After a fortnight in which INEOS conducted a season review without testimony from Erik ten Hag, the confirmation he is staying means dialogue can now take place about a campaign in which Manchester United exited the Champions League at the group stage and slumped to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League, before pulling off a stirring FA Cup victory.
在对为期两周的埃里克·滕哈格无沟通调查之后，INEOS 完成了赛季回顾。由于埃里克·滕哈格的留任已经得到了确认，所以现在可以进行关于他在曼联执教的这个赛季的评估、讨论或制定未来的计划。这个赛季中，曼联在冠军联赛小组赛阶段出局，在英超联赛中成绩不佳，但在足总杯中取得了胜利。这些成绩和经历都可能成为讨论或对话的内容。
Sifting through the causes behind a campaign of contradictions will come once an agreement is reached on Ten Hag’s new contract, the exact make-up of which needs some discussion. Extending Ten Hag is viewed as an essential show of support after the huge uncertainty on his position, but the fresh terms may in exchange bring a reevaluation of his role. There are multiple points on which both sides must yet find agreement.
一旦就滕哈格的新合同达成一致，双方就会开始梳理这一充满矛盾的赛季背后的原因，新合同的具体细节还需要进一步讨论。延长滕哈格的合同被视为在巨大不确定性之后对其立场的必要支持，但新的条款可能也会带来对他角色的重新评估。双方还有许多问题必须达成共识。
That kind of negotiation, coming off the back of INEOS scouring the managerial market so publicly for alternatives and advancing to salary discussions with Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi, is an indication that the resolution remains fragile.
这种谈判，是在INEOS公开在市场上寻找替代人选并与托马斯·图赫尔和罗伯托·德泽尔比进行薪酬谈判之后进行的，这表明解决方案仍然很脆弱。
However they have arrived at this outcome, United will want more from Ten Hag in his third season, just as he himself will hope that the “environment” Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of is materially improved.
不管他们是如何达成这一结果的，曼联都希望滕哈格在第三个赛季中有更好的表现，正如他自己也希望吉姆·拉特克利夫爵士所提到的“环境”能够得到实质性的改善一样。
The Athletic has spoken to dozens of well-placed sources, all of whom will remain anonymous to protect relationships, to deliver the full story of a season that ended with Ten Hag surviving a major scare on his job, including:
TA与数十位地位显赫的消息人士进行了交谈，为保护关系，所有人都将保持匿名，以呈现滕哈格在经历了一场重大的职业危机后得以留任的完整赛季故事，包括：
· Casemiro and Varane voicing a preference for coaching approach of Ancelotti and Zidane
· Ten Hag’s frustrations at waiting months for a new doctor
· Attempts to instil discipline after Vegas night out
· Player complaints of “bad cop, bad cop” management
· Executives question if Van der Gaag right fit as No 2
· How McClaren and Fletcher lobbied for pragmatic football
· Belief the lack of a sporting director undermined Ten Hag’s authority
· Rashford’s 90-minute one-on-one with Brailsford
· Squad’s desire for Kane, and other targets missed
· 卡塞米罗和瓦拉内表达了对安切洛蒂和齐达内执教方式的偏好
· 滕哈格对等待数月才迎来新队医的沮丧
· 在拉斯维加斯夜出后尝试灌输纪律
· 球员们对“坏警察，坏警察”管理方式的抱怨（goodcop，bad cop翻译为唱红脸，唱白脸，此处应该意思是滕哈格和范德加格都唱白脸）
· 高层质疑范德加格是否适合担任助理教练
· 麦克拉伦和弗莱彻如何游说采用务实的足球风格
· 人们认为缺少体育总监削弱了滕哈格的权威
· 拉什福德与布雷斯福德进行了90分钟的一对一交流
· 球队对凯恩的渴望，以及错过的其他目标
Tensions with the players
Erik ten Hag was given a three-point brief when he took charge of Manchester United in the summer of 2022. The board told him to play attacking football, as he had done when taking Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019; “clean the dressing room”; and win trophies. There was an expectation it would take six transfer windows to achieve it, after a season in which United had finished on 58 points.
一、与球员的紧张关系
埃里克·滕哈格在2022年夏天接手曼联时得到了三个明确的指示。董事会要求他踢出攻势足球（正如他2019年带领阿贾克斯闯入欧冠半决赛时所做的那样）“整顿更衣室”；以及赢得奖杯。在曼联前一个赛季以58分收官的背景下，人们预计滕哈格需要六个转会窗口（还有最后两个）的时间来实现这些目标。
Ten Hag made no secret of how he would go about trying to meet those aims when interviewed for the job by John Murtough and Darren Fletcher in early 2022. He had answers to every game scenario posed by the United directors and explained, in detail, his coaching methods, which are built around a blueprint of dozens of principles of play.
It is those principles, however, which cut to the heart of the turbulence Ten Hag has encountered at United.
滕哈格在2022年初接受约翰·莫塔夫和达伦·弗莱彻的面试时，毫不掩饰地表达了他将如何努力实现这些目标。他对于曼联董事会提出的每一种比赛场景都有答案，并详细解释了他的教练方法，这些方法基于一套由数十条比赛原则构成的蓝图。
然而，正是这些原则成为引发滕哈格在曼联所遭遇的动荡的关键因素。
Over his two seasons, Ten Hag has repeatedly cited players not following “the rules” when it comes to bad performances or poor actions on the pitch. Following the 2021-22 season where order was absent, with Ten Hag saying he inherited “a mess”, the implementation of a team structure was regarded as essential within the club and the fanbase.
But establishing that has been far from straightforward. Some players pushed back at what they felt was an overload of information, believing it to be micromanagement that inhibited their play. Others could not fully grasp what was being asked.
在他的两个赛季里，滕哈格多次提到球员们在场上表现不佳或行为不当时没有遵守“规则”。在2021-22赛季，球队秩序混乱，滕哈格称他接手时“一团糟”，因此，在俱乐部和球迷中实施团队结构被视为至关重要。
但建立这样的团队结构并非易事。一些球员对滕哈格提供的大量信息感到反感，认为这是过度管理，抑制了他们的发挥。另一些球员则无法完全理解滕哈格的要求。
Cristiano Ronaldo was something of a litmus test. Ten Hag tried to get Ronaldo to press, not least because of his own ideals but also due to the wish from directors for a high-intensity style.
He made allowances. Rather than asking for three distinct runs as he would do of a young player, he wanted two — for example, chasing the first defender on the ball, then following to the goalkeeper, before dropping back into shape if unsuccessful. Ronaldo was coached on this time and again but he made minimal movements in training, according to people with direct knowledge of the sessions, leaving some staff to wonder if he understood.
There are people familiar with the situation at United who believe Ronaldo knew what was being asked yet failed to comply because he felt it was not the best use of his abilities or the way to win matches. Ronaldo went on to leave the club in dramatic circumstances, ending up playing in the Saudi Pro League, but the cracks his resistance had caused remained, with other players gradually emboldened to disagree with their manager.
C罗在某种程度上成为了一个试金石。滕哈格试图让C罗参与逼抢，这不仅是因为他自己的理念，还因为董事会对高强度比赛风格的期望。
他做出了让步。他没有像要求年轻球员那样要求C罗进行三次明确的跑动，而是只要求两次——例如，追逐持球的第一名防守球员，然后跟随到守门员，如果未能成功则退回原位。据直接了解训练情况的人士透露，C罗多次接受了这方面的指导，但他在训练中几乎没有移动，这让一些工作人员怀疑他是否理解了要求。
有熟悉曼联情况的人认为，C罗知道对他的要求，但却没有遵守，因为他觉得这不是最好地利用他的能力或赢得比赛的方式。C罗最终在戏剧性的情况下离开了俱乐部，最终在沙特职业联赛踢球，但他引发的裂痕依然存在，其他球员也逐渐鼓起勇气与他们的主教练唱反调。
Casemiro and Raphael Varane spoke to team-mates about the similar approaches taken by Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, which gave players more freedom and greater agency on workload, and how Ten Hag’s positional style of football was not to their taste.
They were told by staff that Madrid is a completely different club to United and La Liga a slower competition with less strength in depth than the Premier League, so those same liberal techniques would not work. But Casemiro and Varane, having won multiple titles, had strong feelings and became dissenting voices.
卡塞米罗和瓦拉内与队友们谈论了安切洛蒂和齐达内在皇马时采用的类似方法，这些方法给了球员更多的自由和更大的工作自主权，以及滕哈格的位置足球风格并不符合他们的口味。
他们被俱乐部工作人员告知，皇马与曼联是完全不同的俱乐部，西甲联赛的强度较低，且深度不如英超联赛，因此那些同样的自由战术在曼联行不通。但是，卡塞米罗和瓦拉内作为多次夺冠的球员，他们有着强烈的感受，并成为了持不同意见的声音。
Those familiar with the situation feel that player power has been a major issue at United for years and having senior professionals doubt the message from this latest manager planted seeds with others in the dressing room. Alejandro Garnacho responded well to firm feedback, with Kobbie Mainoo described as a sponge for instruction by people with knowledge of the training environment.
Bringing through the two teenagers and adding value to the club is viewed as a sign of Ten Hag’s credentials, but wrestling control of this debate over tactics has been one of Ten Hag’s major tasks.
熟悉情况的人认为，球员权力多年来一直是曼联的主要问题，而资深球员对这位新任主教练的战术理念产生怀疑，在更衣室内为其他人埋下了怀疑的种子。然而加纳乔对坚定的反馈反应良好，据了解训练环境的人士描述，梅努就像海绵一样吸收着指导。（两个小将接受度最好）
提拔这两名年轻球员并为俱乐部增添价值被视为滕哈格能力的体现，但在这场关于战术的辩论中夺回控制权一直是滕哈格的主要任务之一。
In that proxy war, Jadon Sancho took the public route. Ten Hag’s disappointment with Sancho over his application came to a head during a training session before the Arsenal game in September. Sancho did not commit to pressing as an “opposition” player in the practice match in the way Ten Hag wanted. Sancho was offered the chance to end his involvement early, which he took by walking off the pitch. Ten Hag referenced Sancho’s training levels after the Arsenal defeat and the player responded with his infamous social media post, accusing him of double standards and effectively calling his manager a liar.
Ten Hag attempted to explain his point to Sancho in one meeting at Carrington and attempted to schedule another summit a few days later in which it was expected Sancho would apologise privately, face-to-face. But this did not happen. Forwards coach Benni McCarthy has said personal pride was a factor. “If you’re from the streets, no one wants to apologise,” McCarthy told South African radio station 947 Joburg. “Jadon wasn’t going to have that.”
在那场代理人战争（非直接武装对抗）中，贾登·桑乔选择了公开对抗的方式。滕哈格对桑乔在场上表现的不满在九月份与阿森纳比赛前的训练课上达到了顶峰。桑乔在训练赛中没有按照滕哈格想要的那样全力逼抢“对手”。滕哈格给了桑乔提前结束训练的机会，桑乔选择了离开球场。阿森纳比赛失利后，滕哈格提到了桑乔的训练水平，而桑乔则以一则著名的社交媒体帖子回应，指责滕哈格双重标准，实际上是在说他的主教练撒谎。
滕哈格尝试在卡灵顿的一次会议上向桑乔解释自己的观点，并计划在几天后安排另一次会议，预期桑乔会在私下里当面道歉。但这并没有发生。前锋教练本尼·麦卡锡表示，个人自尊心是一个因素。“如果你是从街头来的，没人愿意道歉，”麦卡锡告诉南非广播电台“贾登不会那么做。”
Ten Hag exiled Sancho in response. He felt Sancho was an incredible player but that his attitude did not correspond to a winning culture. His patience had been stretched months earlier after his second game in charge, away to Brentford, when Sancho told him United had bought the wrong player because his preference was to play on the left, rather than the right. This guided Ten Hag’s decision to go for a player in that position in the remaining days of the transfer market — ultimately, Antony.
The sight of Sancho performing well on the right wing in Borussia Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final was not lost on people at United. Sancho was known to be a free spirit on the pitch and around the training ground — a “cheeky chap” according to one person with knowledge of the environment — albeit capable of poor timekeeping and unsatisfactory responses to instructions on what to do in possession and on transition.
滕哈格对桑乔的反应是将其排除在外。他认为桑乔是一名出色的球员，但他的态度并不符合一支冠军球队的文化。几个月前，在他执教的第二场比赛中，客场对阵布伦特福德时，桑乔告诉他曼联买错了人，因为他更喜欢在左边踢球而不是右边，这让滕哈格的耐心受到了考验。（这是一个职业球员该说的话？？？俱乐部买错人了。。。）这促使滕哈格在转会市场剩余的日子里决定去签下一个能胜任那个位置的球员——最终，他选择了安东尼。
曼联的人并没有忽视桑乔在多特蒙德欧冠决赛之旅中在右翼表现出色的情景。桑乔在球场和训练场上都以其自由奔放的风格著称——据一位了解环境的人称，他是个“调皮的家伙”——尽管他有时会出现时间把握不准确和对指令的回应不令人满意的情况，无论是在控球还是在转换阶段。
In his first season, Ten Hag gave Sancho two months away from United to decompress. But in his second season, when Sancho seemed to ignore assistant Mitchell van der Gaag in a session, Ten Hag felt he crossed a line, so he stepped in. United will look to sell Sancho this summer, aiming for a £40million ($51m) fee — a decision taken irrespective of Ten Hag being manager.
Sancho had friends in the dressing room, though, and some at the club felt the situation could have been handled differently. That friction between Ten Hag’s matter-of-fact personality and a group of players which includes many different characters, some needing a softer touch, created fractures. Consistent injuries meant Ten Hag was unable to use rotation as a means of rewarding those who subscribed to his doctrine and reprimanding those who did not.
