It seems that Cristiano Ronaldo’s assumption about Manchester United might have been wrong in the end. Ronaldo revealed a lot of secrets about Manchester United during his explosive interview with Piers Morgan which ultimately led to his exit from the club. During the interview, the Portuguese star mentioned that there has been no technological development at the club since legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit in 2013.
However, Erik ten Hag has managed to disprove Ronaldo‘s claims. During their Europa League clash against Barcelona, eight United analysts were present at Camp Nou. While analysts are a common sight at almost every soccer match these days, eight analysts make it seem that ten Hag is not willing to take any chances. It also shows how ten Hag is bringing about a drastic change at the club.
🚨🚨| Eight #mufc analysts were present at the Camp Nou. [@EduPolo]
Erik ten Hag doesn’t mess around 😳 pic.twitter.com/xyV72568LM
— centredevils. (@centredevils) February 21, 2023
Despite a tough start to his tenure at United, ten Hag has managed to turn around the club’s fortune. Currently, Manchester United sits third in the Premier League table, just five points behind the league leaders, Arsenal. Moreover, as the Daily Mail reported, Erik ten Hag has become the fastest Manchester United manager to win 20 games.
Erik ten Hag’s win rate at Manchester United is almost double that of their last boss Ralf Rangnick 📈 pic.twitter.com/iIVwRYXge4
— LiveScore (@livescore) December 27, 2022
Erik ten Hag boasts a win percentage of 72%, which is the highest of any manager in the history of the club. In comparison, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola had a 56% win rate in his debut season. Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp had a 48% win rate. Currently, ten Hag is eyeing his first title at United when they face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.
Manchester United fans react to Erik ten Hag’s analysts
Most Manchester United fans have been impressed with ten Hag’s decision to field eight analysts during the game against Barcelona. However, some fans are not too pleased with this revelation. Many fans believe that such information should have been kept private and not released to the public. Many fans have taken to social media to express their opinion about this decision of Erik ten Hag.
Here’s a series of Twitter reactions:
@Salihu__Aliyu @shediprince
This is impressive. Tells you the kind of coach we’ve got in our hands— itz_ossain (@RealBuharii) February 21, 2023
It’s their job but stop leaking these info
— Rampant (@RampantRonaldo7) February 21, 2023
Everything I hear or read about Ten Hag screams success. Best manager itw to be honest
— WHIZ_I_AM (@El_whizz) February 21, 2023
Wow! I didn’t either. Love seeing this though. Incredible how detailed ETH is
— Craig Morraies (@craigmorraies11) February 21, 2023
Manchester United will be determined to secure a victory against Barcelona in the second leg at Old Trafford this Thursday. The first leg ended in a 2-2 draw, with Marcus Rashford scoring United’s first goal while the second was an own goal scored by Barca defender Jules Kounde. Meanwhile, Marcos Alonso and Raphinha scored the goals for Barcelona.
The onus will be on Manchester United as Barcelona comes into the second leg with a long injury list. A few of the key players that might miss the second leg against United are Pedri, Gavi, Sergio Busquets, and Ousmane Dembele. Even Manchester United will be missing Anthony Martial and Antony due to injuries. However, United’s Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer will be available for the second leg after having served their suspension.