far as the Bundesliga and Champions League are involved. For United, it’s simply one other dangerous day on high of earlier dangerous days.
This newest loss couldn’t be positioned in the identical atrocious class as Saturday’s embarrassing 3-0 house defeat by Bournemouth.
But, as former Premier League striker Chris Sutton mentioned on BBC Radio 5 Live, United are “simply not excellent”.
Sutton believes the Old Trafford membership are “going backwards” beneath their present supervisor – and nearly 5 years to the day since they went to Anfield and misplaced, a end result that triggered the dismissal of Jose Mourinho, United go to Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
They can be with out suspended skipper Bruno Fernandes and, nearly definitely, defensive duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, who had been each injured within the first half in opposition to Bayern.
‘We ought to have performed higher’
No matter what occurred at Old Trafford, United would have been eradicated from the Champions League as a result of FC Copenhagen beat Galatasaray.
The Danes function on a finances roughly one-twentieth of United’s. The English aspect’s 4 factors from a single win in opposition to Copenhagen and a attract Turkey represents their lowest return from any Champions League group stage they’ve been concerned in.
Not since 2005-06 beneath Sir Alex Ferguson have United didn’t safe some sort of European motion after Christmas, except 2014-15, once they missed out fully.
They are the sort of statistics for which there will be no logical rationalization past persistent underachievement.
“I look to my group and we had alternatives in video games,” said Ten Hag. “We had been in successful positions, we scored many objectives, so we now have to see we gave it away typically by particular person errors, not one participant however extra gamers. We gave opponents alternatives.
“We had excellent spells however the truth is we didn’t get sufficient factors.
“We are disillusioned. We ought to have performed higher.”
Will Sir Jim Ratcliffe deal lastly be confirmed next week?
The massive query is what occurs now.
United’s possession scenario desperately wants clarifying. It continues to be hoped Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group can have their 25% buy confirmed earlier than Christmas however this type of optimism has been raised so many occasions over the previous few weeks, with no announcement following, few will consider it till it truly occurs.
Ratcliffe’s arrival, accompanied by Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, who each visited Old Trafford final week, will at the least enable United to look ahead with some sort of clear imaginative and prescient and technique, which appears to be lacking for the time being.
Ten Hag says there are nonetheless “many issues” to play for however in actuality, that quantities to the FA Cup, which hasn’t even began for United but, and Champions League qualification.
Ironically, it’s the performances of Manchester City and Liverpool amongst others that may decide whether or not fifth spot fairly than the standard fourth can be sufficient for qualification this season as Uefa affords two further spots to the international locations whose groups carry out greatest in Europe general.
Can Man Utd make the highest 5?
United are solely three factors off fifth and Tottenham, who occupy that place simply now, aren’t far more constant than Ten Hag’s group.
Yet, look past the outcomes and there’s a lack of fashion and an inescapable feeling a few of the gamers Ten Hag signed, all of whom price excess of Copenhagen might ever envisage paying, aren’t ok for the extent demanded of them.
On TNT Sports, former United midfielder Paul Scholes known as it “a frightened efficiency”. With a lot on the road, that evaluation is damning.
Ten Hag supplied a extra wide-reaching view.
“In this marketing campaign, we had not all the time the gamers obtainable we would like,” he said. “Now I offer you a cause however do not see it as an excuse. Even when we’re not all on board, we now have to win for Manchester United.”
So Ten Hag strikes on. Having misplaced extra video games this season than he has received.
“We strive every thing to win matches, these are the objectives of excessive degree sports activities,” said Tuchel. “But after all I’ve sympathy.
“He has a number of key gamers injured for a decisive match, they lack the persona and possibly the width to alter video games from the bench.
“It will not be a simple time however I’m fairly positive he is aware of what to do next.”
Manchester United can solely hope Tuchel is correct.