In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including why Erik ten Hag is finished at Man United, his worry for old pal Gareth Southgate if he took over at Old Trafford, a simple solution to stop set pieces being and a look at a brilliant week in the Champions League for English clubs.
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Erik ten Hag is finished but Southgate would be a worry
Erik ten Hag has struggled big time at Man United. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
After Sunday’s Man United performance, I think Erik ten Hag is finished. By what metric are we judging him? Results? If so, his results have been poor.
People were putting up graphics of Gary Neville’s Valencia team recently, and just like Neville’s time in Spain, ten Hag doesn’t have the personality, authority or gravitas to carry Manchester United football club to where they need to be.
Whether you like it or not, and people say ‘come on, Stan, we don’t need the big personalities anymore, surely, it’s just all about the coaching,’ the fact of the matter is United need someone almost picking up, metaphorically, a flag and carrying it forward saying, ‘charge.’
Everybody pulling in the same direction, from the players to the staff to the supporters. Don’t underestimate that feeling.
Enzo Maresca can get away with being head coach at Chelsea because he’s got a good group of young players, and the perception is that he’s a quality coach to bring the best out of them. Arne Slot was left with a sort of golden legacy, if you like, and the big personality of Jurgen Klopp who carried everybody forward with him.
The manager of Manchester United football club has to be the standard bearer that goes ‘nobody’s coming to Old Trafford and winning.’ There’s no smiles, there’s no greeting opposition players and managers on the pitch and swapping shirts. Old Trafford has to be a fortress, and for it to be a fortress, everybody has…
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