TEN HAG HAS FACE OF A BROKEN MAN
... and it’s not wholly surprising after that trip to Bournemouth
ERIK TEN HAG seems to have two “losing” faces.
The first is a jaw-jutting fixed stare into the middle-distance, commonly seen when they lose to teams like Chelsea, Manchester City or Liverpool.
The other is exactly the same, except for a nervous sideways eye-swivel, that seems to search for someone who might be watching.
Someone like Sir Jim Ratcliffe, for instance.
That expression tends to be seen when United are losing to teams like Bournemouth, sides they shouldn’t really be losing to.
United fans have seen a lot of clenched jaws and darting eyes this season and this game was almost another to add to the list of 12 Premier League defeats so far.
Ten Hag’s team were their usual mix of small fragments of promise amidst an awful lot of ineptitude.
Bournemouth created far more and were comfortably the better team.
They would have won had a late VAR check not reduced a penalty for a foul on Ryan Christie to a free-kick that was deflected wide.
When United owner Ratcliffe spoke about United’s future – including Ten Hag’s – last month, he said two things that appeared to be contradictory, but could, in fact, both be true.
The first was that a succession of elite managers had failed and it was Ratcliffe’s conclusion the environment was flawed rather than the bosses.
The second was that Ineos were prepared to make difficult decisions when needed.
In other words, although there’s a mighty mess at Old Trafford, the Dutchman is expected to show he can help clear up.
If he’s in any doubts about Ratcliffe’s ruthlessness he should speak to workers at the Grangemouth oil refinery.
Their “environment” isn’t great, either, but hundreds of jobs are at risk.
Ten Hag has insisted he expects to remain in charge, but when he grabs a coffee in the mornings it cannot escape him that most of the office senior faces when he arrived – including his allies – have now gone.
In exactly a week’s time, the 54-year-old will celebrate two years since his appointment as United manager.
“Celebrations” may be muted, though, and with seven days still to go, on the basis of another unconvincing performance he’d be wise to order his party champagne on sale or return.
If his first year produced fruitful shoots of recovery, his second has been a barren wasteland.
No one needs the quantum formulas about expected goals and bountiful data harvests of modern football to realise that United have gone backwards.
A handle on some more obvious facts will do.
At this stage last season – after 32 games – United were fourth in the Premier League and had 62 points.
They are currently seventh with 12 points fewer.
On the touchline, Ten Hag now has the air of a man who is emotionally involved but essentially powerless.
Events unfold but they don’t seem to be in response to his decision-making.
At an early break for drinks, whilst Bournemouth’s players listened intently while Andoni Iraola held court, United’s players chatted in clusters, leaving Ten Hag to direct his instructions solely to a bemused Bruno Fernandes.
When United conceded their first goal to the impressive Dominic Solanke after 16 minutes, Ten Hag dug his fists deep into the pockets of his black gilet and frowned.
The cheap giving up of possession by Alejandro Garnacho in the build-up was hardly the manager’s fault, but there was no urgent rebuke from the touchline.
Against expectation, Fernandes hammered in an equaliser and Ten Hag punched the air and high-fived his way along his coaching team.
It looked premature, as well as excessive, especially given that Bournemouth should really have scored twice more before United levelled.
They should have scored two more again before the lead was finally regained through Justin Kluivert.
Here was more food for thought for Ten Hag, who had picked rookie defender Willy Kambwala to try and deal with the threat of Solanke.
The teenager looked nervy from the off, slipping to the ground just before Solanke scored and then freezing to the spot as Kluivert slipped by him to hammer home the second.
Kambwala wasn’t the only one to look fixed in position, either.
Ten Hag stood motionless and in furious disbelief as the tiny figure of Milos Kerkez headed, unchallenged, against the bar and then again over the bar from the rebound.
United trailed 2-1 at halftime, but it could easily have been a five-goal deficit.
Their defending improved after the break – it could hardly have got worse – and Bournemouth’s energy sapped.
United got a lucky break when the ball cannoned onto Adam Smith’s arm from Kobbie Mainoo’s shot and Fernandes tucked home the penalty.
You should have seen Ten Hag’s face at the end... it was a relieved one!
Bournemouth created far more and were the better team