The English media are harsh in their judgment about Erik ten Hag and his Manchester United. After the 4-0 earwash on Saturday at Brentford, the reviews are not tender. “Collectively rotten” and “sinking lower than this, can’t” was how the BBC. Former player Gary Neville went the extra mile: “I’ve been watching United for 42 years and I can’t remember a single moment that I’ve seen such a bad first half. It was like a game between the Brentford men against an Under 9 team.”
Standing after two losses the Red Devils stiff bottom in the Premier League. Former striker Chris Sutton believes Manchester United have reached rock bottom early in the season. Former top striker Alan Shearer did not hide his surprise either. Bee Match of the Day he spoke of a ‘terrible mess’. “This is the result of years of failure and mismanagement. There has been a lack of leadership and the procurement policy has been appalling.”
Man Utd have reached a new low.’ ??
Gary Neville on a “really, really bad” situation at #MUFC ?? pic.twitter.com/PDYAH7Fp7D
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 13, 2022
Also with Sky Sports they were inexorable. Analyst Karen Carney said United ‘cannot sink lower’. Neville went the extra mile, saying that the club’s owners have watched the club rot through and through for years. He also finds the lack of reinforcements by the club management ‘hard to forgive’. Bee Sky Sports was also pointed to United goalkeeper David de Gea, who did not look good in the first two goals against. Ex-Ajacied Lisandro Martínez also received some criticism from ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Redknapp. “If you’re only 1.75 meters tall, you can’t play as a central defender in the Premier League,” he says.
The Mirror reports that the staff and advisers around Ten Hag are also “furious” and furious about the chaotic and failing approach of the club on the transfer market. The manager would feel abandoned and the Dutchman is ‘hung out to dry’ according to the medium. Bee The Guardian it is felt that Ten Hag’s reputation has already been shattered after all. “Ten Hag must have very exceptional qualities to be able to recover from this,” it sounds. United’s performance was, according to the paper, “as bad as anything in the rough times under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær” and “it was even worse than any performance under Ralf Rangnick.’
Manchester Evening News called United’s performance “pathetic.” The local newspaper points to the Glazer family as the club’s biggest problem, but Ten Hag is not without mistakes either. The figures that the newspaper handed out also say enough. Martinez got a 0, as did Luke Shaw and Fred. It is also raining heavily. A small bright spot, according to the medium, is compatriot Tyrell Malacia. He came in and, together with Raphaël Varane, received the highest mark (5) and a compliment: ‘An upgrade on Shaw’.
Manchester United will face Liverpool in the next Premier League game. Given the situation at the club, the form of the team and the lack of reinforcements, it is not inconceivable that this will also be a huge task for Ten Hag and his team.