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“Sacking ETH Is Not the Answer”: English Cricketer Stands Behind Erik ten Hag Despite Newcastle United Horror Show at Old Trafford

Published 11/02/2023, 3:22 AM EDT

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Following their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, Manchester United once again emerged as second best. This time at Old Trafford against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup. Goals from Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall, and Joe Willock helped the Magpies triumph. Despite having players like Casemiro and Mason Mount, the Red Devils couldn’t grab control of the midfield. Unsurprisingly for ten Hag, the questions are getting louder and a famous English cricketer’s assessment after the embarrassment last night summed up the story at Carrington.

During the match, Newcastle fans sang, ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ to Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman is struggling to find his feet. Off-pitch issues surrounding Jadon Sancho have not helped his cause either. The fanbase has not been impressed by Manchester United’s style of play either. He has, however, acquired the support from an unexpected source.

Popular Manchester United fan issues his verdict on Erik ten Hag!

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Following Manchester United’s shocking exit from the Carabao Cup, ten Hag came into the limelight for plenty of criticism. During their latest defeat, the Reds Devils recorded 60% possession while offering a minimal attacking threat. Despite the negativity surrounding the manager, star cricketer Sam Billings was quick to support him. On X, he wrote, “Sacking ETH is not the answer….”. Confusingly, he further added, “I don’t know what the answer is“. with a ‘sad face’ emoji.

This opinion is particularly significant considering the lack of top-quality alternatives to ten Hag. Described by Pep Guardiola as an ‘Exceptional Manager’, ten Hag had ended United’s ‘6-year trophy drought’ in his first season. A remarkable achievement considering that Manchester United was in touching grasp of the FA Cup too. While, Sam Billings’ support was quite unexpected, for how long will the fans remain patient with ten Hag?

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Is ten Hag’s approach justifiable?

Erik ten Hag has not been flawless. Despite his tactical understanding, the Manchester United Boss is coming to grips with managing the ‘stars’. Hence, Erik Ten Hag would need to bring out the ‘man-manager’ in him even more. However, is that approach actually working? Mainly because the Dutchman’s bond with certain players took a serious downfall with that approach.

His treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo raised questions and still causes debate to date. The exclusion of Jadon Sancho from the team for a longer-than-expected spell of time is another incident. While they may not be necessarily wrong decisions, Erik ten Hag’s tactics on the pitch aren’t working the best to justify his strict man-to-man approach in the dressing room.

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Do you side with Sam Billings regarding not to blame Erik ten Hag? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Adithya Narayanan

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Adithya is a Soccer Writer at EssentiallySports. Being a Liverpool fan, times were tough right until 2015 when Jurgen Klopp turned him from a doubter to a believer. Life has been much easier ever since the Reds’ Premier League Triumph and it stands as one of his most pleasant memories in life.
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Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz