One of the biggest mistakes made by Erik ten Hag during his time at Old Trafford was letting Anthony Elanga leave Manchester United. On Tuesday night, Elanga made United pay by scoring an amazing goal in the fifth minute of Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 victory at the City Ground. The 22-year-old Swedish player raced 85 meters in nine seconds as the Tricky Trees countered, leaving Alejandro Garnacho stunned before he fired past Andre Onana. The 22-year-old joined Forest in a £15 million deal in July 2023 after it became apparent that he wouldn’t be a key member of Ten Hag’s team; the Dutch coach gave priority to other wingers, including Antony’s £86 million arrival, and the Brazilian largely failed.
As soon as Elanga grabbed possession of the ball, there was a sense of inevitability that he would reach the back of the net. He did so with aplomb, helped by shambolic defending from the visitors, extending his record for the season to six goals and eight assists in 30 Premier League games.
During his brief tenure at Old Trafford, former United interim manager Ralf Rangnick chose Elanga over Marcus Rashford. The Sweden international was referred to as a “role model” by the German coach, who encouraged his team to emulate him.
The Red Devils academy graduate’s potential thrilled supporters, and many were annoyed to see him succeeding in the Premier League elsewhere. In response to his objective, one fan expressed their annoyance at Rangnick’s replacement by saying, “Ten hag has blood on his hands for letting Elanga go.”
Elanga had an outstanding game overall and appeared capable of producing a goal each time he received the ball. A supporter pointed the finger at him, saying, “One thing (I’ll) never forgive Ten Hag for is selling Elanga.” He has a profile that Ruben Amorim does not have.
Since the Brazilian arrived a month after Elanga’s departure, Antony was his replacement. It’s difficult for any supporter to ignore the outrageous amount United paid. For example, “Sold Elanga for £10m to buy Antony for £85m.” Seeing their academy product come back to haunt them infuriated others as well: “Erik ten Hag, I will never forgive you for getting rid of Anthony Elanga. What an incredible goal he just scored against us.
Ten Hag Caused Elanga’s Star to Fade
Under Rangnick, the former Manchester United star seemed like the real deal.
Supporters of Manchester United will tell you that a player may perform poorly for the team and be moved, only to perform well elsewhere. When the sale of Elanga has been proposed, it has frequently been the position.
It is impossible to overlook the recruitment team’s egregious shortcomings regarding one of the Premier League’s top-performing wingers this season. With impressive performances in a standout campaign, he also attracted attention under Rangnick, keeping Rashford off the team.
Rashford was given the honour of resuming his pivotal place in the Red Devils squad when Ten Hag came in the summer of 2022. Elanga suffered as a result, failing to maintain the steady form he did under Rangnick and faltering under the Dutchman.
Elanga Anthony Under Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag
Supervisor:
Erik ten Hag
Rangnick Ralf
Looks:
26
26
Played Minutes:
751′
1,439′
Objectives:
0
3.
Helps:
2.
2.
Elanga insisted that he had made the proper choice in leaving the team he had played the majority of his youth career with when questioned about his departure in December. Ten Hag gave him a bit-part role, and he implied that he thought he was playing for the sake of performing.
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