在他的第一个赛季，滕哈格给了桑乔两个月的时间离开曼联去放松。但在第二个赛季，当桑乔在训练中似乎无视助理教练米切尔·范德加格时，滕哈格觉得他越线了，所以他亲自介入。曼联将在今年夏天寻求出售桑乔，目标是4000万英镑（5100万美元）的费用——这一决定是在不考虑滕哈格是否继续担任主教练的情况下做出的。
然而，桑乔在更衣室里有朋友，俱乐部里的一些人觉得这种情况本可以不同方式处理。滕哈格实事求是的性格与包括许多不同性格的球员群体之间的摩擦，其中一些球员需要更温和的处理方式，这造成了裂痕。持续的伤病意味着滕哈格无法通过轮换来奖励那些支持他战术理念的球员，也无法惩罚那些不支持的球员。
Some players began to switch off because of meetings that went over the same details. After sessions, Ten Hag was known to make his way around players to impart instructions while walking off the grass, then hold another meeting in the briefing room at Carrington to emphasise his points. Occasionally these lasted up to an hour, but the standard was 30 minutes or less.
Some senior players felt the repetition was too much. Ten Hag could counter that Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, and Unai Emery are all known for drilling in details over video meetings. He is known to believe studying footage is a way of understanding the tactical plans without using energy on the training pitches.
一些球员开始对会议感到厌倦，因为这些会议总是重复相同的细节。在训练课后，滕哈格会绕着球员走，边走边给出指示，然后在卡灵顿的简报室再召开一次会议来强调他的要点。这些会议有时会持续长达一个小时，但通常标准是30分钟或更短。
一些资深球员觉得这种重复太多了。但滕哈格可能会反驳说，佩普·瓜迪奥拉、米克尔·阿尔特塔和乌奈·埃梅里都以通过视频会议反复强调细节而闻名。他相信研究录像是一种在不消耗训练场上能量的情况下理解战术计划的方式。
Still, in the final weeks of the season, Ten Hag toned down this aspect of his management, conducting informal meetings in the Carrington dressing room as players were preparing for gym sessions. He tried to vary his message to trigger fresh reactions, notably with two inspirational videos before the FA Cup final.
From his perspective though, he had been provided with enough evidence to suggest that some players needed their responsibilities on the pitch hammering home.
尽管如此，在赛季的最后几周里，滕哈格放缓了他管理的这一方面，在球员们准备进行健身房训练时，在卡灵顿的更衣室里举行非正式的会议。他试图改变他的信息以引发新的反应，特别是在足总杯决赛前播放了两个鼓舞人心的视频。
然而，从他的角度来看，他已经得到了足够的证据来表明，一些球员需要在场上加强他们的责任感。
Take the example of Antony, who sometimes lacks focus when instructed to mark certain players at set pieces. For Cole Palmer’s stoppage-time winner at Stamford Bridge from a Chelsea corner, Antony stood on the edge of the box not picking up anyone.
Antony has shown disobedience to Ten Hag’s demands twice during games. He made an exploding motion with his hand to his head when Ten Hag told him to play at left-back during the 4-3 FA Cup win over Liverpool and repeated the action — a sign of his incredulity — when shifted to the same position in the 1-0 Premier League loss to Arsenal. In the dressing room afterwards, Ten Hag ripped into the Brazilian, telling him bluntly he had to play where he was told, with United trying on both occasions to take drastic measures to turn games around.
以安东尼为例，当被指示在定位球时盯防某些球员时，他有时会缺乏专注。在斯坦福桥球场对阵切尔西的比赛中，科尔·帕尔默在补时阶段打进制胜球，这个进球来自切尔西的一个角球，而安东尼当时站在禁区边缘，没有盯防任何人。
安东尼在比赛中两次表现出对滕哈格要求的不服从。在足总杯4-3战胜利物浦的比赛中，当滕哈格告诉他要担任左后卫时，他做出了用手拍头的动作，表示惊讶。在英超联赛1-0输给阿森纳的比赛中，当他再次被换到同一个位置时，他重复了这个动作——这显示了他的难以置信。在随后的更衣室里，滕哈格严厉批评了这位巴西球员，直截了当地告诉他必须按照指示踢球。在这两次比赛中，曼联都试图采取严厉措施来扭转比赛局势。
Ten Hag felt that relaxing his approach, such as guiding Antony through his thought process, would have undermined his authority with a squad that requires strong leadership. It can be a political club and there are those who know the environment who suspect any sign of weakness from Ten Hag would see him at the “slaughter” of players.
Ten Hag also gave Antony brutal criticism in the dressing room after his display from the bench in the 2-0 win over Everton in March, to the extent that Antony appeared visibly affected. The performances of Antony have been held against Ten Hag, given he chose him ahead of two other options proposed by United’s recruitment team, including Raphinha, with the price reaching £86m. Antony’s first season finished with eight goals and three assists in all competitions and his second campaign totalled three goals and two assists.
Ten Hag is said by those familiar with the matter to be deeply disappointed the signing is not working out, especially after backing Antony at various stages, including when police opened an investigation over domestic violence allegations. That investigation remains ongoing.
滕哈格认为，放松他的方法，比如通过他的思维过程来指导安东尼，会削弱他在需要强大领导力的球队中的权威。曼联可以是一个政治化的俱乐部，有些了解环境的人怀疑滕哈格表现出任何软弱迹象，都会让他成为球员们的“靶子”。
滕哈格还在三月份2-0战胜埃弗顿的比赛后，在更衣室里对替补出场的安东尼进行了严厉的批评，以至于安东尼看起来受到了明显的影响。安东尼的表现让滕哈格受到了质疑，因为他选择了安东尼，而不是曼联招募团队提出的另外两名候选人，包括拉菲尼亚，后者的身价高达8600万英镑。安东尼的第一个赛季在所有比赛中打进了8球并助攻了3次，而他的第二个赛季总共打进了3球并助攻了2次。
据知情人士透露，滕哈格对这笔签约没有成功感到非常失望，尤其是在包括警方就家庭暴力指控展开调查在内的各个阶段都支持安东尼的情况下。该调查仍在进行中。
Some of the accusations dated back to his time at Ajax, prompting questions of due diligence by United, but the private firm hired by the club to run checks on Antony before his signing did not flag any concerns. Antony denies any wrongdoing. Several people at United believe those off-field problems distracted him from focusing on the improvements needed in his game.
Marcus Rashford has also had an under-par season, scoring eight goals and getting five assists in all competitions. At times, Rashford has appeared confused on the pitch and encumbered by the responsibility on his shoulders following a 30-goal campaign and new contract signed last July, which people with knowledge of the matter say is £325,000 per week basic with substantial bonuses.
一些指控可以追溯到他在阿贾克斯的时候，这引发了曼联是否完成了尽职调查的问题，但俱乐部雇佣的私人公司在安东尼签约前对他进行检查时并没有提出任何担忧。安东尼否认有任何不当行为。曼联内部的几个人认为，这些场外问题分散了他对比赛中需要改进之处的注意力。
马库斯·拉什福德也经历了一个低于标准的赛季，在所有比赛中打进了8球并助攻了5次。有时，拉什福德在场上看起来有些困惑，并且在上赛季打入30球并签下新合同后，他肩上的责任让他感到负担重重。据知情人士透露，这份新合同的基本周薪为32.5万英镑，并附有可观的奖金。
There was concern as well as anger internally when Rashford went on two nights out in Belfast, being seen on the second of those entering a club gone midnight, hours before he was due for a Friday morning training session. He phoned in sick and missed that Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport County, having initially insisted he had only gone out on the Wednesday. Ten Hag fined Rashford two weeks’ wages in response, although there have been delays to the process.
That Monday at Carrington, Sir Dave Brailsford addressed the squad en masse for the first time to outline the INEOS strategy, particularly in terms of raising standards across the club. Brailsford’s introduction was planned rather than a reaction to Rashford’s indiscipline, but it appeared to strike a chord with the player.
当拉什福德在贝尔法斯特连续两个晚上外出时，俱乐部内部既感到担忧又感到愤怒。在第二个晚上，他被看到在午夜后进入一家酒吧，而他本应在周五早上参加训练。他打电话请病假，错过了周日在纽波特郡举行的足总杯比赛，尽管他最初坚称自己只在周三晚上外出。滕哈格因此对他处以两周工资的罚款，尽管这个过程有所延迟。
就在那个周一，在卡灵顿，戴夫·布雷斯福德爵士首次向全队发表了讲话，概述了INEOS战略，特别是在提高俱乐部整体标准方面。布雷斯福德爵士的介绍是计划好的，而不是对拉什福德不守纪律的反应，但它似乎引起了球员的共鸣。（这么巧！！）
As team-mates were filing out of the room, Rashford requested a one-on-one meeting with Brailsford. The pair spoke for 90 minutes and afterwards, Rashford appeared energised. Ten Hag, having turned down Rashford’s request to play at Newport, reinstated him to the team at Wolves that Thursday and Rashford scored the opening goal after five minutes of a 4-3 win.
Brailsford went on to hold a series of private meetings with every member of United’s squad to fully understand the landscape at the club, but did not entertain any focus on Ten Hag, according to people familiar with the process.
当队友们陆续离开房间时，拉什福德请求与布雷斯福德进行一对一的会谈。两人谈了90分钟，之后拉什福德看起来精力充沛。滕哈格原本拒绝了拉什福德参加纽波特郡比赛的要求，但在周四对阵狼队的比赛中重新将他纳入球队，拉什福德在4-3的胜利中开场仅五分钟就打入了一球。
布雷斯福德随后与曼联的每一位队员进行了一系列私人会谈，以充分了解俱乐部的现状，但据了解该过程的人士透露，他并没有把对话的焦点放在滕哈格上。
Rashford is known to have taken issue with Ten Hag’s style of management, though. The pair seemed to have a strong relationship after a productive first season, with Rashford given the platform to play some of the best football of his career, but strains emerged. Rashford is the kind of player who takes on coaching in bite-sized chunks rather than exhaustive instructions. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kept Rashford’s game relatively simple, focusing on his ability to cut in from the left and run in behind. The arrival of Rasmus Hojlund, who likes to pick up the ball in the inside left channel, saw Rashford shift further towards the wing, away from the areas where he did his best work.
Rashford hiring a new PR in Caroline McAteer, who works with Ronaldo, Sancho and Varane (plus Mason Mount), caused ripples at United due to challenging relationships between those three players and Ten Hag. Rashford felt he needed an advocate in the media in the face of intense scrutiny and online abuse.
不过，拉什福德对滕哈格的管理风格有异议是众所周知的。两人在第一个富有成效的赛季后似乎建立了牢固的关系，滕哈格为拉什福德提供了发挥他职业生涯中最佳足球能力的平台，但随后出现了紧张关系。拉什福德是那种喜欢分块接受训练而不是详尽指导的球员。索尔斯克亚让拉什福德的比赛相对简单，专注于他从左路切入和从后插上的能力。拉斯穆斯·霍伊伦德的到来，他喜欢从左路内侧拿球，导致拉什福德进一步向边路移动，远离了他表现最好的区域。
拉什福德聘请了与罗纳尔多、桑乔和瓦拉内（以及梅森·芒特）合作的新公关人员卡罗琳·麦卡特，这在曼联引起了波澜，因为这三名球员与滕哈格之间的关系紧张。拉什福德觉得在面对严密的审视和网络攻击时，他需要在媒体上有一个代言人。
Executive uncertainty, Las Vegas and ‘bad cop, bad cop’
When INEOS arrived, there was an opportunity for United to trigger the clause in Ten Hag’s contract extending its length by one year to 2026. But instead, the sense arose of Ten Hag being a manager on trial, in a similar manner to his predecessor, Ralf Rangnick, whose interim status became an excuse for players to slack off towards the end of the campaign. Those who make the case for INEOS argue a manager should be able to operate effectively whatever the length of his contract.
But the steady stream of reports on potential Ten Hag replacements compounded the matter in the opinion of some close to the club, as did Ratcliffe never publicly backing Ten Hag.
二、高层的不确定性，拉斯维加斯与“唱白脸”
当INEOS到来时，曼联原本有机会触发滕哈格合同中的条款，将其合同延长一年至2026年。但相反，滕哈格给人的感觉像是处于试用期中的主教练，与他的前任拉尔夫·朗尼克的情况相似，朗尼克的临时身份成了球员们在赛季末松懈的借口。然而，支持INEOS的人认为，无论合同期限长短，主教练都应该能够有效地运营。
但在一些人看来，关于滕哈格潜在替代者的持续报道加剧了这一问题，同样，拉特克利夫也从未公开支持滕哈格。
Another parallel between Rangnick and Ten Hag has been the absence of a sporting director, in terms of someone in power being able to spell out to players the long-term consequences for short-term behaviours. That gap will continue until Dan Ashworth arrives. Jason Wilcox, the technical director, has been getting to grips with the club and his role.
Real engagement from above has been scarce in Ten Hag’s tenure. Murtough, the former football director, did not exert his status on the squad, while Fletcher, the technical director until Wilcox arrived, has been more of a conduit for information and a guiding presence for younger players than an authority figure.
In that setting, Ten Hag took the initiative and leaned into the stubborn side of his personality to try to wrest control of the group. Those who know him feel he may have relaxed a little had he been able to dovetail with a more assertive personality at executive level. One player acknowledged those wider issues when privately confiding the club had been run “like a circus”.
朗尼克和滕哈格之间的另一个相似之处是缺乏体育总监的角色，即没有人能够在权力层面向球员明确阐述短期行为对长期的后果。这种缺失将一直持续到丹·阿什沃斯到来。技术总监杰森·威尔科克斯已经开始熟悉俱乐部和他的角色。
在滕哈格的任期内，来自高层的真正参与一直很少。前足球总监默塔夫并没有在球队中发挥自己的地位，而弗莱彻在威尔科克斯到来之前担任技术总监，他更多地是一个信息传递者和年轻球员的指导者，而不是一个权威人物。
在这种环境下，滕哈格主动出击，利用自己固执的一面试图掌控整个团队。认识他的人觉得他如果能够与一位更有魄力的执行层人物配合，可能会稍微放松一些。一名球员在私下里承认，俱乐部一直“像马戏团一样”运行。
The INEOS investment spread an element of discord as staff realised a major change was coming. The mantra from Ratcliffe and Brailsford during introductory addresses caused excitement and also trepidation. Those in the new co-owners’ group wanted to get rid of a supposed “job for life” culture and trim the 1,000-strong workforce significantly. They were aware it would cause some immediate upset but aimed to streamline operations and create a culture of high ambition.
