Manchester United haven't been at their best; Erik Ten Hag believes it will all come together one day, but until then, INEOS faces a difficult decision. Should they fire Ten Hag and replace him with another elite manager, such as Thomas Tuchel, as per MEN? Or should they stick with him and trust the process?
I may face criticism from United fans, but I believe they should allow Ten Hag to continue.
Why Ten Hag should continue at Manchester United
While a club is rebuilding, some managers find the third season to be the most difficult. While many clubs could serve as examples, Arsenal and Liverpool stand out as prime examples of the challenges a manager faces in leading a club back to glory during the third season.
Mikel Arteta at Arsenal had these results in his third season:
- Tottenham 3-0 Arsenal
- Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
- Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal
- Notts Forest 1-0 Arsenal
- Everton 2-1 Arsenal
- Brentford 2-0 Arsenal
- Newcastle 2-0 Arsenal
- Brighton 2-1 Arsenal
- Burnley 0-0 Arsenal
- Liverpool 2-0 Arsenal
- Man Utd 3-2 Arsenal
- Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal
- Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal
- Crystal Palace 2-2 Arsenal
Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool had these results in his third season:
- Tottenham 4-1 Liverpool
- Man City 5-0 Liverpool
- Leicester 2-0 Liverpool
- West Brom 3-2 Liverpool
- Swansea 1-0 Liverpool
- Man Utd 2-1 Liverpool
- Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp accomplished an excellent job at Liverpool; if he had been fired in his third full season in command, would the Reds have ever won the Champions League or the Premier League? Yes, Arsenal have yet to win anything, but rivalry aside, they are undoubtedly one of the teams playing some of the best football right now.
As much as his United team needs to develop and try to win games, Ten Hag deserves the opportunity to turn things around like Tuchel and Arteta were given. No one expects him to mount a title challenge yet, but he should at least compete for the top four while demonstrating a progressive style of play.
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