Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag saw the pressure on him crank up at the weekend after his side slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham.
The poor display saw the Red Devils suffer a third defeat in six league games so far this term to equal the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season and follows on from their eighth-place finish last term.
Ten Hag’s future was the subject of intense speculation this summer, with a host of other managers reportedly being sounded out before the club opted to stick with the Dutchman, handing him a one-year contract extension.
Ten Hag has spoken of ‘financial restrictions’ at Manchester United
Manchester United spent big in the summer (Image credit: Alamy)
As well as handing Ten Hag another year on his contract, the club also embarked on a summer spending spree, shelling out £200million on five new players to further back their manager.
But despite this latest influx of new faces, which took the club’s spending during Ten Hag’s tenure past the £600million mark, the manager spoke of the ‘financial restrictions’ holding back the club in his pre-Spurs press conference.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe alongside Erik ten Hag (Image credit: Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images)
“Where we are now with this squad but all the restrictions we had, we have done good work,” the former Ajax boss said in the build-up to this latest Old Trafford defeat,
“I understand the impression that many have for Manchester United because the history is so big but we made the choice for younger players and you can’t expect them to be at the level.
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“Those are choices we have made and also it has something to do with financials and other restrictions we have to deal with. We have to improve them (younger players) and they have to improve themselves and we have to find a team that can be successful on a consistent basis.”
The Red Devils posted a loss of £113.2million for 2023/24 last month, as their previous transfer tactics of bringing in established stars on huge wages with little sell-on value, such as Casemiro and Raphael Varane, came home to roost.
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In FourFourTwo’s view, Ten Hag’s argument does carry some weight as the club are paying the price for the failed transfer policy that the previous regime operated under.
But the Red Devils best sides have always had youngsters at the heart of it, with the club’s academy one of the best in the world, so the failure to effectively integrate their best young players alongside established stars, can also be seen as a coaching and selection issue.
Ten Hag is therefore not solely responsible for his side’s current malaise and by that rationale is right to call for patience, but his side’s failure to play with the intensity or identity needed to challenge at the top of the table does fall under him.