The January transfer window was marked by executives trying to impress the new regime rather than channel all energies into whether the squad could be supplemented, with Ten Hag desperate for a striker.
In that setting, the atmosphere at Carrington soured. Tactically, Ten Hag is very respected, but there is little room for manoeuvre in his vision. Van der Gaag has a similar personality and some players saw him and Ten Hag as “bad cop, bad cop”. Van der Gaag is vital to the daily flow at Carrington, setting the training programme and overseeing logistics. He is described as working “24/7”, watching each opponent four or five times and having a strong rapport with the analysts. His fluency in several languages, particularly Portuguese, is seen as vital for communication. Those who know Van der Gaag well say he has a dry wit.
INEOS的投资引发了员工们意识到即将发生重大变革的不和谐氛围。拉特克利夫和布雷斯福德在介绍性讲话中的口号既令人兴奋又令人不安。新合伙人集团希望摆脱所谓的“终身合同”文化，并大幅削减1000人的员工队伍。他们意识到这会引起一些立即的不满，但旨在精简运营并创造一种高度雄心的文化。
一月份的转会窗口期间，高管们试图给新管理层留下深刻印象，而不是将所有精力都投入到是否可以为球队补充人员上，而滕哈格迫切需要一名前锋。
在这种环境下，卡林顿的气氛变得恶劣。在战术上，滕哈格非常受尊重，但在他的愿景中几乎没有回旋的余地。范德加格有着类似的性格，一些球员将他和滕哈格视为“坏警察，坏警察”（与唱红脸，唱白脸相类比，指的是滕哈格和范德加格都唱白脸）。范德加格对卡林顿的日常运作至关重要，他设定训练计划并监督后勤工作。他被描述为“7天24小时不间断”工作，观看每个对手四到五次，与分析师们有着良好的关系。他精通多种语言，尤其是葡萄牙语，这对于沟通至关重要。熟悉范德加格的人表示，他有着干练的幽默感。（这个助理教练确实有点东西）
His relationship with some players and other staff members has not always been smooth, however, due to his sharp, occasionally caustic comments.
Ten Hag selected Steve McClaren as his other assistant to create a blend of personalities, with the 63-year-old bringing vast experience in English football and a buoyant approach to coaching. At times, Van der Gaag and McClaren have shared a frank exchange of views.
Finding the right balance of responsibilities between his coaching staff is an aspect Ten Hag has worked through, especially after the departure of Eric Ramsay to Minnesota United, with McClaren taking ownership of set pieces and Fletcher having greater involvement on the training pitches. McCarthy, the forwards coach, is a jovial character.
Brailsford began working at Carrington auditing United in January, conducting a series of interviews with players and staff and getting a feel for the environment. He ruled the training ground should be significantly renovated, which will start this summer, and he also felt Ten Hag’s team might require restructuring.
然而，他与一些球员和其他员工的关系并不总是顺畅的，因为他有时会做出尖锐甚至尖刻的评论。
滕哈格选择了史蒂夫·麦克莱伦作为他的另一位助理教练，以形成性格上的融合。这位63岁的教练带来了丰富的英格兰足球经验和充满活力的执教方式。有时，范德加格和麦克莱伦会坦率地交换意见。
滕哈格一直在努力寻找教练团队之间职责的正确平衡，尤其是在埃里克·拉姆齐离开前往明尼苏达联队之后，麦克莱伦负责定位球战术，而弗莱彻在训练场上有了更大的参与度。前锋教练麦卡锡则是一个开朗的角色。
布雷斯福德于一月份开始在卡林顿对曼联进行审计，与球员和员工进行了一系列访谈，以了解环境。他裁定训练场应该进行重大改造，这将在今年夏天开始，他还觉得滕哈格的教练团队可能需要重组。
The three key words in the INEOS playbook are “grit”, “rigour” and “humour” — they form the title of the book by Ratcliffe about his company — and there were conversations around Ten Hag getting a new No 2 in the summer to lift the mood at Carrington. Brailsford is known to feel athletes should be excited at getting to their place of work. But Ten Hag is loyal to Van der Gaag, having worked with him at Ajax, and was against any such proposal. The issue of Van der Gaag’s role could yet resurface.
Ten Hag’s resistance earlier this year was a sign he might not fit easily into the role INEOS prefers for the coach of its football clubs. He was open to working in sync with sporting and technical directors on recruitment, having seized influence previously due to his uncertainty over the quality of options being proposed and United executives’ abilities to execute deals. But he was steadfast against a young coach being imposed on him instead of someone he trusted.
INEOS 的行动指南中的三个关键词是“坚韧”、“严谨”和“幽默”——这三个词也是拉特克利夫关于他公司的书名。有人讨论过滕哈格在夏天找一个新的二把手来提升卡林顿的氛围。布雷斯福德认为运动员应该对他们的工作场所感到兴奋。但滕哈格对范德加格很信任，他们在阿贾克斯时就有过合作，他反对任何这样的提议。或许范德加格角色的问题可能会再次出现。
滕哈格今年早些时候的坚持表明他可能不会轻松地适应 INEOS 为其足球俱乐部教练所偏好的角色。他愿意与体育和技术总监在招募方面同步工作，因为他之前对提出的选项质量和曼联高管执行交易的能力感到不确定，因此他获得了影响力。但他坚决反对强加给他一个年轻的教练，而不是他信任的人。
Ten Hag can be personable, though, and he has tried to cultivate camaraderie, organising a barbecue for player and staff families at Carrington in September, as well as a bonding meal with nearly all the squad at The Ivy before the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool. He has good relationships with several players, who respect his calm and balanced approach, whatever the result.
However, some players have been frustrated at a training schedule that was typically shared late on, despite being planned meticulously weeks beforehand. Others believed more days off in a packed calendar would have been beneficial.
Those privy to Ten Hag’s views say he felt notifying players of days off in advance would invite them to plan trips abroad, possibly jeopardising their fitness on return. An example of why Ten Hag reached that conclusion came in Las Vegas on the pre-season trip. Five players went out to Drai’s nightclub the night before United played Borussia Dortmund despite Ten Hag insisting everybody get rest. When asked by a fellow partygoer at Drai’s whether being out late would be frowned upon, one of the players is said to have replied that he wanted to have fun while in Vegas.
不过，滕哈格也有和蔼可亲的一面，他努力培养团队精神，在九月份为球员和员工的家人组织了一次烧烤活动，还在足总杯四分之一决赛对阵利物浦之前在 Ivy 餐厅与几乎所有球员共进了一顿团结餐。他与几名球员关系良好，无论比赛结果如何，他们都尊重他冷静和平衡的态度。
然而，一些球员对通常很晚才公布的训练计划感到沮丧，尽管这些计划是数周前精心策划的。其他人则认为在紧凑的赛程中增加更多的休息日会更有益。
了解滕哈格观点的人表示，他认为提前通知球员休息日会让他们计划出国旅行，可能会影响他们回归后的体能。滕哈格得出这个结论的一个例子是在季前赛之旅的拉斯维加斯。尽管滕哈格坚持让所有人休息，但五名球员还是在曼联对阵多特蒙德的前一天晚上去了 Drai's 夜店。当 Drai's 的另一位派对参与者问其中一名球员，晚上外出是否会被认为是不好的行为时，据说该球员回答说，他希望在拉斯维加斯玩得开心。
Some experienced players felt Ten Hag treating the squad uniformly due to the actions of a few was wrong and having prior notice of free time would simply allow them to plan family days out. Ten Hag adapted as the campaign went on, beginning to share training workloads 10 days ahead of time. It was still a far cry from the month in advance Solskjaer provided, but that period had its share of disciplinary issues.
Ten Hag also eased up on training days. In the week of the FA Cup final, he gave players Monday and Tuesday off, when previously he had got them in the day after matches.
一些经验丰富的球员认为滕哈格因为少数人的行为而一视同仁地对待整个球队是错误的，而且提前知道休息时间只是让他们能够计划家庭外出日。随着赛季的进行，滕哈格也做出了调整，开始提前10天分享训练任务。但这仍然与索尔斯克亚提前一个月公布训练计划的情况相去甚远，但那段时间也出现过一些纪律问题。
滕哈格还在训练日方面做出了让步。在足总杯决赛的那一周，他给了球员们周一和周二两天的休息时间，而之前他会在比赛后的第二天就让他们参加训练。
On the U.S. tour, Ten Hag insisted on double training sessions to get players fit, but the strict curfews and intense schedule left some frazzled. The number of meetings taking place was also commented on.
Ten Hag is known to feel members of his squad were not mentally prepared for pre-season after the previous 62-game campaign and he also underestimated the air miles, with a game in Houston sandwiched between friendlies in New Jersey and Las Vegas — three cities spanning the width of the United States. It is why, on this summer’s tour, United will be based in Los Angeles, with a short day trip to San Diego and a game in South Carolina on the East Coast on the way home.
在美国巡回赛中，滕哈格坚持进行双训以提高球员的体能，但严格的宵禁和紧张的赛程让一些人感到疲惫不堪。同时，人们对正在进行的会议数量也提出了意见。
滕哈格认为，在之前62场比赛的赛季之后，他的球队在季前赛时心理上还没有准备好，他还低估了飞行里程数，因为他们在纽约和拉斯维加斯之间的友谊赛之间还有一场在休斯敦的比赛——这三个城市横跨美国全境。这就是为什么在今年夏天的巡回赛中，曼联将驻扎在洛杉矶，在回家的途中进行短途一日游前往圣地亚哥，并在东海岸的南卡罗来纳州进行一场比赛。
Injury problems and the wait for a doctor
Injuries have been the dominant theme of the campaign and there were frustrations dating back to last summer for Ten Hag. In December 2022, Steve McNally stepped down after 16 years as United’s club doctor, being replaced on an interim basis by Jim Moxon, formerly of Liverpool.
But a permanent hire was required and talks took place with Gary O’Driscoll, who had established a strong reputation at Arsenal. Ten Hag was impressed during an introduction in January 2023 and wanted him to join on July 1 for the start of pre-season.
But Arsenal, with contractual terms in their favour, asked for time to find O’Driscoll’s replacement before agreeing to his exit and that process dragged on until late September. People familiar with his thinking say Ten Hag felt United could have pushed back at Arsenal and sorted a much earlier arrival date. He believes having a doctor he has total alignment with is vital for player availability and that, had O’Driscoll started in July, it would have also provided fresh energy for the squad.
三、伤病问题和等待医生
伤病问题一直是本赛季的主旋律，滕哈格对此的沮丧可以追溯到去年夏天。2022年12月，史蒂夫·麦克纳利在担任曼联队医16年后离职，由吉姆·莫克森暂时接替，后者之前曾在利物浦任职。
但曼联需要一名永久性的队医，并与在阿森纳享有盛誉的加里·奥德里斯科尔进行了谈判。滕哈格在2023年1月的介绍中对他印象深刻，并希望他能在7月1日加入，以便开始季前准备。
然而，阿森纳以其合同条款为由，要求在同意奥德里斯科尔离队之前先找到他的替代者，这一过程一直拖到9月底。熟悉他想法的人表示，滕哈格认为曼联本可以推动阿森纳更早地达成协议。他认为，拥有一名与他完全一致的医生对球员的可用性至关重要，如果奥德里斯科尔在7月开始工作，也会为球队注入新的活力。
It was only after the FA Cup final that United completed work to bring in a new head physio in Jordan Reece from Arsenal, with Robin Sadler, who held the role for three years, departing in January. A meeting with medics and INEOS figures took place at Carrington in the week before the match at Wembley to thrash out the key issues on player availability.
Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro became the 15th different centre-back partnership for the match at Brighton, and Ten Hag is adamant the absence of a settled team has dramatically hampered results.
Martinez and Luke Shaw, two left-footers, played only five games together this season — four wins, one defeat — and their combined loss has been most telling in terms of executing the build-up patterns seen in Ten Hag’s first season.
直到足总杯决赛后，曼联才完成了从阿森纳引进新首席理疗师乔丹·里斯的工作，罗宾·萨德勒担任该职位三年，于今年1月离职。在温布利比赛前的一周，医疗团队和INEOS的代表在卡灵顿基地举行了一次会议，以解决球员可用性的关键问题。
利桑德罗·马丁内斯和卡塞米罗在布莱顿的比赛中组成了第15对不同的中后卫组合，滕哈格坚称球队阵容的不稳定极大地影响了比赛结果。
马丁内斯和卢克·肖，两位左脚球员，本赛季只一起打了五场比赛——四胜一负——他们的缺席对执行滕哈格首个赛季的进攻模式影响最为显著。
Jonny Evans was only 50 per cent fit for the 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace but made himself available because he was the sole recognised central defender. Ten Hag was relieved Evans emerged from the game uninjured. Martinez and Varane were not match-ready for the FA Cup final but played because of the occasion.
Some speculated training intensity as one cause for the spike in problems, but Ten Hag argued robust sessions were required to keep players primed for matches and that he tempered the output when necessary. An analysis of the players who sustained muscle injuries showed no overloading, according to those briefed on the results, but there were mistakes.
乔尼·埃文斯在0-4输给水晶宫的比赛中只有50%的状态，但他还是上场了，因为他是唯一被认可的中后卫。滕哈格庆幸埃文斯在比赛中没有受伤。马丁内斯和瓦拉内因伤未能在足总杯决赛中出场，但因为这场比赛的重要性，他们还是上场了。
一些人猜测训练强度是导致伤病激增的原因之一，但滕哈格认为，需要强有力的训练来让球员为比赛做好准备，并在必要时调整训练量。据了解结果的人士透露，对受伤球员的分析显示，并没有出现过度训练的情况，但确实存在错误。（没有过度训练，那是什么mistake？？）
Shaw said he accepted a request by Ten Hag to play against Luton in February after training one session that week. Ten Hag had chosen to take Shaw off as a precaution at half-time in the previous game at Aston Villa. But at Kenilworth Road, Shaw suffered his third hamstring injury of the season and did not play again.
