Ten Hag should be BANNED from making Man Utd signings

21 Aug 2023 12:19 BST
6 min read

After a 2-0 loss to a Tottenham side that’s arguably the weakest they have been in years, it’s a fair time to start asking questions of Manchester United and Erik ten Hag.

The former Ajax coach has had to deal with a lot going on in the background, no question. Cristiano Ronaldo effectively forcing a move away halfway through last season, the issues surrounding Jadon Sancho, and the ongoing takeover that has been rumbling in the background for what seems like an entirety. Fan protests and a number of players on huge wages, such as Harry Maguire and Anthony Martial, that the club can’t move on. But what is a Premier League manager’s job if it isn’t one that comes with problems?

Article continues under the video

Ten Hag is the man for Man Utd. His leadership, personality, vision and blueprint, are all precisely what the club needed. But the club must hire a new sporting director and take recruitment away from him because with the money spent - €429.7 across three windows - the club should be doing a much better job on the pitch.

Man Utd are among the worst operators of buying and selling in European football. They have been stung so many times, through the David Moyes era, right up to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time, when they pushed the likes of Donny van de Beek on the Norweigan. Millions have been chucked down the toilet.

Last year, they knew something had to change, so they decided to give the recruitment keys to Ten Hag. The side has drastically improved, no doubt, but time and time again there are displays which truly disappoint - in particular, their away record under Ten Hag. Despite winning 15 of their 19 home league games last season, Man Utd managed only eight victories on the road, suffering a 7-0 loss to Liverpool and a 4-0 defeat at Brentford, while they also were defeated by Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle and Brighton.

Ten Hag demanded Antony, despite Ajax hiking the price to an obscene €95m, which meant the acquisition had to work. But the Brazilian is without question a flop. Casemiro for €70.7m, considering his age, was also questionable.

© ProShots - Antony has not been anywhere near value for money

This time around it’s been no different. Of course, it’s early into the new season, but Mason Mount for €64m was unnecessary, especially when the side needs a player to compliment Casemiro in the No.6 role and not someone whose best position is the same as Bruno Fernandes. Rasmus Hojlund, 20 years old and ten goals last season, for €75m, is another huge risk. Lisandro Martinez for his price has been about right but he has won just 1.30 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the year he has been at Old Trafford. This puts Martinez in the 10% percentile for players in his position in Europe's top-five leagues.

John Murtough is supposedly in charge of the club’s transfer business, but it is something of a huge coincidence that he is fondly attracted to players who had worked with Ten Hag before. It’s quite clear who’s running the show where buying and selling is concerned. And this is where Man Utd are going wrong.

Ten Hag is pulling the strings here, and the club have allowed him to because of the past mistakes they have made. Now they are afraid to intervene. What they must do is install an effective sporting director to take over from Ten Hag, and instead work in tandem with the Dutchman.

Newcastle have Dan Ashworth. The club are the second most effective recruiters in the Premier League, after Brighton. Arsenal have Edu, who’s done wonders, even though vast sums have been spent. Chelsea’s contingent of Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley have been gung-ho, to say the least. But they have been able to shift on €253.9m compared to Man Utd’s €38m of unwanted players this summer. West Ham have technical director Tim Steidten, and consequently, they have made shrewd signings such as Edson Alvarez and possibly Mohammed Kudus this window.

Man City have Txiki Begiristain - even the legendary Pep Guardiola acts as second-in-command to their head of recruitment. The Citizens have made a net spend of €35m this window, and they achieved a profit of around €50m the year before that.

Man Utd have options. Julian Ward will leave Liverpool. Michael Edwards has been out of work for a considerable period and remains one of the best in business.

Monchi went to Aston Villa following his spellbinding time at Sevilla. Mateu Alemany is set to leave Barcelona shortly. Perhaps the most prominent name is Paul Mitchell, the man who discovered Dele Alli, who will leave Monaco when the window shuts, after a hugely successful period. Hasan Salihamidzic is another they could consider, having recently left Bayern Munich.

© ProShots - Paul Mitchell should be snapped up

These are respected directors have who bought at the right price and achieved unbelievable success in return. The Glazers don’t appear to be going anywhere. This means Man Utd have to be self-sustaining.

It’s important at this point to stress this is not a criticism of Ten Hag and has capabilities as a manager: he is an elite coach who won the League Cup last term and landed Man Utd back in the Champions League after a lengthy absence. But where recruitment is concerned, he needs a smaller say.

If Man Utd get recruitment right and if Ten Hag is left to his own devices on the football pitch and away from transfers, the Premier League giants would become a far more successful and economically efficient club.