da bet7： Erik ten Hag looked to have transformed the Red Devils but his side are showing many worrying signs associated with his predecessor
da 888： "They were easy give-aways," said the Manchester United manager, assessing how his side had fallen behind so early in a match they were expected to win comfortably. "It was a horror start. With all respect, we can't allow them [those goals]."
The Red Devils' boss added: "The first one is that we play a short corner and forget about the man up top. That’s unforgivable… We’ve not done our roles, it’s my responsibility. You don’t see goals like that at this level. You shouldn’t concede easy goals like that. When you do, it makes winning matches a lot harder."
Spot the difference? The first line of quotes was Erik ten Hag's reaction to United's 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest last Saturday, a game in which his side fell two goals behind within the opening four minutes. The second comment was from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after United's 2-1 defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir in November 2020.
Solskjaer could not believe his eyes after 35-year-old Demba Ba had ran from his own half towards goal, completely unopposed, to give the unfancied Turkish side the lead in the 13th minute. Ten Hag, meanwhile, had just witnessed Taiwo Awoniyi run unchallenged from the halfway line to score the opening goal, taking advantage of childish defending after United had just taken a corner.
Getty A thrilling yet concerning start
It has been 21 months since United parted ways with Solskjaer, who fans loved for his contribution as a player and his commitment to the club. However, by the time of his sacking in November 2021, having won no trophies in nearly four years, almost everyone recognised that the Norwegian was a limited and inexperienced coach incapable of taking United back to where they belong.
Ten Hag, by contrast, is one of the most admired tacticians in Europe, with a track record of overseeing elaborate football and winning trophies. In just a few months in charge he ended United's six-year silverware drought by lifting the Carabao Cup, while he also took them to the FA Cup final and secured Champions League qualification at the first time of asking.
However, after a chaotic start to the season, which included fortunate wins over Wolves and Forest as well as a limp defeat to Tottenham, Ten Hag's United are showing many of the traits that Solskjaer's team were known for. They are making unforgivable mistakes defensively, players are not doing their jobs, and they are having to pull off dramatic escape acts. It might be thrilling to watch, but it is also deeply concerning.
AdvertisementGettyComebacks are in United's DNA
While United fans were struggling to make sense of what they were witnessing in the opening minutes at Old Trafford, Forest fans were staging a party in the away end. In another throwback to the Solskjaer era, they were gleefully chanting "You're getting sacked in the morning" to Ten Hag.
Christian Eriksen's strike breathed life back into Old Trafford and then everyone believed the comeback was on. And when Casemiro equalised and Bruno Fernandes converted from the penalty spot, there was an air of inevitability about it all.
Some of United's best ever moments were comebacks, such as the 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in 1993 which paved the way for the first Premier League title win, or the three-minute turnaround against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. Never knowing when they were beaten was a defining characteristic of Sir Alex Ferguson's many great teams.
GettyTurnarounds can mask deeper issues
However, if a team falls behind too often and epic finishes are routinely needed, it is rarely sustainable. United tend to average around three or four comeback wins per season in the Premier League era, but things got ludicrous under Solskjaer. In the 2020/21 season, United won 10 league matches after conceding the first goal, more than in any other campaign.
The Red Devils ended up finishing second in the league but the following season they picked up their lowest points total in Premier League history. Solskjaer was sacked four months into that dire campaign, following a 4-1 thrashing at relegation-fighting Watford.
A similar pattern can be spotted in United's second-best season as far as comeback wins are concerned. In the 2012-13 season, Ferguson's last in charge, United won nine matches from losing positions. They romped to the Premier League title then, but the fact they needed so many late finishes should have suggested there were deeper problems and the winning train was about to come off the tracks.
With almost an identical squad the following season under David Moyes, United had an utterly miserable campaign and came seventh in the table, their lowest-ever Premier League finish.
GettyTen Hag catching up with Solskjaer
Under Solskjaer, United won a whopping 19 matches in all competitions from losing positions. And as the hero of the team's most famous comeback of all as a player – the 1999 Champions League final – the Norwegian coach revelled in each turnaround.
Take his response to beating Southampton 3-2 in March 2019. “The manner of it is like the old days. I have been part of that so many times myself and so pleased for the boys that they managed to claw three points out of this game." Days later, United pulled off perhaps the best result of the Solskjaer era, beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the last-16 of the Champions League to overturn a 2-0 home defeat in the first leg.
Even in the dying weeks of Solskjaer's time in charge, United were capable of pulling off comebacks. They turned things around to beat West Ham 2-1 with an 89th-minute strike from Jesse Lingard and enjoyed Champions League victories over Villarreal and Atalanta from losing positions, winning each time courtesy of late strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Just one month into his second season, Ten Hag is developing his own reputation for comebacks. The Forest game was his seventh turnaround victory, following wins over Manchester City, Everton, West Ham, Fulham, Aston Villa and Barcelona.