“It’s kind of everyone’s fault. Partly my fault, partly medical staff,” said Shaw. People familiar with his thinking say Ten Hag accepts responsibility on that call also, but they add that he would never force a player onto the pitch. His options were limited, with Victor Lindelof sent on in both matches. Tyrell Malacia being out all season put pressure on Shaw to play more often than ideal.
肖表示，他接受了滕哈格的要求，在2月份对阵卢顿的比赛中出场，尽管那一周他只参加了一次训练。滕哈格在之前阿斯顿维拉的比赛中选择半场时换下肖作为预防措施。但在肯尼沃斯路上，肖遭受了本赛季的第三次腿筋伤病，之后再也没有出场。
“这有点像是每个人的错。部分是我的错，部分是医疗团队的错。”肖说。熟悉他想法的人表示，滕哈格也接受了那次换人的责任，但他们补充说，他永远不会强迫球员上场。他的选择有限，因为维克托·林德洛夫在两场比赛中都被派上场。泰雷尔·马拉西亚整个赛季都缺阵，这使得肖不得不出场比理想中更频繁。
Other reasons flagged included the aftereffects of playing the most matches in Europe last year and the recovery undertaken by injured players, with several suffering repeat problems. Data showed the actual number of injuries was in line with those recorded each season over the past decade, but the days missed hit a high in that period (2,185) — triple the figure from 2021-22 (716). United had the most players absent for games in the Premier League, so the focus fell on the rehabilitation plans — whether they were correct by design, or players lacked faith in their reliability.
O’Driscoll and other club staff investigated the issues for several months to try to avert the crisis and while bad luck played a part, some players were sceptical about the care provided at United.
Last summer, Malacia underwent treatment in the Netherlands with his own choice of surgeon for a knee meniscus injury, while in March, Martinez completed his rehabilitation from damaged knee ligaments in Argentina during an international camp. Martinez was said to be very upset a recurrence of his fractured metatarsal was not picked up earlier at the start of the campaign after three scans.
其他被提及的原因还包括去年在欧洲踢了最多比赛的后遗症以及受伤球员的恢复情况，其中有几人重复受伤。数据显示，实际受伤人数与过去十年每个赛季的记录相符，但错过的比赛天数（2185天）在那段时间内达到了最高点——是2021-22赛季（716天）的三倍。曼联在英超联赛中缺席比赛的球员最多，因此焦点落在了康复计划上——无论是设计正确，还是球员对它们的可靠性缺乏信心。
奥德里斯科尔和其他俱乐部工作人员调查了这些问题好几个月，试图避免危机，虽然不幸的运气也起到了一定作用，但一些球员对曼联提供的护理持怀疑态度。
去年夏天，马拉西亚在荷兰接受了自己选择的医生的治疗，以治疗膝盖半月板损伤。而在3月，马丁内斯在国际训练营期间在阿根廷完成了膝盖韧带损伤的康复。据说马丁内斯非常沮丧，因为他在赛季初经过三次扫描后，他再次骨折的跖骨没有被及时发现。
Casemiro also questioned why he suffered muscle injuries this season given he had never experienced such problems before. His only previous muscle injury lasted six days, but Casemiro was out for more than two months with a hamstring issue in the autumn and he came close to sustaining a rupture in March before the FA Cup tie with Liverpool despite tailoring his training as per instructions. Supported by United’s medical team, he decided against playing as soon as he felt a tightness in training and, after the match, he also ran the scans past Brazil’s national team doctor, making the call to stay home rather than join up.
The issue reared its head again on FA Cup final day when Casemiro withdrew from his place on the bench, citing hamstring discomfort once the teamsheets had been handed in at Wembley. Some people close to the team suspected an element of calculation on Casemiro’s part given Ten Hag had dropped him from the starting line-up after he had filled in at centre-back for seven successive games to help the club. There was consternation among players and staff about the timing of Casemiro reporting his problem.
卡塞米罗也质疑为什么他本赛季会遭遇肌肉伤病，因为他以前从未遇到过这样的问题。他之前唯一的肌肉伤病只持续了六天，但卡塞米罗在秋天因腿筋问题缺席了两个多月，尽管他按照指示调整了训练，但在3月足总杯对阵利物浦的比赛前，他差点再次受伤。在曼联医疗团队的支持下，他一旦在训练中感到紧绷就决定不上场，并在比赛后还让巴西国家队的医生检查了他的扫描结果，选择留在家里而不是加入国家队。
在足总杯决赛日，这个问题再次浮出水面，当时卡塞米罗以腿筋不适为由退出了在温布利递交的球队名单中的替补位置。一些接近球队的人怀疑卡塞米罗的退出是出于某种算计，因为滕哈格在卡塞米罗连续七场填补中后卫位置以帮助球队后，将他从首发阵容中撤下。球员和工作人员对卡塞米罗报告问题的时机感到困惑。
United said on the day of the final he was not fully fit in the days building up to the game and then felt a tightness that meant he was unable to play. People close to the player insist this was the case.
The scale of injuries meant more reliance than intended on Hojlund, Garnacho and Mainoo — three young players all in their first campaigns as Premier League regulars. Each showed major promise while also experiencing dips, as any emerging player might, but especially so because of fatigue. All three are in the top seven for minutes played by United outfield players this Premier League campaign.
曼联在决赛当天表示，他在比赛前的几天里并没有完全恢复健康，然后感到紧绷，这意味着他无法参加比赛。与该球员关系密切的人士坚持认为情况确实如此。
大规模的伤病意味着比预期更多地依赖霍伊伦德、加纳乔和梅努——这是三名年轻球员，都是他们第一次参加英超联赛。他们都展现出了巨大的潜力，同时也经历了起伏，这是任何新兴球员都可能经历的，尤其是由于疲劳。这三名球员在本赛季英超联赛中都是曼联出场时间排名前七的外场球员。
Recruitment disappoints players and coach
Different recruitment over the past two summers may have allowed Ten Hag greater rotation. In the depths of the MetLife Stadium, after United had beaten Arsenal 2-0 in a pre-season friendly with Sancho as a false nine, Ten Hag spoke casually to reporters. He was asked when he wanted a new striker in. “Last year!” he replied, smiling.
Hojlund signed a fortnight later, although he would not play for United until September 3 due to a back problem and a lack of depth up top affected the team all campaign. United scored 57 Premier League goals this term, after 58 goals in Ten Hag’s first season. That total of 115 is 75 goals less than City scored in the same period.
四、引援令球员和教练失望
过去两个夏天的不同引援可能让滕哈格有更多轮换的选择。在季前友谊赛中，曼联以2-0击败阿森纳，桑乔担任伪九号后，在MetLife体育场深处，滕哈格轻松地向记者们表示。当被问及他何时想要一名新前锋时，他笑着回答：“去年！”
两周后，霍伊伦德签约，但由于背部问题和球队前场深度不足，他直到9月3日才为曼联出战，这影响了球队整个赛季的表现。本赛季曼联在英超联赛中打进了57球，而在滕哈格的第一个赛季中打进了58球。这两个赛季的总进球数为115球，比同期曼城少进了75球。
In the summer of 2022, United lost Edinson Cavani on a free, with Ronaldo following that winter. Wout Weghorst was a temporary solution, but with Anthony Martial fit for less than half the games Ten Hag has managed, Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay have been shifted from their best positions to play up top.
Ten Hag asked for a new striker during his first summer and advocated for Cody Gakpo because he could play on the wing or through the middle. He was available from PSV Eindhoven for £40million. Ideally, Ten Hag wanted both Gakpo and Antony, but United could only afford a deal for one.
After having to rely on personal connections to source Weghorst midway through his first campaign, Ten Hag was determined to get a guarantee of goals for his second and pushed hard for Harry Kane. But Murtough, in conjunction with Joel Glazer and chief executive Richard Arnold, declined to enter the running, ruling negotiations with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy too complicated and Kane’s price too high for a 29-year-old.
在2022年夏天，曼联免费失去了埃丁森·卡瓦尼，随后在那个冬天又失去了罗纳尔多。沃特·韦格霍斯特是一个临时的解决方案，但由于安东尼·马夏尔在滕哈格执教的比赛中健康上场的场次不到一半，拉什福德、布鲁诺·费尔南德斯和斯科特·麦克托米奈都被从他们擅长的位置上调到锋线。
滕哈格在他的第一个夏天就要求引进一名新前锋，并推荐了科迪·加克波，因为他可以在边路或中路踢球。当时他以4000万英镑的价格从埃因霍温PSV转会而来。理想情况下，滕哈格想要同时签下加克波和安东尼，但曼联只能负担得起一个人的转会费。
在第一个赛季中途不得不依靠个人关系来引进韦格霍斯特之后，滕哈格决心在他的第二个赛季中确保进球，并大力推动引进哈里·凯恩。但是，莫塔夫与乔尔·格雷泽和首席执行官理查德·阿诺德一起，决定不参与竞购，认为与热刺主席丹尼尔·列维的谈判过于复杂，而且29岁的凯恩的价格过高。
United wanted a longer-term answer and Ten Hag was pleased to get Hojlund having been convinced of his character during video calls. He was a gamble, though, aged 20 having scored 10 goals in 34 games for Atalanta in 2022-23 and still costing £72m. Internally, it was agreed that signing Hojlund meant United adjusted their expectations for the season.
Many in Ten Hag’s squad wanted and expected United to go for Kane so that the team could, in their minds, be transformed into title challengers. Casemiro was known to feel that having come third, with 75 points, adding a proven scorer of Kane’s quality would have lifted United’s aspirations significantly. He had been told when signing that United intended to make additions to compete at the top of the Premier League and gave the impression he was disappointed that, having done his bit, the recruits last summer did not marry up to that proposed ambition. He was not alone in that thinking and the attitude in camp suffered as a consequence.
曼联想要一个更长期的解决方案，滕哈格很高兴得到霍伊伦德，因为在视频通话中他确信了他的性格。然而，这仍然是一笔冒险的引援，霍伊伦德年仅20岁，在2022-23赛季为亚特兰大出场34次打进10球，但他的转会费仍然高达7200万英镑。在曼联内部，已经达成共识，签下霍伊伦德意味着曼联调整了本赛季的期望。
滕哈格队中的许多人希望并期待曼联引进凯恩，以便球队能够成为冠军的有力竞争者。据了解，卡塞米罗认为，在获得第三名、积75分之后，引进一名像凯恩这样经过考验的射手将大大提升曼联的野心。他签约时被告知，曼联打算增加引援以在英超联赛中竞争，但他给人的印象是，他对自己去年夏天的引援没有达到预期的雄心感到失望。有这种想法的不仅仅是他一个人，因此球队的气氛也受到了影响。
United also looked at Randal Kolo Muani, who was available from Eintracht Frankfurt, and Ten Hag met him in London but decided he was not the right fit for his team. Kolo Muani, then 24, moved to Paris Saint Germain in September 2023 for £72.7million and has scored nine goals in 40 games.
Ten Hag was encouraging and supportive of United’s controversial plans to bring back Mason Greenwood, too, but the U-turn left them a striker short and overshadowed the start of the season.
Ten Hag’s influence on United’s transfer business is clear and INEOS wants to reduce his role, aiming to appoint a head of recruitment. But Ten Hag has missed out on key players for his style. He still speaks to people about the evolution that would have been possible with Frenkie de Jong on board, believing there was a chance early on in his first summer to strike a deal with Barcelona and convince the player to join.
曼联还考虑过从法兰克福引进穆阿尼，滕哈格在伦敦与他见面，但决定他并不适合他的球队。随后，24岁的科洛·穆阿尼在2023年9月以7270万英镑的价格转会至巴黎圣日耳曼，并在40场比赛中打进了9球。
滕哈格对曼联有争议的召回梅森·格林伍德的计划也表示了鼓励和支持，但这一转变让他们缺少了一名前锋，并给赛季初蒙上了一层阴影。
滕哈格对曼联转会业务的影响是显而易见的，INEOS希望减少他的角色，并计划任命一名招聘主管。但滕哈格在为自己的风格寻找关键球员时错过了机会。他仍然向人们谈起如果弗伦基·德容加入球队，球队将如何演变，他相信在第一个夏天早期有机会与巴塞罗那达成协议并说服球员加盟。
As an alternative option, Ten Hag liked Declan Rice, who was very interested in joining, but Casemiro was seen as more attainable by the club. Last summer, Ten Hag pushed again for Rice, judging his blend of physicality, quality and mentality to be the right mix to elevate United’s foundation. Again, several players agreed with their manager, but United were way behind Arsenal and even Manchester City in the pursuit.
United eventually made contact with West Ham, but it came across as a token gesture, which was dismissed. Instead, the club pressed ahead with signing Mount, who was seen as a versatile player of excellent quality. His injury record this season was entirely unexpected, playing 20 games in all competitions and only 513 minutes in the Premier League.
作为一个可选项，滕哈格喜欢德克兰·赖斯，后者对加盟曼联非常感兴趣，但曼联认为卡塞米罗更容易得到。去年夏天，滕哈格再次推动引进赖斯，他认为赖斯的身体素质、技术和心理素质是提升曼联基础阵容的正确组合。同样，有几名球员与他们的主教练持相同观点，但曼联在追逐赖斯的竞争中远远落后于阿森纳，甚至落后于曼城。
曼联最终与西汉姆联进行了接触，但这被视为一种象征性的姿势，并遭到了拒绝。相反，俱乐部继续推进芒特的签约，他被认为是一个品质极佳的多面手。然而，本赛季他的伤病记录完全出乎意料，在所有比赛中出场20次，仅在英超联赛中出场513分钟。
Ten Hag was interested in recruiting Denzel Dumfries to offer more attacking potential at right-back. A swap including Diogo Dalot was discussed by United and Inter Milan, but both sides wanted money on top for their player. Talks ended when Malacia’s injury became clear because Dalot’s ability to play on the left made him more of an asset than Dumfries. Dalot has responded well to Ten Hag, adding areas to his game and becoming United’s player of the season.
