This was some top stuff 👍.
Ahead of the game against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon in South Carolina, Erik ten Hag sat down with the press to answer some questions before the big clash.
This question was the one that stood out:
"[Jurgen] Klopp, [Mikel] Arteta and Pep Guardiola, they all had the ability to build their own team with all their new players. You still got a lot of players you inherited when you first came in, does that make it harder to play the way that you want to?"
One heck of a question, right?
This was asked by Beth Tucker of The United Stand, the biggest football fan channel on YouTube.
I am a fan of the channel, I watch it a lot and to be a creator myself regarding United, it's pretty awesome to see fans just like me interviewing our manager and on tour. Such an inspiration and fair play to them for doing such a great job 👏.
We don't get this type of quality questioning from the regular journalists which is sort of unacceptable in my opinion. Why does it take a fan channel to have to ask such a question?
And you could tell that it was a good question as Erik ten Hag was taken aback! The manager took a couple of seconds to gather his thoughts before giving a pretty political answer.
He said that "he doesn't know if it's harder because the players you inherited are probably very capable of playing in the game model of the club."
He continued to say that "both are possible" and that "football evolves very quickly."
"We have high ambitions and we are also not so much patient and we want to go quickly forward. If there are better options who better fits our game model or required levels, then you have to move to those options.
We want to develop and give players of the current squad opportunity to fit in so that they can contribute to the high ambitions that we have."
The manager also spoke about possible rotation ahead of this game and that "finding the right balance" is key.
On returning players, ten Hag said that they "have a plan for every individual and that that plan is now running." He also explains that Lisandro Martinez will start on Monday as the butcher hasn't been seen traveling back to Manchester after his holidays compared to his Argentinian Copa America winning team-mate Alejandro Garnacho.
ten Hag also mentioned how he is pleased with the performances of Scott McTominay and that he is also "pleased to have him in my squad, for the type of person he is."
Erik ten Hag also gave updates on Marcus Rashford and Antony after the two of them went off injured in the win over Real Betis. The MUFC boss said that they have to wait as they are still within 24 hours of that 3-2 victory. An assessment will be done ahead of the Liverpool game.
On Liverpool, ten Hag had a word for his fellow Dutchman Arne Slot after he took over from Jurgen Klopp. Erik ten Hag says that he thinks "he's [Slot] in quite a good place because the structures are good, the players are good and Klopp football was of course very good and successful."
He added that he is sure "Arne with his skills that he can do this."
The full presser is on MUTV.
Final Thoughts
That question on squad inheritance was a banger.
It was a political response from the manager as the fact that he said that the players you inherit are capable of playing the way the club wants wouldn't suggest that he is unhappy with the group of players he has.
I suppose it is sort of true in that you would think that a club of our statue will go and get players who are able to play in the way we want a Man Utd side to play.
But as we know, we've bought pathetically over the years in that those who were brought in weren't always because of their suitability to the playing style.
When looking at the squad, most (if any) of them wouldn't be able to get into a Man City team as they are now (unfortunately) the benchmark. When looking at Pep's style of play, it is very technical, with a lot of possession, great movement, moving the ball quickly, high line and high press. Our squad, in the main, don't have the ability to play that way hence why we've played quite a conservative game for the most part since Erik ten Hag's appointment and even prior to his arrival. This is a basic form of football and is one that most of the current United squad are more than good enough to play.
When we have to play a counter-attacking style, we see some of the better performances from MUFC and one that usually causes oppositions like Man City, a lot of problems.
When ten Hag talks about Arne Slot, he is correct in saying that he is in a good place because of the structures, the players and Klopp's heavy metal football. This makes it easier for a new manager like Slot to ahem, slot in as his style is similar to that of his predecessor and he does have players who are already very familiar with that style having done it for many years.
With ten Hag on the other hand, he inherited the worst Man Utd side in Premier League history in 22/23 and still has several players who are there from the Mourinho days. In fact, Mourinho himself came out not so long ago and said how there are players who are still at the club that he wanted to get rid of, when he first joined back in 2016!
Having players that haven't been good enough for a while and clearly can't play a Man City-type brand of football - which is more akin to what ten Hag wants to play, it was always going to be hard for the MUFC boss to showcase better football at United. The fact that those players (and others) are still here is a reason why we haven't won the big trophies in over a decade.
But the fact that the manager also says that if there are better options, we have to try and get them, says to me that he would definitely prefer to bring players in who can play how he wants and remove some of the current crop.
I'm sure that he's tried (and still trying) very hard to get some of the current squad to improve and try to play his style but let's face it, he, we, perhaps even those players themselves, know that they will probably never be able to play like Man City or any of today's top teams.
This is why we have to move them on and bring in those who can play as the manager wants.
Just a word on what he had to say about Scott McTominay, ten Hag would of course say that he is pleased with him and pleased to have him in his squad but when he said "for the type of person he is", that tells me that Erik ten Hag values McTominay the person more than the footballer.
I know he also said that McTominay is important for making goals for the team but he is another one who isn't good enough nor has he ever been good enough. I think he is a prime example of a player who suits that very defensive, counter-attacking style rather than anything modern.
He is a player that I'm sure everyone values in the squad but isn't actually the quality we need on our bench let alone starting XI to get us to where we want to be.
'Scotty' has always come across as that top guy, 'one of the lads' type people but never really a good enough footballer.
With the club looking to sell him, this is an indication that the manager and United are wanting to move on from these players of the past that just aren't at the level required to get us back to the top.
Background Image: Erik ten Hag | Image via Manchester United official X (@ManUtd)