DYCHE AND TEN HAG - THE CLOCK IS TICKING
(Discussed in the GP Soccer Podacst - see below. Note: written before United's Tottenham debacle!!)
Who would be a football manager? More specifically, who would be a manager in the English Premier League? With the season relatively young, the pressure is mounting at several clubs already: West Ham, Wolves, and all three promoted clubs: Leicester City, Ipswich, and Southampton. Then there are established and historic clubs that have enjoyed periods of domination but now find themselves experiencing difficult times. I'm speaking of Manchester United and Everton.
I am a Liverpool fan. Manchester United and Everton are our two biggest rivals. Both clubs have had comparable problems in recent years and appear in decline. United were the dominant team in the first 20 years of Premier League football under manager Alex Ferguson. However, after Ferguson retired in 2013, the club has fallen down the EPL pecking order. They are currently a distant second to "noisy neighbours" Manchester City in Manchester alone.
Meanwhile, Everton has struggled continually in the Premier League era and lost its status as a top club, primarily because it needed more financial clout to compete with its rivals. Salvation appeared in 2016 when American billionaire Farhad Moshiri became its owner. Unfortunately, Moshiri's time has been clouded with millions wasted on an erratic and unfocused transfer policy. Ditto Manchester United!! Administratively, both clubs have had their issues behind the scenes.
Enter the managers Erik ten Hag and Sean Dyche at United and Everton, respectively. Each inherited squads built upon numerous signings made following a series of managers in quick succession as the clubs sought to restore their standing. The challenges the ten Hag and Dyche face are significant, each with unique obstacles. Specifications to their respective clubs, these obstacles require high adaptability and strategic thinking.
Ten Hag has to handle the fact that Manchester United is England's biggest club. In terms of trophies won, they are narrowly second only to Liverpool. In the sixties, Manchester United cultivated an image of a glamorous club with players like Bobby Charlton, Georgie Best and Dennis Law. All three were voted European Footballers of the Year. In modern terms, each won the Ballon d'Or. These highly gifted, talented individuals thrived in a team renowned for exciting football under legendary manager Matt Busby.
Ten Hag arrived from Ajax Amsterdam with a glowing reputation in European coaching circles. Some even said he was "tactically brilliant." Ten Hag had worked under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, which favoured a style of play influenced by Dutch "Total Football" and Johann Cruyff. When he took the manager's seat at Ajax, the club was experiencing a challenging time by its high standards. Ten Hag turned things around, taking the team to its first league title in five years and to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Like Manchester United, Ajax has a well-established tradition of playing attractive football and a history of developing young players. Another key Man United trait.
His United days kicked off with two embarrassing defeats, but things gradually improved with the club winning the League Cup and qualifying for the Champions League in 21-22. Further, he sorted out some of the club's alleged dressing room issues, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba being squeezed out. Everything fell into place for Ten Hag to build upon this foundation entering his second campaign. However, things did not go to plan. United were eliminated early in the Champions League group stage and slid down the EPL table. Just as damaging for Ten Hag were criticisms for an uninspiring style of football. In fact, many pundits said his team lacked identity in their style compared to the top EPL rivals. In contrast, Dyche's start at Everton was less turbulent, but the pressure of managing a club in crisis was always present.
Whatever the problems, United still had several highly talented individual players on its roster. They became a team of "moments", and nowhere was this better illustrated than in their FA Cup run, where ultimately, they overcame their Manchester rivals unexpectedly in the final. On that particular day, ten Hag's game plan was brilliantly executed. Two trophies in two seasons, a good start on paper!! Everything seemed to be going well for the Dutchman, but "no", the club was rumoured to be looking for a replacement at the end of the season but could not identify anyone suitable. The uncertainty of the future looms large for both Dyche and Ten Hag.
Manchester United's problems of 23-24 have been reprised in the current season. His team was embarrassed by its biggest rivals, Liverpool, 3-0 at Old Trafford. A Dutchman, Arne Slot, also manages Liverpool; he has only been at the club for a few months. Liverpool already had an identity and style that was still missing from Ten Hag's team in this third season. United's fanbase is not happy!!
Unhappy Fans is a similar story thirty miles down the East Lancs Road on Merseyside. While I'm not a Blue, I sympathise with Everton's suffering under Moshiri. They have been mismanaged off the field, culminating in points deductions, and on the field, a revolving door of managers has not helped matters improve. Everton has clung to their position in the EPL for the last three seasons by their fingernails. Despite significant disadvantages, Sean Dyche has kept the club hanging on the past two seasons.
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While ten Hag had a positive image on his arrival, Dyche arrived with the image of a dinosaur in modern football. It stemmed from his time managing Burnley, a smaller club financially. To compete, he had to develop a pragmatic and conservative style of play to keep the team's seat at the top table. Considering that many fans complain that Everton has a poor group of players, he's had significant injuries to his small squad. With points deductions, it was always going to be challenging to play an open, exciting style. Add to that the frustration of a fanbase that has lost its way, stumbling from crisis to crisis, and the pressure on Dyche's team is sometimes unbearable. Whenever the team falls behind, especially at home, the crowd's anger and tension are so great that it can be felt even while watching the game on television.
Unlike his Man United counterpart, Dyche has not won trophies but has accomplished keeping his side in the Premier League under great duress. Sean Dyche ultimately cannot win, and it appears only a matter of time before his inevitable exit. The most likely scenario is with the club in their last season at Goodison Park, a new stadium awaiting them along with new owners; we can expect a new man at the helm for 24-25. Likewise, there's a strong likelihood that Manchester United will have a new manager next season. The team has enough quality players to win another Cup; however, I wonder if it will be enough. Each manager has accomplished at an appropriate level. The die is cast for Sean Dyche and Erik ten Hag.
Who would be a manager in the EPL? Dyche and Ten Hag may last the entire season before the axe falls, but it's only a matter of time before the manager merry-go-round kicks into gear. I watched bottom-of-the-league Wolverhampton Wanderers lose 2-1 to Liverpool this weekend. I was impressed by a team that was organised and well-coached. However, the fans aren't happy with their manager. How much time has Gary O'Neill left? The clock is ticking for managers at the highest level, not just Dyche and Ten Hag. The reality is only one team can win.
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