A new goalkeeper to replace David de Gea was very much at Ten Hag’s behest. People privy to his thinking say Ten Hag felt De Gea’s performance in the FA Cup final against City lacked hunger.
As well as Andre Onana, United also agreed a deal with Anderlecht for Bart Verbruggen, who chose to join Brighton to get more games. Altay Bayindir signed instead.
滕哈格有兴趣引进邓弗里斯，以增加右后卫位置的进攻潜力。曼联和国际米兰讨论了包括迪奥戈·达洛特在内的交换交易，但双方都希望对方额外支付一些费用。然而，当马拉西亚的伤病变得明确时，谈判结束了，因为达洛特能够胜任左后卫的位置，使他比邓弗里斯更有价值。达洛特很好地回应了滕哈格的期望，增加了自己的比赛领域，并成为了曼联本赛季的最佳球员。
滕哈格非常希望引进一名新门将来替代大卫·德赫亚。了解他想法的人表示，滕哈格觉得德赫亚在足总杯决赛中对阵曼城时缺乏饥饿感。
除了安德烈·奥纳纳之外，曼联还与安德莱赫特就费布鲁亨达成了协议，但他选择了加盟布莱顿以获得更多的比赛机会。最终，巴因迪尔签约了曼联。
The tactical plan
Onana’s arrival was intended to dramatically alter the way United could play, enabling Ten Hag’s team to build up from the back and keep a high line. In Onana’s first game for the club, the friendly against Real Madrid in Houston, it was striking to see him near halfway when United had attacking set pieces.
But Onana was caught out with his positioning against Lens at Old Trafford when Florian Sotoca scored from the edge of the centre circle and that jolt triggered uncertainty for team-mates adjusting to this new approach. The carousel of defenders in front of Onana, especially the absences of Martinez and Shaw as two ball carriers, had an impact, too.
In United’s Champions League tie at Copenhagen, Onana projected nervous tension during the 4-3 defeat that proved terminal for progress. He had by then become known for being vocal in talking to himself and others and, as the goals went in, he began asking those around him what was going on. “What do we play?” he said.
五、战术计划
奥纳纳的加盟意在大幅改变曼联的比赛方式，使滕哈格的球队能够从后场组织进攻并保持高位防线。在奥纳纳为俱乐部效力的首场比赛中，即在美国休斯敦与皇家马德里的友谊赛中，当曼联有进攻定位球时，看到他接近中线位置令人印象深刻。
但奥纳纳在老特拉福德对阵朗斯的比赛中，由于站位问题被对手弗洛里安·索托卡从中圈边缘进球，这一失误让正在适应新战术的队友们感到不安。奥纳纳身前防守球员的轮换，特别是作为两名持球手的马丁内斯和肖的缺席，也产生了影响。
在曼联与哥本哈根的欧冠比赛中，奥纳纳在4-3的失利中表现出紧张情绪，这成为球队进步的终点。到那时，他因自言自语和与他人交谈而广为人知，并且随着丢球的出现，他开始询问周围的人发生了什么。“我们该怎么打？”他说道。
There were times when defenders thought the same thing, occasionally dropping deep to receive the ball from Onana only for him to go long and force those in front of him to run to keep up to play. Patterns were practised at Carrington, but Onana also “played what he saw” in moments, spotting and aiming for an attacker despite midfielders being in poor positions for second balls. That left some players not being as open to short passes to avoid pressure from opponents and the possibility of exposing themselves should a mistake follow.
The assertive Onana that came out of his box at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the second game to win United possession and then picked out Garnacho with a long pass — the kind of transition unthinkable under De Gea — experienced a confidence dip. But he did not shrink away, instead putting himself forward for media duties and eventually finding a groove on the pitch. His pass to set up Dalot for a chance at Kenilworth Road, for instance, was straight from the training ground, with the Portuguese sprinting from full-back through the middle.
有时，后卫们会想到同样的事情，偶尔会后撤到深处从奥纳纳那里接球，但奥纳纳会选择长传，迫使前面的球员跑动以保持跟上比赛。虽然他们在卡林顿进行了相关练习，但奥纳纳也会根据场上的实际情况进行决策，即使中场球员的站位不佳，他也会选择寻找并瞄准攻击者。这导致一些球员在避免对手压力和可能出现失误时，不太愿意进行短传。
在第二场比赛中，在托特纳姆热刺球场，自信的奥纳纳从自己的球门区域冲出，赢得了曼联的控球权，并用一记长传找到了加纳乔——这是德赫亚时代不可想象的一种过渡方式。但奥纳纳的信心出现了下滑。然而，他并没有退缩，而是主动承担起媒体职责，并最终在球场上找到了自己的节奏。例如，他在肯尼沃斯路球场（卢顿主场）为达洛特创造机会的那记传球，就是直接从训练场上照搬过来的，葡萄牙人从后卫位置冲刺到中路。
That defensive line was at the crux of Ten Hag’s troubles, however. He continued to instruct for a higher starting point so that his team could squeeze the play in the final third to win the ball and counter quickly. It was the blueprint mapped out by the United hierarchy, but the personnel at his disposal, especially with Martinez injured for the vast majority of the campaign, were ill-equipped for that style. Often they would drop deeper than Ten Hag intended, leaving a large space for midfielders to cover.
A clear example came in the FA Cup win over Liverpool when Caoimhin Kelleher claimed a Fernandes free kick that Varane and Lindelof had got in the box to meet. As Varane and Lindelof jogged back, Ten Hag shouted and demonstrated with his palms down that they should stop just beyond the halfway line. When they fell further back, he slapped his hands in frustration.
然而，那条防线正是滕哈格困境的核心。他继续指示球队从更高的起点开始，以便在最后三分之一区域压缩对手的进攻空间，赢得球权并快速反击。这是曼联高层制定的蓝图，但他手头的球员，特别是马丁内斯在赛季的大部分时间里都因伤缺阵，并不适合这种风格。他们经常会比滕哈格所期望的站位更靠后，给中场球员留下了很大的覆盖空间。
一个明显的例子是在足总杯战胜利物浦的比赛中，科伊明·凯莱赫扑出了费尔南德斯的任意球，而瓦拉内和林德洛夫原本已经进入禁区准备接球。当瓦拉内和林德洛夫慢跑回位时，滕哈格大声呼喊并用手掌向下示意他们应该停在中线稍后的位置。当他们进一步后退时，他失望地拍了拍手。
Varane was regarded as an excellent box defender but problematic when covering large spaces and Ten Hag tried dropping him, instead starting Evans for the Manchester derby in October. Three days later, he planned to name Varane on the bench for the League Cup tie against Newcastle, but when the teamsheets arrived, the Frenchman’s name was not there. United reported Varane had an illness, although he did turn up at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag’s relationship with Harry Maguire was also severely tested at the start of the campaign, with the defender bruised by how United went about looking to sell him in the summer.
On the pitch, Ten Hag did not want to compromise further, having done so in his first season when allowing De Gea to kick long rather than pass out from the back. But others in the coaching setup, such as McClaren and Fletcher, advocated for a pragmatic approach in the short term.
Ten Hag had organised his team in a compact shape for the trips to Arsenal and City, taking the lead in both before losing late. He repeatedly cites that trip to the Emirates in September, when Garnacho had a potentially winning goal ruled out for a fractional offside, as a sliding doors moment because he feels victory there, using a clear plan, would have electrified the mood at United and earned buy-in from players, while damaging Arsenal.
瓦拉内被视为一位出色的禁区防守者，但在覆盖大区域时存在问题。滕哈格尝试让他退居二线，在10月的曼彻斯特德比中让埃文斯首发。三天后，他原本计划让瓦拉内在联赛杯对阵纽卡斯尔的比赛中坐在替补席上，但当球队名单公布时，法国人的名字并不在列。曼联报告称瓦拉内生病了，尽管他确实来到了老特拉福德。
滕哈格与哈里·马奎尔的关系在赛季初也受到了严重考验，这名后卫因为曼联在夏天尝试出售他的方式而感到沮丧。
在场上，滕哈格不想再做出进一步妥协，他在第一个赛季时就因为让德赫亚选择长传而不是从后场传球而这样做过。但教练组的其他成员，如麦克拉伦和弗莱彻，则主张在短期内采取务实的策略。
滕哈格在前往阿森纳和曼城的比赛中组织球队以紧凑的阵型出战，并在两场比赛中都领先，但随后在比赛尾声阶段失利。他多次提到9月前往酋长球场的比赛，当时加纳乔的潜在制胜球因轻微的越位被判无效，他认为这是一个关键时刻，因为如果在那里使用明确的计划赢得胜利，将会极大地鼓舞曼联的士气，赢得球员们的信任，同时也会给阿森纳带来打击。
The 4-0 embarrassment at Palace, when United executives felt players had given up, acted as a catalyst for change. Against Arsenal, Ten Hag shored up the midfield by selecting Sofyan Amrabat and a more secure performance followed — albeit a defeat nonetheless. The wins against Newcastle and Brighton came from the same measured system, adapted to include two false nines in Fernandes and McTominay, with Hojlund looking tired. McClaren became more visible on the touchline.
在0-4惨败给水晶宫的比赛中，曼联高层认为球员们已经放弃了，这成为了改变的催化剂。在对阵阿森纳的比赛中，滕哈格通过选择阿姆拉巴特来稳固中场，随后球队表现更为稳健——尽管最终还是输球了。在对阵纽卡斯尔和布莱顿的比赛中，滕哈格采用了相同的战术体系，并进行了调整，让费尔南德斯和麦克托米奈担任两个“伪九号”，因为霍伊伦德显得疲惫。同时，麦克拉伦在边线上（教练席）变得更加显眼。
这将是滕哈格在足总杯决赛中娴熟地运用这套战术阵型的关键，之所以奏效，是因为球员们从最后几场英超比赛中获得了执行这些指令的信心。
It would be the formation that Ten Hag used to masterful effect against City in the FA Cup final, working because the players gained the confidence to carry out the instructions from those final Premier League matches.
From an INEOS perspective, the question remained why the team had not shown such coordination for many of the 38 Premier League games, or the Champions League group stage, and that is why they came close to changing manager.
Those familiar with his thinking say Ten Hag feels the unique stress of playing for a club under immense scrutiny warrants greater recognition during recruitment and that due to the fact he overachieved in his first season, lifting United from sixth to third, he was owed some leeway in his second season.
After an uncomfortable start to the summer, humility from INEOS and soon a new deal for the manager, all eyes will be on the start of his third campaign.
滕哈格在足总杯决赛中出色地运用这套战术阵型来对抗曼城，这套战术之所以奏效，是因为球员们从最后几场英超比赛中获得了执行这些指令的信心。
从INEOS的角度来看，问题仍在于为什么球队在38场英超联赛或欧冠小组赛的大部分比赛中没有展现出这样的协调配合，这也是他们差点换帅的原因。
熟悉滕哈格想法的人表示，他认为在备受瞩目的俱乐部踢球所面临的独特压力需要在招募时得到更多的认可，而且由于他在第一个赛季的出色表现，将曼联从第六名提升到第三名，因此他在第二个赛季应该得到一些宽限。
在经历了一个令人不安的夏季开局后，INEOS的谦逊态度以及随后与主教练达成的新合同，使得所有人的目光都将聚焦于他第三个赛季的开局。
After a fortnight in which INEOS conducted a season review without testimony from Erik ten Hag, the confirmation he is staying means dialogue can now take place about a campaign in which Manchester United exited the Champions League at the group stage and slumped to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League, before pulling off a stirring FA Cup victory.
在对为期两周的埃里克·滕哈格无沟通调查之后，INEOS 完成了赛季回顾。由于埃里克·滕哈格的留任已经得到了确认，所以现在可以进行关于他在曼联执教的这个赛季的评估、讨论或制定未来的计划。这个赛季中，曼联在冠军联赛小组赛阶段出局，在英超联赛中成绩不佳，但在足总杯中取得了胜利。这些成绩和经历都可能成为讨论或对话的内容。
Sifting through the causes behind a campaign of contradictions will come once an agreement is reached on Ten Hag’s new contract, the exact make-up of which needs some discussion. Extending Ten Hag is viewed as an essential show of support after the huge uncertainty on his position, but the fresh terms may in exchange bring a reevaluation of his role. There are multiple points on which both sides must yet find agreement.
一旦就滕哈格的新合同达成一致，双方就会开始梳理这一充满矛盾的赛季背后的原因，新合同的具体细节还需要进一步讨论。延长滕哈格的合同被视为在巨大不确定性之后对其立场的必要支持，但新的条款可能也会带来对他角色的重新评估。双方还有许多问题必须达成共识。
That kind of negotiation, coming off the back of INEOS scouring the managerial market so publicly for alternatives and advancing to salary discussions with Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi, is an indication that the resolution remains fragile.
这种谈判，是在INEOS公开在市场上寻找替代人选并与托马斯·图赫尔和罗伯托·德泽尔比进行薪酬谈判之后进行的，这表明解决方案仍然很脆弱。
However they have arrived at this outcome, United will want more from Ten Hag in his third season, just as he himself will hope that the “environment” Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of is materially improved.
