Manchester United have been in the spotlight and have been doing well in the Premier League despite their difficulties in the Champions League this season. Souness has criticised Ten Hag's situation, saying he faces difficulties in both civil and external wars. He likened Ten Hag to the early days of his uncle, when Jurgen Klopp was in charge of Borussia Dortmund, who won the Bundesliga title for two consecutive seasons but were nicknamed "the nest" for their poor performance in the Champions League. It wasn't until Uncle Scum led the team to the Champions League final that he gradually mastered the tactical layout of the Champions League game. Souness hopes that Ten Hag can also be like Uncle Scum, with a strong learning ability Xi. He pointed out that the Champions League game is crucial for Manchester United, while admitting that the Dutch coach is a bit stubborn, just like the old scumbag. On the player side, Souness mentioned Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba.
Pogba was once thought to be a key player for United after Jose Mourinho's departure, while Anthony Martial was questioned. However, Pogba has long since returned to Juventus, while Anthony Martial has remained at Manchester United and has become the Reds' most dangerous player up front. Souness commented that Anthony Martial has experienced various setbacks and has been able to make a comeback by learning from experience, adjusting his technique and mentality. Although not a player who could suddenly have an epiphany, Anthony Martial has continued to grow through setbacks and is still young at a young age. In football, top center forwards in their thirties abound, and the 28-year-old Martial is at the age of ** and is expected to usher in the second spring of his career and break the unfavorable situation of the Golden Boy Award.
Souness admits that Anthony has relied on connections to develop his career, but believes that Martial's ability to transform himself at an age when he has fallen out of favour is enough to show that he has improved a lot at the level of mentality. Souness believes Anthony Martial has always had great talent, but what needs to be improved is his mental quality. As long as he can overcome this obstacle, his career will be smooth sailing. As for whether Ten Hag will be sacked after the Champions League group stage, Souness has given the answer. Manchester United have returned to Champions League action and sporting director Mutaf is a supporter of Ten Hag, the club has not set clear targets for Ten Hag's Champions League fixtures, and the board is still more focused on Premier League performance. In other words, as long as Manchester United maintain their top-four position in the Premier League, European competition can gradually develop.
Souness also believes that although the current Manchester United squad is full of talent, the overall configuration is not balanced, there are many potential problems within the team, and the atmosphere in the dressing room is not harmonious enough. Despite the exaggerated report, people familiar with the matter can tell that the United players are not very united among themselves. In this case, Souness suggested Ten Hag lead the team to finish third in the group, perhaps the Europa League play-offs would be more suitable for the current Red Devils and give Ten Hag some breathing time. In response to Ten Hag's situation with the "nest", the early scum uncle may be a role model. Souness believes that Ten Hag and Jurgen Klopp have in common in that they started their coaching careers with junior clubs that were not too well-known when they were players.
This type of coach has a solid tactical foundation, because there are no big stars in the small club, and the players are not all professional players, so the importance of tactics is particularly prominent. Ten Hag's tactical philosophy clearly has more depth than those of coaches who were once well-known in their playing days. However, Souness also admits that Ten Hag may have come too early to coach the big clubs in terms of management, as he has not built enough foundation to effectively manage big-name stars. The Cristiano Ronaldo turmoil last season would not have caused such a stir if another superstar with average tactical ability had been to coach the Red Devils. Uncle Scum took charge of Liverpool at the right time, while Souness stressed that Ten Hag may have arrived at Old Trafford a little earlier. Of course, these problems can be remedied by some means.
Since Ten Hag is like an early scumbag, the Dutch coach should be keen to improve the artistry of management and familiarize himself with the personality traits of his stars, rather than just applying the same tactical model against ordinary players. Anthony Martial has been refreshed, both technically and mentally. By contrast, Rashford seems to have struggled with a mismatch between his tactical and personal styles this season. Therefore, the author (an old colleague said things) believes that in terms of attack, more attention should be paid to Anthony Martial.