On the chopping block

Devil’s boss made two costly decisions that may have contributed to struggles

MANCHESTER UNITED have faced an array of problems that have plagued Erik ten Hag’s dire second season in charge, few more noticeable than the shortcomings in midfield.

Ten Hag has tabled criticism for his tactical setup and how it leaves his midfield and defence over-exposed to attacks, but the issues could be self-imposed for a different

reason.

Unsurprisingly, there are mounting concerns over whether the Dutchman can fix what has spiralled into a mess as the 2023/24 campaign has progressed.

Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford with a focus on transforming United’s midfield into a dominant unit capable of dictating football matches as his Ajax teams did.

He signed Christian Eriksen on a free transfer and named Frenkie de Jong his priority target. United agreed an £85 million (RM506m) deal with Barcelona but the player said no.

Casemiro later arrived from Real Madrid in a £70m (RM416m) move. An exciting addition, sure, but questions were rightfully raised over his contrasting style to De Jong and Ten Hag’s Ajax profiles.

Kobbie Mainoo’s sensational breakthrough has been a silver lining. The 18-year-old looks like a player United and England can build around for the next decade.

However, Mainoo has been left to fuel the engine room by himself on too many occasions. The Red Devils desperately lack energy in midfield, which is no surprise given the personnel.

Ten Hag splashed £55m (RM330m) to sign Mason

Mount from Chelsea last summer, but his injury struggles prevented him from making an early impact.

United made an emergency swoop for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, signing him on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day.

In the same window, Ten Hag sanctioned a cut-price deal that saw Fred leave for Fenerbahce, while he opted against making Marcel Sabitzer’s loan from Bayern Munich permanent.

Both of those decisions have proven to be mistakes, with Casemiro looking past his best and Amrabat struggling to adapt to the speed of Premier League football.

Ten Hag will always struggle to implement his style with Casemiro and Amrabat as two of his leading midfield options, which makes his decision to target both all the more confusing.

If he is given the chance to manage United for a third year, both players will likely not be involved.

Ten Hag must solve his problem by replacing them with the correct profiles – physical athletes who are comfortable with the ball. Everton’s Amadou Onana being touted as a primary target is a promising early sign. – Express Newspapers