ST JAMES’ PARK — Erik ten Hag cut a disconsolate figure upon the final whistle late into the bitter Newcastle Saturday night.
As revellers were heading down to Bigg Market to forget all their troubles just a few hundred yards away, the Dutchman was having himself a hard-hitting realisation.
After suffering a far more humiliating defeat than the 1-0 scoreline suggested, one by one, his players walked past him and did not even give their manager so much as a cursory glance as he stared, vacantly, into the distance. The relationship between the players and their coach, it appears, is broken.
There have of course been more humbling results, damaging losses at crucial moments that have cost several Manchester United managers their jobs, but rarely in the past decade of decay has there been as much infighting and embarrassing lack of effort and desire as at St James’ Park.
Marcus Rashford was again the scapegoat after the match, with social media again awash with clips of his lack of willing to track back, but this is not a time to single out individuals – the squad, as a whole, is not listening to the manager and, most worryingly of all, does not seem interested in giving anything like their all for the man in charge. And that is a big, big problem.
One first-half incident summed up this breakdown in connection. As Newcastle swarmed all over their opponents, Ten Hag lost his rag with Anthony Martial – the personification of where this Manchester United team are at.
Ten Hag had seen enough laissez-faire from Martial and berated his frontline striker, only for the Frenchman to give back as good as he got in an extraordinary, heated exchange.
Martial seemed to gesture to Ten Hag where he should go before turning and jogging away. Whatever the message was from the United boss, it was not being taken on board.
Rashford, who continues to suggest last season was simply a flash in the pan, continually ignored Ten Hag’s attempts to get his attention when close by throughout the first half. The message, in this case, was not even being acknowledged.
“It’s not about Anthony Martial, it’s about the team,” Ten Hag said after the match. “I try to energise the team and try to get a reaction in this moment. As you see, we had a tough period and when you’re coaching you are a little more aggressive, so that’s normal.”
It is not normal to be told to f___ off by one of your players in the middle of a match, Erik.
Scott McTominay, in central midfield, made 30 touches in 100 minutes of football. Bruno Guimaraes amassed 85.
The list goes on. International footballers, who regularly produce the goods for their countries, offer nothing for Manchester United. The players have to shoulder much of the blame – an elite footballer starting for such a behemoth of the game should at least try – but for so many to look like they don’t even want to be out there says as much about the manager as it does his charges.
You could justifiably say Martial and Rashford should not have been starting in the first place.
United supporters have waited a long time for Antony to impress in a red shirt, but after putting in one of his best displays for the club in Galatasaray in midweek, he was dropped to the bench, having kept his place in the team earlier in the campaign when looking like the antithesis of a £85m superstar.
Defensively, the selection puzzlement continued. Raphael Varane was again left on the bench, with Luke Shaw, a full-back, picked in the heart of the United defence over two recognised centre-backs.
Martial’s inclusion is one very few around Old Trafford can stomach, for a myriad of reasons.
After putting in such a meek display, the players had the temerity to just walk off and not applaud the fans who were forced to bear witness to this sorry excuse of a performance, before assistant Steve McClaren intervened.
Ten Hag made no such effort. Perhaps there are the first signs of resignation that the job, as more and more voices are starting to claim, is too big for him. When you lose the players, there is only one way the club, and its manager, is heading.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/O3TwdRW
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