 Y&Z PERSPECTIVES

Y & Z United Perspectives

by Kevin, Justyn & Wayne Tabone

The signs are there! The elder member of the Tabone clan came back from a recent visit to watch United play live and he couldn’t stop mentioning how impressed he was with the way the team was playing under the new gaffer. Let the process progress further, say the whole Tabone team!

Mention the 2 best things which Eric Ten Hag has brought to Manchester United.

Wayne: Erik ten Hag brought a totally new mentality to Manchester United. He showed what needs to be done to be a winner. We are playing better than we have seen these last 9 years. Never giving up even when going a goal down and the team is showing good spirit to try and turn defeat to victory. The Dutch manager has also brought some top quality players that have the same mentality as him. Some he’s known them from the time they’ve played under him at Ajax whilst the others have proven with their former clubs how strong a character they have.

Justyn: One of the best things Erik Ten Hag has brought to the club has been an identity to Manchester United. More often than not, the Manchester United players have been playing in a certain way and in a way that the manager wants them to play. Erik Ten Hag has turned Manchester United to a team that keeps a high defensive line, presses from the front when possible and plays progressive football. It is evident that forward play has been an integral part of the Dutch Manager’s training routines as certain passages of play could be seen more than once throughout a game.

Another dimension that has been brought to the club by Ten Hag is a certain level of authority over the players. It is clear that over the years, there has been a lack of respect towards the manager. Players seemed to have too much power and could turn on the manager whenever they wanted to. However, we have seen so far that this has not been the case. The manager was not tolerating the lack of running in the beginning of the season especially against Brentford. Consequences followed after that showing. Moreover, when Ronaldo did not follow orders, Ten Hag took crucial decisions, even though we all know the influence the Portuguese had on the squad. stones. He ably manages to keep the team in shape and this is a very important factor in today’s fast paced game. Another would be discipline. He comes across as someone who you will not mess about with. I love watching his weekly press conferences, being direct, upfront and blunt with some of the uncomfortable questions he is asked.

Following recent reactions, what do you think the future of Cristiano Ronaldo will be at Manchester United?

Kevin: An evident improvement is the way the team is playing tactically. Although I was sceptical about Casemiro’s transfer, I have to say that he truly is the cement between the Wayne: Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted very poorly recently but that is the way he is, he wants to be the best, starts every game and does not even want to be subbed off for a

second. But this is no excuse. He has to be a team player not just one that wants himself only to succeed. The first priority must be the team and not the individual. On the other hand in recent performances he has shown that he is willing to work hard to win back his place in the starting 11. I think he has to realise that he is no longer a definite starter anymore and that his time is nearing the end. Having said this, he will definitely always be remembered as one of the greats but this doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to start every single game.

Justyn: I think we as Manchester United supporters can all agree that we are disappointed with how this has been handled. I think that it was inevitable that this would have been an issue as the season went on. It was clear that Ronaldo did not want to continue being at the club after failing to qualify for the Champions League. The Glazers did not want to sell him as they seem to see him as a way to make money off him, to lure fans in and buy the tops with his name on the back. However, it is clear that there have been disruptions in the squad because of the situation. The club should have found a solution for him and sold him to another club. Moreover, he is not the type of striker the manager wants. In my opinion, Anthony Martial, when fit has done a better job of playing the striker role in the way Ten Hag wants his striker to play in his system. In my opinion, we may have already seen his last appearance for the club, and it is quite sad how his story is ending.

Kevin: I would say that we’re seeing the end of a truly one‑in‑a‑lifetime magnificent player. I hope he proves me wrong, but age is getting the better of him I’m afraid. Don’t get me wrong, for a 37-year old he’s in fantastic shape but in the Premier League stage, a matter of split seconds make a hell of a lot of difference. He used to be well ahead of everyone else and that is what made him the brilliant player he was. I’m afraid that today his body wants to but can’t let him do what he used to do before. Defenders catching up with him, not having the same spring in his jump – all signs that his time as the ultimate footballer is up.

Do you think Manchester United will dip in the January transfer window? Explain why and if yes who you think could be the ideal target/s.

Wayne: I think that Manchester United will participate in the January transfer window but I do not think we will splash the cash as much as we need to. I think we will buy a decent player with potential rather than one who’s already established. Having said this, I still think that this player will still impact the team positively. The player I’m talking about is Cody Gakpo. The Dutch winger has proved himself in the Eredivisie and his stats are out of this world. I think he will be a great addition to the team, considering that we need another winger to add to current compliment. we need a striker if this is the case. The ideal striker for an Erik Ten Hag team needs to be a forward that can hold the ball well, press from the front and obviously be a good goal scorer. A player that fits this profile is Ivan Toney. In my opinion he is one of the most underrated strikers in the league. Currently, he is the third top scorer in the league in a Brentford side that isn’t considered to be one of the best teams in the league for sure. However, this might not be too popular with the board as he is not such a big name. Another striker the club could go for is Jonathan David from Lille. The Canadian is set to go to Qatar and alongside Alphonso Davies he will be the focal point of the team. I believe that he will have a good campaign and many clubs will be looking at him to be their number 9. The young striker has had good goalscoring records since joining the French side. He is also good at linking the play and likes to drop deeper into the space to create space for others to run in behind. He is also capable of producing the latter as he is quite fast himself and also possesses great anticipation in the box.

Kevin: What a difficult question to answer in a season which is so unique. In any other season, I would say yes, especially considering the amount of matches we will be playing straight after the World Cup and knowing how thin our options are in the striker department. But there are a couple of factors which make me think that the January transfer window will be a slow one for us. The first one is the fact that there’s the World Cup in the middle of the season. This will be a complete unknown for a lot of the teams and I feel that most would like to stick to their playing squad, especially knowing that the season will continue straight after an international tournament. The second reason is purely financial. Whether we like it or not, Manchester United do not have the same financial muscle as some of the other top teams anymore. Man City, Newcastle and Chelsea are not only competing with the players we target but beating us to them. I would say, that unless we sell or manage to release from our current playing staff, we won’t get any inward transfers.