不管他们是如何达成这一结果的，曼联都希望滕哈格在第三个赛季中有更好的表现，正如他自己也希望吉姆·拉特克利夫爵士所提到的“环境”能够得到实质性的改善一样。
The Athletic has spoken to dozens of well-placed sources, all of whom will remain anonymous to protect relationships, to deliver the full story of a season that ended with Ten Hag surviving a major scare on his job, including:
TA与数十位地位显赫的消息人士进行了交谈，为保护关系，所有人都将保持匿名，以呈现滕哈格在经历了一场重大的职业危机后得以留任的完整赛季故事，包括：
· Casemiro and Varane voicing a preference for coaching approach of Ancelotti and Zidane
· Ten Hag’s frustrations at waiting months for a new doctor
· Attempts to instil discipline after Vegas night out
· Player complaints of “bad cop, bad cop” management
· Executives question if Van der Gaag right fit as No 2
· How McClaren and Fletcher lobbied for pragmatic football
· Belief the lack of a sporting director undermined Ten Hag’s authority
· Rashford’s 90-minute one-on-one with Brailsford
· Squad’s desire for Kane, and other targets missed
· 卡塞米罗和瓦拉内表达了对安切洛蒂和齐达内执教方式的偏好
· 滕哈格对等待数月才迎来新队医的沮丧
· 在拉斯维加斯夜出后尝试灌输纪律
· 球员们对“坏警察，坏警察”管理方式的抱怨（goodcop，bad cop翻译为唱红脸，唱白脸，此处应该意思是滕哈格和范德加格都唱白脸）
· 高层质疑范德加格是否适合担任助理教练
· 麦克拉伦和弗莱彻如何游说采用务实的足球风格
· 人们认为缺少体育总监削弱了滕哈格的权威
· 拉什福德与布雷斯福德进行了90分钟的一对一交流
· 球队对凯恩的渴望，以及错过的其他目标
Tensions with the players
Erik ten Hag was given a three-point brief when he took charge of Manchester United in the summer of 2022. The board told him to play attacking football, as he had done when taking Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019; “clean the dressing room”; and win trophies. There was an expectation it would take six transfer windows to achieve it, after a season in which United had finished on 58 points.
一、与球员的紧张关系
埃里克·滕哈格在2022年夏天接手曼联时得到了三个明确的指示。董事会要求他踢出攻势足球（正如他2019年带领阿贾克斯闯入欧冠半决赛时所做的那样）“整顿更衣室”；以及赢得奖杯。在曼联前一个赛季以58分收官的背景下，人们预计滕哈格需要六个转会窗口（还有最后两个）的时间来实现这些目标。
Ten Hag made no secret of how he would go about trying to meet those aims when interviewed for the job by John Murtough and Darren Fletcher in early 2022. He had answers to every game scenario posed by the United directors and explained, in detail, his coaching methods, which are built around a blueprint of dozens of principles of play.
It is those principles, however, which cut to the heart of the turbulence Ten Hag has encountered at United.
滕哈格在2022年初接受约翰·莫塔夫和达伦·弗莱彻的面试时，毫不掩饰地表达了他将如何努力实现这些目标。他对于曼联董事会提出的每一种比赛场景都有答案，并详细解释了他的教练方法，这些方法基于一套由数十条比赛原则构成的蓝图。
然而，正是这些原则成为引发滕哈格在曼联所遭遇的动荡的关键因素。
Over his two seasons, Ten Hag has repeatedly cited players not following “the rules” when it comes to bad performances or poor actions on the pitch. Following the 2021-22 season where order was absent, with Ten Hag saying he inherited “a mess”, the implementation of a team structure was regarded as essential within the club and the fanbase.
But establishing that has been far from straightforward. Some players pushed back at what they felt was an overload of information, believing it to be micromanagement that inhibited their play. Others could not fully grasp what was being asked.
在他的两个赛季里，滕哈格多次提到球员们在场上表现不佳或行为不当时没有遵守“规则”。在2021-22赛季，球队秩序混乱，滕哈格称他接手时“一团糟”，因此，在俱乐部和球迷中实施团队结构被视为至关重要。
但建立这样的团队结构并非易事。一些球员对滕哈格提供的大量信息感到反感，认为这是过度管理，抑制了他们的发挥。另一些球员则无法完全理解滕哈格的要求。
Cristiano Ronaldo was something of a litmus test. Ten Hag tried to get Ronaldo to press, not least because of his own ideals but also due to the wish from directors for a high-intensity style.
He made allowances. Rather than asking for three distinct runs as he would do of a young player, he wanted two — for example, chasing the first defender on the ball, then following to the goalkeeper, before dropping back into shape if unsuccessful. Ronaldo was coached on this time and again but he made minimal movements in training, according to people with direct knowledge of the sessions, leaving some staff to wonder if he understood.
There are people familiar with the situation at United who believe Ronaldo knew what was being asked yet failed to comply because he felt it was not the best use of his abilities or the way to win matches. Ronaldo went on to leave the club in dramatic circumstances, ending up playing in the Saudi Pro League, but the cracks his resistance had caused remained, with other players gradually emboldened to disagree with their manager.
C罗在某种程度上成为了一个试金石。滕哈格试图让C罗参与逼抢，这不仅是因为他自己的理念，还因为董事会对高强度比赛风格的期望。
他做出了让步。他没有像要求年轻球员那样要求C罗进行三次明确的跑动，而是只要求两次——例如，追逐持球的第一名防守球员，然后跟随到守门员，如果未能成功则退回原位。据直接了解训练情况的人士透露，C罗多次接受了这方面的指导，但他在训练中几乎没有移动，这让一些工作人员怀疑他是否理解了要求。
有熟悉曼联情况的人认为，C罗知道对他的要求，但却没有遵守，因为他觉得这不是最好地利用他的能力或赢得比赛的方式。C罗最终在戏剧性的情况下离开了俱乐部，最终在沙特职业联赛踢球，但他引发的裂痕依然存在，其他球员也逐渐鼓起勇气与他们的主教练唱反调。
Casemiro and Raphael Varane spoke to team-mates about the similar approaches taken by Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, which gave players more freedom and greater agency on workload, and how Ten Hag’s positional style of football was not to their taste.
They were told by staff that Madrid is a completely different club to United and La Liga a slower competition with less strength in depth than the Premier League, so those same liberal techniques would not work. But Casemiro and Varane, having won multiple titles, had strong feelings and became dissenting voices.
卡塞米罗和瓦拉内与队友们谈论了安切洛蒂和齐达内在皇马时采用的类似方法，这些方法给了球员更多的自由和更大的工作自主权，以及滕哈格的位置足球风格并不符合他们的口味。
他们被俱乐部工作人员告知，皇马与曼联是完全不同的俱乐部，西甲联赛的强度较低，且深度不如英超联赛，因此那些同样的自由战术在曼联行不通。但是，卡塞米罗和瓦拉内作为多次夺冠的球员，他们有着强烈的感受，并成为了持不同意见的声音。
Those familiar with the situation feel that player power has been a major issue at United for years and having senior professionals doubt the message from this latest manager planted seeds with others in the dressing room. Alejandro Garnacho responded well to firm feedback, with Kobbie Mainoo described as a sponge for instruction by people with knowledge of the training environment.
Bringing through the two teenagers and adding value to the club is viewed as a sign of Ten Hag’s credentials, but wrestling control of this debate over tactics has been one of Ten Hag’s major tasks.
熟悉情况的人认为，球员权力多年来一直是曼联的主要问题，而资深球员对这位新任主教练的战术理念产生怀疑，在更衣室内为其他人埋下了怀疑的种子。然而加纳乔对坚定的反馈反应良好，据了解训练环境的人士描述，梅努就像海绵一样吸收着指导。（两个小将接受度最好）
提拔这两名年轻球员并为俱乐部增添价值被视为滕哈格能力的体现，但在这场关于战术的辩论中夺回控制权一直是滕哈格的主要任务之一。
In that proxy war, Jadon Sancho took the public route. Ten Hag’s disappointment with Sancho over his application came to a head during a training session before the Arsenal game in September. Sancho did not commit to pressing as an “opposition” player in the practice match in the way Ten Hag wanted. Sancho was offered the chance to end his involvement early, which he took by walking off the pitch. Ten Hag referenced Sancho’s training levels after the Arsenal defeat and the player responded with his infamous social media post, accusing him of double standards and effectively calling his manager a liar.
Ten Hag attempted to explain his point to Sancho in one meeting at Carrington and attempted to schedule another summit a few days later in which it was expected Sancho would apologise privately, face-to-face. But this did not happen. Forwards coach Benni McCarthy has said personal pride was a factor. “If you’re from the streets, no one wants to apologise,” McCarthy told South African radio station 947 Joburg. “Jadon wasn’t going to have that.”
在那场代理人战争（非直接武装对抗）中，贾登·桑乔选择了公开对抗的方式。滕哈格对桑乔在场上表现的不满在九月份与阿森纳比赛前的训练课上达到了顶峰。桑乔在训练赛中没有按照滕哈格想要的那样全力逼抢“对手”。滕哈格给了桑乔提前结束训练的机会，桑乔选择了离开球场。阿森纳比赛失利后，滕哈格提到了桑乔的训练水平，而桑乔则以一则著名的社交媒体帖子回应，指责滕哈格双重标准，实际上是在说他的主教练撒谎。
滕哈格尝试在卡灵顿的一次会议上向桑乔解释自己的观点，并计划在几天后安排另一次会议，预期桑乔会在私下里当面道歉。但这并没有发生。前锋教练本尼·麦卡锡表示，个人自尊心是一个因素。“如果你是从街头来的，没人愿意道歉，”麦卡锡告诉南非广播电台“贾登不会那么做。”
Ten Hag exiled Sancho in response. He felt Sancho was an incredible player but that his attitude did not correspond to a winning culture. His patience had been stretched months earlier after his second game in charge, away to Brentford, when Sancho told him United had bought the wrong player because his preference was to play on the left, rather than the right. This guided Ten Hag’s decision to go for a player in that position in the remaining days of the transfer market — ultimately, Antony.
The sight of Sancho performing well on the right wing in Borussia Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final was not lost on people at United. Sancho was known to be a free spirit on the pitch and around the training ground — a “cheeky chap” according to one person with knowledge of the environment — albeit capable of poor timekeeping and unsatisfactory responses to instructions on what to do in possession and on transition.
滕哈格对桑乔的反应是将其排除在外。他认为桑乔是一名出色的球员，但他的态度并不符合一支冠军球队的文化。几个月前，在他执教的第二场比赛中，客场对阵布伦特福德时，桑乔告诉他曼联买错了人，因为他更喜欢在左边踢球而不是右边，这让滕哈格的耐心受到了考验。（这是一个职业球员该说的话？？？俱乐部买错人了。。。）这促使滕哈格在转会市场剩余的日子里决定去签下一个能胜任那个位置的球员——最终，他选择了安东尼。
曼联的人并没有忽视桑乔在多特蒙德欧冠决赛之旅中在右翼表现出色的情景。桑乔在球场和训练场上都以其自由奔放的风格著称——据一位了解环境的人称，他是个“调皮的家伙”——尽管他有时会出现时间把握不准确和对指令的回应不令人满意的情况，无论是在控球还是在转换阶段。
In his first season, Ten Hag gave Sancho two months away from United to decompress. But in his second season, when Sancho seemed to ignore assistant Mitchell van der Gaag in a session, Ten Hag felt he crossed a line, so he stepped in. United will look to sell Sancho this summer, aiming for a £40million ($51m) fee — a decision taken irrespective of Ten Hag being manager.
Sancho had friends in the dressing room, though, and some at the club felt the situation could have been handled differently. That friction between Ten Hag’s matter-of-fact personality and a group of players which includes many different characters, some needing a softer touch, created fractures. Consistent injuries meant Ten Hag was unable to use rotation as a means of rewarding those who subscribed to his doctrine and reprimanding those who did not.
在他的第一个赛季，滕哈格给了桑乔两个月的时间离开曼联去放松。但在第二个赛季，当桑乔在训练中似乎无视助理教练米切尔·范德加格时，滕哈格觉得他越线了，所以他亲自介入。曼联将在今年夏天寻求出售桑乔，目标是4000万英镑（5100万美元）的费用——这一决定是在不考虑滕哈格是否继续担任主教练的情况下做出的。
然而，桑乔在更衣室里有朋友，俱乐部里的一些人觉得这种情况本可以不同方式处理。滕哈格实事求是的性格与包括许多不同性格的球员群体之间的摩擦，其中一些球员需要更温和的处理方式，这造成了裂痕。持续的伤病意味着滕哈格无法通过轮换来奖励那些支持他战术理念的球员，也无法惩罚那些不支持的球员。
Some players began to switch off because of meetings that went over the same details. After sessions, Ten Hag was known to make his way around players to impart instructions while walking off the grass, then hold another meeting in the briefing room at Carrington to emphasise his points. Occasionally these lasted up to an hour, but the standard was 30 minutes or less.
Some senior players felt the repetition was too much. Ten Hag could counter that Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, and Unai Emery are all known for drilling in details over video meetings. He is known to believe studying footage is a way of understanding the tactical plans without using energy on the training pitches.
一些球员开始对会议感到厌倦，因为这些会议总是重复相同的细节。在训练课后，滕哈格会绕着球员走，边走边给出指示，然后在卡灵顿的简报室再召开一次会议来强调他的要点。这些会议有时会持续长达一个小时，但通常标准是30分钟或更短。
一些资深球员觉得这种重复太多了。但滕哈格可能会反驳说，佩普·瓜迪奥拉、米克尔·阿尔特塔和乌奈·埃梅里都以通过视频会议反复强调细节而闻名。他相信研究录像是一种在不消耗训练场上能量的情况下理解战术计划的方式。
Still, in the final weeks of the season, Ten Hag toned down this aspect of his management, conducting informal meetings in the Carrington dressing room as players were preparing for gym sessions. He tried to vary his message to trigger fresh reactions, notably with two inspirational videos before the FA Cup final.
From his perspective though, he had been provided with enough evidence to suggest that some players needed their responsibilities on the pitch hammering home.
尽管如此，在赛季的最后几周里，滕哈格放缓了他管理的这一方面，在球员们准备进行健身房训练时，在卡灵顿的更衣室里举行非正式的会议。他试图改变他的信息以引发新的反应，特别是在足总杯决赛前播放了两个鼓舞人心的视频。
然而，从他的角度来看，他已经得到了足够的证据来表明，一些球员需要在场上加强他们的责任感。
Take the example of Antony, who sometimes lacks focus when instructed to mark certain players at set pieces. For Cole Palmer’s stoppage-time winner at Stamford Bridge from a Chelsea corner, Antony stood on the edge of the box not picking up anyone.
Antony has shown disobedience to Ten Hag’s demands twice during games. He made an exploding motion with his hand to his head when Ten Hag told him to play at left-back during the 4-3 FA Cup win over Liverpool and repeated the action — a sign of his incredulity — when shifted to the same position in the 1-0 Premier League loss to Arsenal. In the dressing room afterwards, Ten Hag ripped into the Brazilian, telling him bluntly he had to play where he was told, with United trying on both occasions to take drastic measures to turn games around.
