United a horrible mess of a club
Lifting them off the floor will be biggest challenge of Ten Hag’s life
IT SAYS everything about the depths Manchester United have plummeted to that this was actually one of their better recent performances and they were still beaten comfortably.
Arsenal ended up playing ‘ole’ football and their manager Mikel Arteta was serenaded as they moved into pole position for a Champions League spot.
In light of just how bad United have been, and if you were feeling generous, within their performance were some tiny straws for incoming manager Erik ten Hag to clutch at. But not enough to distort the overall picture of the true turmoil in which United find themselves.
That was laid bare in brutally honest fashion by Scott McTominay, Paul Scholes — via Jesse Lingard — and interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
And their words would have reverberated all the way from north London to NEC Nijmegen, where Ten Hag was steering Ajax a step closer to the Eredivisie title.
Confirmed as United’s next manager last week, Ten Hag has said all the right things about remaining focused on Ajax for the rest of this season.
But, make no mistake, he is doing two jobs right now and the one he has not yet officially begun might well be worrying him more than the one he has to finish. It should be.
Once full details of this latest disastrous United day reached Ten Hag any smile would have been wiped quickly off his face.
The Dutchman is under no illusions about the size of the task he has at United. This was another occasion which underlined it.
Work on his squad overhaul is already under way and United’s shambolic defending and lack of cutting edge highlighted why a centre back, holding midfielder and striker are all being sought, among other positions.
Scarily, given the ins and outs required, repairing the broken dressing room he will inherit and lifting this club off the floor will be an even bigger challenge.
There are doubts from some familiar with Ten Hag about whether he has the force of personality for the job and all it entails.
He has no option other than to prove them wrong.
McTominay revealed Ten Hag is joining a club who have ‘a whole load of problems in terms of players, staff and everything higher up’.
Lingard apparently told Scholes that the dressing room was ‘a disaster’. Rangnick did little to dispel that. Indications that all was not well behind the scenes have been evident for a while. United’s actions at the Emirates spoke as loudly as any words.
During an early break in play while Bukayo Saka received treatment, the difference in reaction from both teams was eye-opening. Arsenal’s entire side rushed alertly to the sideline, huddled around manager Arteta, listening intently to his animated instructions. Rangnick barely spoke to any of his players.
Most remained scattered across the pitch, pretty much in their positions, heads down, uninterested, distant and not at all switched on to the bonus coaching opportunity.
United needed it more at that point too. They already trailed to Nuno Tavares’s opener. It was a
scene that highlighted the contrasting unity in the two camps and an indication of which direction this game was heading.
Once the inevitable happened, Cristiano Ronaldo — scorer of United’s goal — was first in blue down the tunnel, though this time that was understandable.
He was back in action after his heartbreaking family tragedy and then saw his efforts go without their deserved reward. Marcus Rashford and Lingard were off next.
To their credit, before departing they at least fulfilled an earlier promise to give their shirts to some members of Arsenal’s Under 9s who were sitting near the bench that the duo occupied for most of the afternoon.
The rest ventured sheepishly and half-heartedly towards the away supporters, although noticeably not close enough to be in earshot of any potential vitriol.
United ended as disjointed as they defended.
Raphael Varane, Alex Telles and Diogo Dalot produced a comedy of errors before Tavares struck.
Telles’s defending before the fouled Saka scored from the penalty spot was hopelessly clumsy. Bruno Fernandes, whose personal