"I don't know his gameplan; I don't know if he has structure" - Cesc Fabregas slams Erik ten Hag's tactics at Manchester United
Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has had a go at Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag for his tactics and seeming lack of structure.
Ten Hag arrived at the Old Trafford helm in the summer of 2022 and enjoyed a superb first season. Despite star attacker Cristiano Ronaldo's midseason exit, the Red Devils ended their six-year trophy drought by winning the EFL Cup.
The also reached the FA Cup final, where they lost to Manchester City, and finished third to return to the UEFA Champions League. However, Ten Hag has failed to build on that in his sophomore season.
United have already had 15 losses across competitions, including 10 in the league, where they are sixth in the standings, eight points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa (52) after 26 games. Their latest loss was a 2-1 home reverse to Fulham last weekend.
Slamming the Dutchman for his lack of a definite gameplan, Fabregas said (as per MUFCMPB):
“I don't know his gameplan. I don't know if he has structure, I don't know what his message is. At least, with Solskjær, there was a plan - defend well and have great breaks.”
United returned to winning ways in midweek, with Casemiro's 89th-minute winner at Nottingham Forest sending them through to an FA Cup quarterfinal with Liverpool on March 16.
What's next for Manchester United?
Manchester United are next in action in the Premier League, where they travel to three-time defending champions Manchester City on Sunday (March 3).
The Red Devils lost the October reverse 3-0 at Old Trafford, with Erling Haaland bagging a brace either side of the break, while Phil Foden netted the other. Their last trip to the Etihad was a 6-3 walloping in October 2022.
In fact, Ten Hag's side have won just once in their last six Manchester derbies, losing five times. Their last win at the home of their 'noisy neighbours' came in March 2021, when they won 2-0, thanks to goals from current captain Bruno Fernandes and left-back Luke Shaw.