以安东尼为例，当被指示在定位球时盯防某些球员时，他有时会缺乏专注。在斯坦福桥球场对阵切尔西的比赛中，科尔·帕尔默在补时阶段打进制胜球，这个进球来自切尔西的一个角球，而安东尼当时站在禁区边缘，没有盯防任何人。
安东尼在比赛中两次表现出对滕哈格要求的不服从。在足总杯4-3战胜利物浦的比赛中，当滕哈格告诉他要担任左后卫时，他做出了用手拍头的动作，表示惊讶。在英超联赛1-0输给阿森纳的比赛中，当他再次被换到同一个位置时，他重复了这个动作——这显示了他的难以置信。在随后的更衣室里，滕哈格严厉批评了这位巴西球员，直截了当地告诉他必须按照指示踢球。在这两次比赛中，曼联都试图采取严厉措施来扭转比赛局势。
Ten Hag felt that relaxing his approach, such as guiding Antony through his thought process, would have undermined his authority with a squad that requires strong leadership. It can be a political club and there are those who know the environment who suspect any sign of weakness from Ten Hag would see him at the “slaughter” of players.
Ten Hag also gave Antony brutal criticism in the dressing room after his display from the bench in the 2-0 win over Everton in March, to the extent that Antony appeared visibly affected. The performances of Antony have been held against Ten Hag, given he chose him ahead of two other options proposed by United’s recruitment team, including Raphinha, with the price reaching £86m. Antony’s first season finished with eight goals and three assists in all competitions and his second campaign totalled three goals and two assists.
Ten Hag is said by those familiar with the matter to be deeply disappointed the signing is not working out, especially after backing Antony at various stages, including when police opened an investigation over domestic violence allegations. That investigation remains ongoing.
滕哈格认为，放松他的方法，比如通过他的思维过程来指导安东尼，会削弱他在需要强大领导力的球队中的权威。曼联可以是一个政治化的俱乐部，有些了解环境的人怀疑滕哈格表现出任何软弱迹象，都会让他成为球员们的“靶子”。
滕哈格还在三月份2-0战胜埃弗顿的比赛后，在更衣室里对替补出场的安东尼进行了严厉的批评，以至于安东尼看起来受到了明显的影响。安东尼的表现让滕哈格受到了质疑，因为他选择了安东尼，而不是曼联招募团队提出的另外两名候选人，包括拉菲尼亚，后者的身价高达8600万英镑。安东尼的第一个赛季在所有比赛中打进了8球并助攻了3次，而他的第二个赛季总共打进了3球并助攻了2次。
据知情人士透露，滕哈格对这笔签约没有成功感到非常失望，尤其是在包括警方就家庭暴力指控展开调查在内的各个阶段都支持安东尼的情况下。该调查仍在进行中。
Some of the accusations dated back to his time at Ajax, prompting questions of due diligence by United, but the private firm hired by the club to run checks on Antony before his signing did not flag any concerns. Antony denies any wrongdoing. Several people at United believe those off-field problems distracted him from focusing on the improvements needed in his game.
Marcus Rashford has also had an under-par season, scoring eight goals and getting five assists in all competitions. At times, Rashford has appeared confused on the pitch and encumbered by the responsibility on his shoulders following a 30-goal campaign and new contract signed last July, which people with knowledge of the matter say is £325,000 per week basic with substantial bonuses.
一些指控可以追溯到他在阿贾克斯的时候，这引发了曼联是否完成了尽职调查的问题，但俱乐部雇佣的私人公司在安东尼签约前对他进行检查时并没有提出任何担忧。安东尼否认有任何不当行为。曼联内部的几个人认为，这些场外问题分散了他对比赛中需要改进之处的注意力。
马库斯·拉什福德也经历了一个低于标准的赛季，在所有比赛中打进了8球并助攻了5次。有时，拉什福德在场上看起来有些困惑，并且在上赛季打入30球并签下新合同后，他肩上的责任让他感到负担重重。据知情人士透露，这份新合同的基本周薪为32.5万英镑，并附有可观的奖金。
There was concern as well as anger internally when Rashford went on two nights out in Belfast, being seen on the second of those entering a club gone midnight, hours before he was due for a Friday morning training session. He phoned in sick and missed that Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport County, having initially insisted he had only gone out on the Wednesday. Ten Hag fined Rashford two weeks’ wages in response, although there have been delays to the process.
That Monday at Carrington, Sir Dave Brailsford addressed the squad en masse for the first time to outline the INEOS strategy, particularly in terms of raising standards across the club. Brailsford’s introduction was planned rather than a reaction to Rashford’s indiscipline, but it appeared to strike a chord with the player.
当拉什福德在贝尔法斯特连续两个晚上外出时，俱乐部内部既感到担忧又感到愤怒。在第二个晚上，他被看到在午夜后进入一家酒吧，而他本应在周五早上参加训练。他打电话请病假，错过了周日在纽波特郡举行的足总杯比赛，尽管他最初坚称自己只在周三晚上外出。滕哈格因此对他处以两周工资的罚款，尽管这个过程有所延迟。
就在那个周一，在卡灵顿，戴夫·布雷斯福德爵士首次向全队发表了讲话，概述了INEOS战略，特别是在提高俱乐部整体标准方面。布雷斯福德爵士的介绍是计划好的，而不是对拉什福德不守纪律的反应，但它似乎引起了球员的共鸣。（这么巧！！）
As team-mates were filing out of the room, Rashford requested a one-on-one meeting with Brailsford. The pair spoke for 90 minutes and afterwards, Rashford appeared energised. Ten Hag, having turned down Rashford’s request to play at Newport, reinstated him to the team at Wolves that Thursday and Rashford scored the opening goal after five minutes of a 4-3 win.
Brailsford went on to hold a series of private meetings with every member of United’s squad to fully understand the landscape at the club, but did not entertain any focus on Ten Hag, according to people familiar with the process.
当队友们陆续离开房间时，拉什福德请求与布雷斯福德进行一对一的会谈。两人谈了90分钟，之后拉什福德看起来精力充沛。滕哈格原本拒绝了拉什福德参加纽波特郡比赛的要求，但在周四对阵狼队的比赛中重新将他纳入球队，拉什福德在4-3的胜利中开场仅五分钟就打入了一球。
布雷斯福德随后与曼联的每一位队员进行了一系列私人会谈，以充分了解俱乐部的现状，但据了解该过程的人士透露，他并没有把对话的焦点放在滕哈格上。
Rashford is known to have taken issue with Ten Hag’s style of management, though. The pair seemed to have a strong relationship after a productive first season, with Rashford given the platform to play some of the best football of his career, but strains emerged. Rashford is the kind of player who takes on coaching in bite-sized chunks rather than exhaustive instructions. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kept Rashford’s game relatively simple, focusing on his ability to cut in from the left and run in behind. The arrival of Rasmus Hojlund, who likes to pick up the ball in the inside left channel, saw Rashford shift further towards the wing, away from the areas where he did his best work.
Rashford hiring a new PR in Caroline McAteer, who works with Ronaldo, Sancho and Varane (plus Mason Mount), caused ripples at United due to challenging relationships between those three players and Ten Hag. Rashford felt he needed an advocate in the media in the face of intense scrutiny and online abuse.
不过，拉什福德对滕哈格的管理风格有异议是众所周知的。两人在第一个富有成效的赛季后似乎建立了牢固的关系，滕哈格为拉什福德提供了发挥他职业生涯中最佳足球能力的平台，但随后出现了紧张关系。拉什福德是那种喜欢分块接受训练而不是详尽指导的球员。索尔斯克亚让拉什福德的比赛相对简单，专注于他从左路切入和从后插上的能力。拉斯穆斯·霍伊伦德的到来，他喜欢从左路内侧拿球，导致拉什福德进一步向边路移动，远离了他表现最好的区域。
拉什福德聘请了与罗纳尔多、桑乔和瓦拉内（以及梅森·芒特）合作的新公关人员卡罗琳·麦卡特，这在曼联引起了波澜，因为这三名球员与滕哈格之间的关系紧张。拉什福德觉得在面对严密的审视和网络攻击时，他需要在媒体上有一个代言人。
Executive uncertainty, Las Vegas and ‘bad cop, bad cop’
When INEOS arrived, there was an opportunity for United to trigger the clause in Ten Hag’s contract extending its length by one year to 2026. But instead, the sense arose of Ten Hag being a manager on trial, in a similar manner to his predecessor, Ralf Rangnick, whose interim status became an excuse for players to slack off towards the end of the campaign. Those who make the case for INEOS argue a manager should be able to operate effectively whatever the length of his contract.
But the steady stream of reports on potential Ten Hag replacements compounded the matter in the opinion of some close to the club, as did Ratcliffe never publicly backing Ten Hag.
二、高层的不确定性，拉斯维加斯与“唱白脸”
当INEOS到来时，曼联原本有机会触发滕哈格合同中的条款，将其合同延长一年至2026年。但相反，滕哈格给人的感觉像是处于试用期中的主教练，与他的前任拉尔夫·朗尼克的情况相似，朗尼克的临时身份成了球员们在赛季末松懈的借口。然而，支持INEOS的人认为，无论合同期限长短，主教练都应该能够有效地运营。
但在一些人看来，关于滕哈格潜在替代者的持续报道加剧了这一问题，同样，拉特克利夫也从未公开支持滕哈格。
Another parallel between Rangnick and Ten Hag has been the absence of a sporting director, in terms of someone in power being able to spell out to players the long-term consequences for short-term behaviours. That gap will continue until Dan Ashworth arrives. Jason Wilcox, the technical director, has been getting to grips with the club and his role.
Real engagement from above has been scarce in Ten Hag’s tenure. Murtough, the former football director, did not exert his status on the squad, while Fletcher, the technical director until Wilcox arrived, has been more of a conduit for information and a guiding presence for younger players than an authority figure.
In that setting, Ten Hag took the initiative and leaned into the stubborn side of his personality to try to wrest control of the group. Those who know him feel he may have relaxed a little had he been able to dovetail with a more assertive personality at executive level. One player acknowledged those wider issues when privately confiding the club had been run “like a circus”.
朗尼克和滕哈格之间的另一个相似之处是缺乏体育总监的角色，即没有人能够在权力层面向球员明确阐述短期行为对长期的后果。这种缺失将一直持续到丹·阿什沃斯到来。技术总监杰森·威尔科克斯已经开始熟悉俱乐部和他的角色。
在滕哈格的任期内，来自高层的真正参与一直很少。前足球总监默塔夫并没有在球队中发挥自己的地位，而弗莱彻在威尔科克斯到来之前担任技术总监，他更多地是一个信息传递者和年轻球员的指导者，而不是一个权威人物。
在这种环境下，滕哈格主动出击，利用自己固执的一面试图掌控整个团队。认识他的人觉得他如果能够与一位更有魄力的执行层人物配合，可能会稍微放松一些。一名球员在私下里承认，俱乐部一直“像马戏团一样”运行。
The INEOS investment spread an element of discord as staff realised a major change was coming. The mantra from Ratcliffe and Brailsford during introductory addresses caused excitement and also trepidation. Those in the new co-owners’ group wanted to get rid of a supposed “job for life” culture and trim the 1,000-strong workforce significantly. They were aware it would cause some immediate upset but aimed to streamline operations and create a culture of high ambition.
The January transfer window was marked by executives trying to impress the new regime rather than channel all energies into whether the squad could be supplemented, with Ten Hag desperate for a striker.
In that setting, the atmosphere at Carrington soured. Tactically, Ten Hag is very respected, but there is little room for manoeuvre in his vision. Van der Gaag has a similar personality and some players saw him and Ten Hag as “bad cop, bad cop”. Van der Gaag is vital to the daily flow at Carrington, setting the training programme and overseeing logistics. He is described as working “24/7”, watching each opponent four or five times and having a strong rapport with the analysts. His fluency in several languages, particularly Portuguese, is seen as vital for communication. Those who know Van der Gaag well say he has a dry wit.
INEOS的投资引发了员工们意识到即将发生重大变革的不和谐氛围。拉特克利夫和布雷斯福德在介绍性讲话中的口号既令人兴奋又令人不安。新合伙人集团希望摆脱所谓的“终身合同”文化，并大幅削减1000人的员工队伍。他们意识到这会引起一些立即的不满，但旨在精简运营并创造一种高度雄心的文化。
一月份的转会窗口期间，高管们试图给新管理层留下深刻印象，而不是将所有精力都投入到是否可以为球队补充人员上，而滕哈格迫切需要一名前锋。
在这种环境下，卡林顿的气氛变得恶劣。在战术上，滕哈格非常受尊重，但在他的愿景中几乎没有回旋的余地。范德加格有着类似的性格，一些球员将他和滕哈格视为“坏警察，坏警察”（与唱红脸，唱白脸相类比，指的是滕哈格和范德加格都唱白脸）。范德加格对卡林顿的日常运作至关重要，他设定训练计划并监督后勤工作。他被描述为“7天24小时不间断”工作，观看每个对手四到五次，与分析师们有着良好的关系。他精通多种语言，尤其是葡萄牙语，这对于沟通至关重要。熟悉范德加格的人表示，他有着干练的幽默感。（这个助理教练确实有点东西）
His relationship with some players and other staff members has not always been smooth, however, due to his sharp, occasionally caustic comments.
Ten Hag selected Steve McClaren as his other assistant to create a blend of personalities, with the 63-year-old bringing vast experience in English football and a buoyant approach to coaching. At times, Van der Gaag and McClaren have shared a frank exchange of views.
Finding the right balance of responsibilities between his coaching staff is an aspect Ten Hag has worked through, especially after the departure of Eric Ramsay to Minnesota United, with McClaren taking ownership of set pieces and Fletcher having greater involvement on the training pitches. McCarthy, the forwards coach, is a jovial character.
Brailsford began working at Carrington auditing United in January, conducting a series of interviews with players and staff and getting a feel for the environment. He ruled the training ground should be significantly renovated, which will start this summer, and he also felt Ten Hag’s team might require restructuring.
