The failed Ten strategy

Bengaluru: When Manchester United appointed Erik ten Hag as their coach in the summer of 2022, the fallen giants of English football knew exactly what they were getting into. Since the retirement of the great Alex Ferguson in 2013, during whose extraordinary 26-year tenure the Red Devils went on to become one of the most powerful clubs in the world (trophy-wise and financially), United were on a steady decline. They had grappled with seven different managers — both full-time and interim — and while some did hit the high points a few times, none could deliver the kind of consistent success the fans were used to under Ferguson.

It’s almost impossible to match the feats of Ferguson, who too took time initially to find success, but given how fickle the lives of managers have become in the brutal world of elite football since the turn of the millennium, United too embraced the culture of hiring and firing if they couldn’t deliver as per expectations. So out went David Moyes (2013-14), Louis van Gaal (2014-16), Jose Mourinho (2016-18), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (2018-2021) — all permanent appointees.

During the Mourinho and Solskjaer reign is when Ten Hag was creating an impression at Ajax Amsterdam. The Dutchman was brought on board from rivals Utrecht just three days after Christmas in 2017 and was tasked with rebuilding a young squad bustling with talent but struggling for direction. And Ten Hag delivered.

His youthful team destroyed heavyweights Real Madrid 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 2018-19 Champions League round of 16 first leg, downed another powerhouse Juventus in the quarterfinals before falling short to Tottenham Hotspur in the semifinals. He won three Eredivisie titles (Dutch league) and two KNVB Cups but more than the success, it was the manner in which he won that endeared the boardroom of United.

So he was brought in with great hope in the summer of 2022, the Board seeing the traits of Ferguson in him. He had gained a reputation of turning a young and ambitious side into a championship unit, his brand of energetic and attacking football was pleasing — it’s what United fans crave to see — and like Ferguson was known to be extremely stubborn, especially in dealing with players with bloated egos.

Apparently, when he first arrived at Ajax, he carried a suitcase embroidered with the branding of rivals Utrecht and despite being advised against it, Ten Hag continued to carry it. Ajax bosses told their United counterparts about his stubbornness and other eccentricities but it was the very same stubborn attitude that the wise men at Old Trafford felt was the need of the hour.

United was mired in deep mess and they needed someone as strong as Ten Hag to bail them out. Unsurprisingly, he was the given full freedom and was backed to the hilt. He wanted money to build his own team, he was thrown a humungous amount, almost close to USD 800 million — only Chelsea have spent more during that period. He wanted the management’s backing during rows with players such as club legend Cristiano Ronaldo and upcoming Jadon Sanch -- he got it. He wanted to purchase players for more than their market value because he felt they could be the X-factor, like spending USD 95 million on Antony, he got it. He wanted cosmetic changes done to the video analysis room at the Carrington training facility costing almost GBP 200,000, he got it.

Even when he punished players for poor performances, like forcing them to watch all of Liverpool’s seven goal celebrations repeatedly during the 7-0 league defeat in March 2023, no questions were asked. He was given complete power but in return was asked to improve the stock of United. Despite holding the sceptre he couldn’t restore order and only ended up pushing United deeper into the abyss. So following a tumultuous 2-1/2 year reign where won an EFL Cup and an FA Cup, he was booted out and replaced by the highly-rated Ruben Amorim.

Problem with too much power is it can turn toxic and that’s what brought about Ten Hag’s downfall. Despite buying players he wanted, and most of them were either Dutch or well-known to him, he couldn’t instill a philosophy at the club. Different coaches have different styles but nobody could figure out what brand of football United were playing during his time. They were neither offensively good nor defensively better. They had their moments of brilliance, primarily due to the talent on the pitch, but never clicked as a unit. 

Picture this against clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur or even Aston Villa who have made rapid progress under Unai Emery. The Spaniard, the great Arsene Wenger’s replacement at Arsenal in 2018, was sacked by the Gunners but the gritty 53-year-old has reignited his credentials as one of the astute coaches in Europe with a stellar job at Villa since taking over in 2022.

Although Ten Hag deserves to cop much of the blame considering the freedom he was given, he just ended being the wrong person at the wrong time at United. Most of his signings sadly didn’t click, he was hit with a spate of injuries which any club or manager would have struggled to cope with. And to deal with fans of a club so accustomed to success but getting increasingly frustrated with sustained failures just became too much. It’s hard to imagine which coach could have jostled so many troubles without getting knocked down.

Now, following several failed experimentations, United have turned to Amorim with the same hope and expectation they had with Ferguson, just like they did with Ten Hag. Ferguson was 44 years old when he took charge of the Red Devils while Amorim is just 39. Like how the Scot gained a reputation at Aberdeen (1978-1986) where he led them to three Premier Division titles and an European Cup Winners’ Cup, the Portuguese is being touted as one of the bright young managerial minds of this generation in powering Sporting Lisbon to their first Primeira Liga title in 19 years during the 2020-21 season before repeating the feat last season. Like how Ferguson reinstated Aberdeen’s status as one of the top clubs in Scotland, Amorim has done the same with Sporting in Portugal.

Very importantly, Amorim has all the qualities United fans crave for. He largely employs the 3-4-3 formation, getting the team to play a high-press, quick-passing, energetic brand of football, almost what Jurgen Klopp did at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool. While attacking is his mantra, Amorim can adapt based on situation. When the opposition is on the prowl, Amorim can get his wards to defend stoutly before turning the tables in devastating fashion. He, like most critics have been saying, is very matured and tactically sound for someone of his age. Master tactician Pep Guardiola got a taste of it when his Manchester City side were hammered 4-1 in the Champions League last week, the game being Amorim’s farewell outing with Sporting before he takes charge of United later this month.

Despite the success, Amorim is completely aware of the gargantuan task at his hand. United are still hungover from the Ferguson era and the path to redemption is long. He has to get the players, whose confidence is at all-time low with United off to their worst start in the league in nearly four decades (United are 13th), to play a brand of football they are hardly used to. Plus the brutal holiday-season schedule barely gives any time to catch a breath, let alone implement a philosophy. The remainder of the season could be just a trial before the actual examinations begin next season. Only time will tell if Amorim can help rediscover the Red Devils’ killer instinct.