Manchester United remain blind to Erik Ten Hag’s major weakness

Erik Ten Hag began his pre-season preparations by reiterating the same excuse he used to defend the team’s poor form last season.

“I want the team to be as strong as possible,” Ten Hag told reporters at a pre-match press conference against Arsenal in Los Angeles.

“We’ve already made two very good signings, so when everyone is fit we have a team that can beat everyone.

“But also in the depth of the team, we have to catch up. We know that because (when) we have had injuries, we are vulnerable and we need to avoid this. First, we injure ourselves less and sustain fewer injuries. And secondly, our team has to be so good in depth.

“Of course, the quality we have, but in depth we have to catch up. And even more so, because this will be a season that is survival of the fittest.

“We proved that we can beat the best team. Not just once, we did it twice. But the other games were also very close.

“Our challenge is to do it consistently, that’s what we have to work for.”

If avoiding injury was one of the Dutchman’s goals for the new campaign, then he got off to a rather disastrous start.

During a 1-2 defeat at Arsenal, first Rasmus Hojlund and then the new signing of 66 million dollars Leny Yoro left the field of play with fitness problems.

The Danish striker was withdrawn after just 15 minutes with a groin concern, while Yoro followed soon after after lengthy treatment on the pitch.

It’s not wise to read too much into substitutions in non-competitive matches, caution always takes precedence over the result, but it was a sight Ten Hag clearly wasn’t enamored with.

“We have to wait 24 hours and then hopefully we will know more,” the manager told domestic station MUTV.

“We were very careful, especially with Leny. It’s disappointing that it had to come out, but let’s be positive and see what comes out.”

Mask of Ten Hag

Accidents for a manager are, like arbitration decisions, a useful explanation for when things go wrong.

Almost every other aspect that comes up in a game can be attributed in some way to the coach and their decisions, but the fact that they don’t have the talent at their disposal, that’s out of their hands.

The Ten Hag has used this handy excuse time and time again to blame injuries for Manchester United’s poor form.

“The injuries were really crazy,” he said in a fairly typical May outburst.

“Not long ago I had to start the 15th center back duo of the season. We had 33 (!) different defensive lines this season.

“Sofyan Amrabat had to play left back 4 times. I had injuries all over the field”.

“Casemiro has been away for a long time. Rasmus Hojlund, the striker we bought, has had 3 injuries and they can go on and on. That’s the core story of our season.”

While United’s defense undoubtedly suffered from the disruption, there was a pretty strong consensus that Ten Hag’s tactics were at the heart of the club’s woeful defensive record.

This, unfortunately, is a topic the Dutchman has been much less open to discussing.

High-Press, Deep Defense

In February, after Manchester United slumped to a 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher revealed to the football world what had been visible for months: his bizarre tactics Ten Hag.

In every match, the Red Devils seemed to hand over the midfield entirely to the opposition, making the attackers press the opponents high up the pitch while the defenders stayed wide of them.

“They are defending like a team we have never seen before,” said Carragher. “What I mean by that is they like to press high with a deep block. It’s impossible. They are trying to do two things at the same time. You can only do one or the other.”

While he admitted the Scouser “had a point”, Ten Hag’s response was still very salty.

“Some analysts are very objective in their comments, very good advice, some are very subjective,” Ten Hag said.

“Jamie Carragher, from the first moment, criticized and now he wants to make his point.”

But Carragher was right, the Ten Hag’s quirky approach contributing to some humiliating defeats against the likes of Crystal Palace and seeing the club finish in eighth position.

These tactics were also questioned by players who the Manchester Evening News claimed expressed concerns that he was running too much.

“Minority of Manchester United players concerned about running demands from manager Erik ten Hag,” reported the local title in March.

“It is understood some players feel the intensity is too demanding after United’s 62-game campaign last season and the workload contributed to the club’s injury toll.”

Last season’s overall failure was significantly obscured by the club winning the FA Cup against bitter rivals Manchester City in the final game.

But the reality is that display didn’t erase the fact that the longer trend has been for Ten Hag’s tactical inconsistency to contribute to some terrible displays.

This remains the coach’s main weakness. But if the rhetoric with which he started this campaign is anything to go by, it’s one he hopes the hierarchy won’t see behind the new injury complaints.