Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has reflected on another difficult result for Manchester United.
Sadly, it is becoming a theme that we can get a run of wins against the lesser teams, but it all goes out the window as soon as we face a decent side.
Erik ten Hag has failed to win away from home against any team in the top eight of the Premier League since he took over in the summer of 2022.
Losing 1-0 to Newcastle United is not a terrible result. However, if you watch the game again (I don’t recommend doing that), you will likely find our lacklustre performance offensive.
As a result, United end the weekend in seventh place and there’s a lot of work to be done if we are going to turn things around.
Gary Neville believes Ten Hag has been ‘damaged’ by rival managers making a quicker impact in the Premier League, although I feel that statement ignores the fantastic job the Dutchman did in his first season.
However, Neville adds that Louis van Gaal is the only manager who has implemented a playing style at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
“You can play poorly and win but Manchester United have been doing that now for a long time,” Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast.
“I was critical of Louis van Gaal at Manchester United and I felt his football didn’t suit the club and how Manchester United should play, which is more the Klopp style of play, I’m going to use a current manager who plays really electric football, fast, pressing, get it forward, be a bit more direct.
“I can’t think of a team since Louis van Gaal… Louis van Gaal dominated football matches at Manchester United, there was a style of play.
“There’s only Louis van Gaal since Sir Alex Ferguson that’s been able to implement a style of play at the club. Since Louis van Gaal I don’t think I’ve seen a pattern of play established, and that’s probably seven or eight years now.
“I’ve seen the same type of football, irrespective of who the manager is, no manager as been able to settle on a style of play. And it goes something like, counter-attack, moments, maybe dominate against lesser teams at Old Trafford and look like you can play a little bit but don’t kid us because every time you play against a top team you get done, and that’s been seven or eight years.
“There’s only Louis van Gaal since Sir Alex Ferguson who’s been able to implement a style of play at the club. Every other manager, whether it be Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, David Moyes was there for a short period, and now Erik ten Hag has been there for 18 months.
“What really damages the likes of Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho, they’ve all spent £300 million, £400m but [Roberto] De Zerbi at Brighton, [Ange] Postecoglou at Spurs, and others like them have come in and in three to four months they’ve got them playing like Real Madrid.
“That’s the problem they’ve got. It’s been shown that you can come in and have an impact on players, patterns of play, style, in three to four months.
“We are still sat here eight years after Louis van Gaal leaves and haven’t seen a pattern of play, a combination that you see repeatedly.”
In terms of style of play, I recall being extremely bored watching Van Gaal’s United side, but why is Ten Hag struggling to implement his own style?
Is it all down to the amount of injuries we’ve had this season?
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Journalists are either dumb or suffer from Parkinson’s!
United can’t play their current style because Varane and Martinez are crucial to playing out from the back. In midfield we have Bruno, who is untouchable, running around like a headless chicken (captain?), but Ten Hag’s style depends on the players working as a team! Then you have midfield players scared of losing the ball and never making passes to forwards who eventually stop making runs as the ball never arrives.
Meanwhile, the insolent arrogance of Pogba remains like a ghost that chooses a player at random to inhabit: this weekend Rashford was a living impersonation of Pogba loping around while his team rocked under the tireless pressure of Newcastle.
Saturday night’s game illustrated perfectly that Man U are a team of boys playing against men. While that is understandable for Mainoo and Garnacho, it is time for the Brunos, Rashfords and Martials to get in the gym and get some balls. There is no point pressing teams if you are scared of bumping into the opposition.
However, there is a team there, it is developing, and Ten Hag needs time. He has made one big mistake so far imho in purchasing Mount. He’s a copy of Bruno without the talent; hopefully, he’ll prove me wrong. Antony is borderline, def not worth what we paid but who knows…
I remain hopeful that once we get the brainless Maguire out of the team, a new signing needed there, and Martinez back bringing that fight and example alongside Shaw, then we just need someone more experienced to play alongside Mainoo and a new centre forward.