Manchester United owner Sir Jimcliffe has expressed his anger with Erik Ten Hag for letting go of a phenomenal goal-scorer who departed Manchester United for free and has since eclipsed even Hujlund in goal-scoring prowess, tallying 15 goals and assists in only seven games.
Erik ten Hag hasn’t made many good decisions for Manchester United. That’s probably putting it politely.
Despite the Dutchman’s extraordinary level of illusion, saying that two trophy wins remove the terrible league form, things have not gone well.
The leadership of the football club now appears to be much more organised, but by giving Ten Hag another season following FA Cup glory, little has changed. That shouldn’t be a surprise.
There were some impressive signings during the summer, namely Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, but with the former out injured for the next few months, it’s possible he’ll never play competitively under the present manager.
Indeed, with only three points from their first three games, Old Trafford’s season has not begun well.
When compared to their metropolitan counterparts, the contrast could not be more obvious. Manchester City are already sprinting ahead like 100m champion Noah Lyles, and they are in terrific shape to win another league title.
Pep Guardiola is the mastermind behind it all, but having a player like Erling Haaland at your disposal makes things a lot easier.
Erling Haaland’s impressive record
What is there left to say about Haaland. We’ve ran out of superlatives to describe his simply absurd English football record. Alan Shearer, you better watch out because the Norwegian is on his way.
He has started the new season confidently and is on track to smash multiple records. The striking wonder is in good company after scoring two hat-tricks in the first three match weeks, bringing his season total to seven.
Haaland has already won two Golden Boots in his Manchester career and scored 97 goals in 102 games in all competitions.
He is the best striker in the world; he is unstoppable. United considered adding their own version of Haaland in Rasmus Hojlund, but the Scandinavian sensation has yet to reach the same dizzy heights, scoring 16 goals in 2023/24. It’s a reasonable figure, but the disparity just across the city is staggering.
So, how can you stop Haaland? Actually, you don’t. Only injuries, as shown last season, can stop the massive centre forward in his path.
United will not be able to stop them this season, and Arsenal, Pep’s major adversary, may also struggle.
Wouldn’t the Red Devils love to have a prime Wayne Rooney on their squad? Perhaps even a rampant Cristiano Ronaldo can aid them along the way.
Haaland versus Ronaldo in 2023/24
Ten Hag had grown tired of the toxicity around the football team by November 2022.
One of the key reasons for this was their star player, Ronaldo. Sir Alex Ferguson’s final years in the dugout saw him leave for Real Madrid and Juventus, where he won numerous major titles before returning to England for what felt like one last hurrah.