然而，他与一些球员和其他员工的关系并不总是顺畅的，因为他有时会做出尖锐甚至尖刻的评论。
滕哈格选择了史蒂夫·麦克莱伦作为他的另一位助理教练，以形成性格上的融合。这位63岁的教练带来了丰富的英格兰足球经验和充满活力的执教方式。有时，范德加格和麦克莱伦会坦率地交换意见。
滕哈格一直在努力寻找教练团队之间职责的正确平衡，尤其是在埃里克·拉姆齐离开前往明尼苏达联队之后，麦克莱伦负责定位球战术，而弗莱彻在训练场上有了更大的参与度。前锋教练麦卡锡则是一个开朗的角色。
布雷斯福德于一月份开始在卡林顿对曼联进行审计，与球员和员工进行了一系列访谈，以了解环境。他裁定训练场应该进行重大改造，这将在今年夏天开始，他还觉得滕哈格的教练团队可能需要重组。
The three key words in the INEOS playbook are “grit”, “rigour” and “humour” — they form the title of the book by Ratcliffe about his company — and there were conversations around Ten Hag getting a new No 2 in the summer to lift the mood at Carrington. Brailsford is known to feel athletes should be excited at getting to their place of work. But Ten Hag is loyal to Van der Gaag, having worked with him at Ajax, and was against any such proposal. The issue of Van der Gaag’s role could yet resurface.
Ten Hag’s resistance earlier this year was a sign he might not fit easily into the role INEOS prefers for the coach of its football clubs. He was open to working in sync with sporting and technical directors on recruitment, having seized influence previously due to his uncertainty over the quality of options being proposed and United executives’ abilities to execute deals. But he was steadfast against a young coach being imposed on him instead of someone he trusted.
INEOS 的行动指南中的三个关键词是“坚韧”、“严谨”和“幽默”——这三个词也是拉特克利夫关于他公司的书名。有人讨论过滕哈格在夏天找一个新的二把手来提升卡林顿的氛围。布雷斯福德认为运动员应该对他们的工作场所感到兴奋。但滕哈格对范德加格很信任，他们在阿贾克斯时就有过合作，他反对任何这样的提议。或许范德加格角色的问题可能会再次出现。
滕哈格今年早些时候的坚持表明他可能不会轻松地适应 INEOS 为其足球俱乐部教练所偏好的角色。他愿意与体育和技术总监在招募方面同步工作，因为他之前对提出的选项质量和曼联高管执行交易的能力感到不确定，因此他获得了影响力。但他坚决反对强加给他一个年轻的教练，而不是他信任的人。
Ten Hag can be personable, though, and he has tried to cultivate camaraderie, organising a barbecue for player and staff families at Carrington in September, as well as a bonding meal with nearly all the squad at The Ivy before the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool. He has good relationships with several players, who respect his calm and balanced approach, whatever the result.
However, some players have been frustrated at a training schedule that was typically shared late on, despite being planned meticulously weeks beforehand. Others believed more days off in a packed calendar would have been beneficial.
Those privy to Ten Hag’s views say he felt notifying players of days off in advance would invite them to plan trips abroad, possibly jeopardising their fitness on return. An example of why Ten Hag reached that conclusion came in Las Vegas on the pre-season trip. Five players went out to Drai’s nightclub the night before United played Borussia Dortmund despite Ten Hag insisting everybody get rest. When asked by a fellow partygoer at Drai’s whether being out late would be frowned upon, one of the players is said to have replied that he wanted to have fun while in Vegas.
不过，滕哈格也有和蔼可亲的一面，他努力培养团队精神，在九月份为球员和员工的家人组织了一次烧烤活动，还在足总杯四分之一决赛对阵利物浦之前在 Ivy 餐厅与几乎所有球员共进了一顿团结餐。他与几名球员关系良好，无论比赛结果如何，他们都尊重他冷静和平衡的态度。
然而，一些球员对通常很晚才公布的训练计划感到沮丧，尽管这些计划是数周前精心策划的。其他人则认为在紧凑的赛程中增加更多的休息日会更有益。
了解滕哈格观点的人表示，他认为提前通知球员休息日会让他们计划出国旅行，可能会影响他们回归后的体能。滕哈格得出这个结论的一个例子是在季前赛之旅的拉斯维加斯。尽管滕哈格坚持让所有人休息，但五名球员还是在曼联对阵多特蒙德的前一天晚上去了 Drai's 夜店。当 Drai's 的另一位派对参与者问其中一名球员，晚上外出是否会被认为是不好的行为时，据说该球员回答说，他希望在拉斯维加斯玩得开心。
Some experienced players felt Ten Hag treating the squad uniformly due to the actions of a few was wrong and having prior notice of free time would simply allow them to plan family days out. Ten Hag adapted as the campaign went on, beginning to share training workloads 10 days ahead of time. It was still a far cry from the month in advance Solskjaer provided, but that period had its share of disciplinary issues.
Ten Hag also eased up on training days. In the week of the FA Cup final, he gave players Monday and Tuesday off, when previously he had got them in the day after matches.
一些经验丰富的球员认为滕哈格因为少数人的行为而一视同仁地对待整个球队是错误的，而且提前知道休息时间只是让他们能够计划家庭外出日。随着赛季的进行，滕哈格也做出了调整，开始提前10天分享训练任务。但这仍然与索尔斯克亚提前一个月公布训练计划的情况相去甚远，但那段时间也出现过一些纪律问题。
滕哈格还在训练日方面做出了让步。在足总杯决赛的那一周，他给了球员们周一和周二两天的休息时间，而之前他会在比赛后的第二天就让他们参加训练。
On the U.S. tour, Ten Hag insisted on double training sessions to get players fit, but the strict curfews and intense schedule left some frazzled. The number of meetings taking place was also commented on.
Ten Hag is known to feel members of his squad were not mentally prepared for pre-season after the previous 62-game campaign and he also underestimated the air miles, with a game in Houston sandwiched between friendlies in New Jersey and Las Vegas — three cities spanning the width of the United States. It is why, on this summer’s tour, United will be based in Los Angeles, with a short day trip to San Diego and a game in South Carolina on the East Coast on the way home.
在美国巡回赛中，滕哈格坚持进行双训以提高球员的体能，但严格的宵禁和紧张的赛程让一些人感到疲惫不堪。同时，人们对正在进行的会议数量也提出了意见。
滕哈格认为，在之前62场比赛的赛季之后，他的球队在季前赛时心理上还没有准备好，他还低估了飞行里程数，因为他们在纽约和拉斯维加斯之间的友谊赛之间还有一场在休斯敦的比赛——这三个城市横跨美国全境。这就是为什么在今年夏天的巡回赛中，曼联将驻扎在洛杉矶，在回家的途中进行短途一日游前往圣地亚哥，并在东海岸的南卡罗来纳州进行一场比赛。
Injury problems and the wait for a doctor
Injuries have been the dominant theme of the campaign and there were frustrations dating back to last summer for Ten Hag. In December 2022, Steve McNally stepped down after 16 years as United’s club doctor, being replaced on an interim basis by Jim Moxon, formerly of Liverpool.
But a permanent hire was required and talks took place with Gary O’Driscoll, who had established a strong reputation at Arsenal. Ten Hag was impressed during an introduction in January 2023 and wanted him to join on July 1 for the start of pre-season.
But Arsenal, with contractual terms in their favour, asked for time to find O’Driscoll’s replacement before agreeing to his exit and that process dragged on until late September. People familiar with his thinking say Ten Hag felt United could have pushed back at Arsenal and sorted a much earlier arrival date. He believes having a doctor he has total alignment with is vital for player availability and that, had O’Driscoll started in July, it would have also provided fresh energy for the squad.
三、伤病问题和等待医生
伤病问题一直是本赛季的主旋律，滕哈格对此的沮丧可以追溯到去年夏天。2022年12月，史蒂夫·麦克纳利在担任曼联队医16年后离职，由吉姆·莫克森暂时接替，后者之前曾在利物浦任职。
但曼联需要一名永久性的队医，并与在阿森纳享有盛誉的加里·奥德里斯科尔进行了谈判。滕哈格在2023年1月的介绍中对他印象深刻，并希望他能在7月1日加入，以便开始季前准备。
然而，阿森纳以其合同条款为由，要求在同意奥德里斯科尔离队之前先找到他的替代者，这一过程一直拖到9月底。熟悉他想法的人表示，滕哈格认为曼联本可以推动阿森纳更早地达成协议。他认为，拥有一名与他完全一致的医生对球员的可用性至关重要，如果奥德里斯科尔在7月开始工作，也会为球队注入新的活力。
It was only after the FA Cup final that United completed work to bring in a new head physio in Jordan Reece from Arsenal, with Robin Sadler, who held the role for three years, departing in January. A meeting with medics and INEOS figures took place at Carrington in the week before the match at Wembley to thrash out the key issues on player availability.
Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro became the 15th different centre-back partnership for the match at Brighton, and Ten Hag is adamant the absence of a settled team has dramatically hampered results.
Martinez and Luke Shaw, two left-footers, played only five games together this season — four wins, one defeat — and their combined loss has been most telling in terms of executing the build-up patterns seen in Ten Hag’s first season.
直到足总杯决赛后，曼联才完成了从阿森纳引进新首席理疗师乔丹·里斯的工作，罗宾·萨德勒担任该职位三年，于今年1月离职。在温布利比赛前的一周，医疗团队和INEOS的代表在卡灵顿基地举行了一次会议，以解决球员可用性的关键问题。
利桑德罗·马丁内斯和卡塞米罗在布莱顿的比赛中组成了第15对不同的中后卫组合，滕哈格坚称球队阵容的不稳定极大地影响了比赛结果。
马丁内斯和卢克·肖，两位左脚球员，本赛季只一起打了五场比赛——四胜一负——他们的缺席对执行滕哈格首个赛季的进攻模式影响最为显著。
Jonny Evans was only 50 per cent fit for the 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace but made himself available because he was the sole recognised central defender. Ten Hag was relieved Evans emerged from the game uninjured. Martinez and Varane were not match-ready for the FA Cup final but played because of the occasion.
Some speculated training intensity as one cause for the spike in problems, but Ten Hag argued robust sessions were required to keep players primed for matches and that he tempered the output when necessary. An analysis of the players who sustained muscle injuries showed no overloading, according to those briefed on the results, but there were mistakes.
乔尼·埃文斯在0-4输给水晶宫的比赛中只有50%的状态，但他还是上场了，因为他是唯一被认可的中后卫。滕哈格庆幸埃文斯在比赛中没有受伤。马丁内斯和瓦拉内因伤未能在足总杯决赛中出场，但因为这场比赛的重要性，他们还是上场了。
一些人猜测训练强度是导致伤病激增的原因之一，但滕哈格认为，需要强有力的训练来让球员为比赛做好准备，并在必要时调整训练量。据了解结果的人士透露，对受伤球员的分析显示，并没有出现过度训练的情况，但确实存在错误。（没有过度训练，那是什么mistake？？）
Shaw said he accepted a request by Ten Hag to play against Luton in February after training one session that week. Ten Hag had chosen to take Shaw off as a precaution at half-time in the previous game at Aston Villa. But at Kenilworth Road, Shaw suffered his third hamstring injury of the season and did not play again.
“It’s kind of everyone’s fault. Partly my fault, partly medical staff,” said Shaw. People familiar with his thinking say Ten Hag accepts responsibility on that call also, but they add that he would never force a player onto the pitch. His options were limited, with Victor Lindelof sent on in both matches. Tyrell Malacia being out all season put pressure on Shaw to play more often than ideal.
肖表示，他接受了滕哈格的要求，在2月份对阵卢顿的比赛中出场，尽管那一周他只参加了一次训练。滕哈格在之前阿斯顿维拉的比赛中选择半场时换下肖作为预防措施。但在肯尼沃斯路上，肖遭受了本赛季的第三次腿筋伤病，之后再也没有出场。
“这有点像是每个人的错。部分是我的错，部分是医疗团队的错。”肖说。熟悉他想法的人表示，滕哈格也接受了那次换人的责任，但他们补充说，他永远不会强迫球员上场。他的选择有限，因为维克托·林德洛夫在两场比赛中都被派上场。泰雷尔·马拉西亚整个赛季都缺阵，这使得肖不得不出场比理想中更频繁。
Other reasons flagged included the aftereffects of playing the most matches in Europe last year and the recovery undertaken by injured players, with several suffering repeat problems. Data showed the actual number of injuries was in line with those recorded each season over the past decade, but the days missed hit a high in that period (2,185) — triple the figure from 2021-22 (716). United had the most players absent for games in the Premier League, so the focus fell on the rehabilitation plans — whether they were correct by design, or players lacked faith in their reliability.
O’Driscoll and other club staff investigated the issues for several months to try to avert the crisis and while bad luck played a part, some players were sceptical about the care provided at United.
Last summer, Malacia underwent treatment in the Netherlands with his own choice of surgeon for a knee meniscus injury, while in March, Martinez completed his rehabilitation from damaged knee ligaments in Argentina during an international camp. Martinez was said to be very upset a recurrence of his fractured metatarsal was not picked up earlier at the start of the campaign after three scans.
其他被提及的原因还包括去年在欧洲踢了最多比赛的后遗症以及受伤球员的恢复情况，其中有几人重复受伤。数据显示，实际受伤人数与过去十年每个赛季的记录相符，但错过的比赛天数（2185天）在那段时间内达到了最高点——是2021-22赛季（716天）的三倍。曼联在英超联赛中缺席比赛的球员最多，因此焦点落在了康复计划上——无论是设计正确，还是球员对它们的可靠性缺乏信心。
奥德里斯科尔和其他俱乐部工作人员调查了这些问题好几个月，试图避免危机，虽然不幸的运气也起到了一定作用，但一些球员对曼联提供的护理持怀疑态度。
去年夏天，马拉西亚在荷兰接受了自己选择的医生的治疗，以治疗膝盖半月板损伤。而在3月，马丁内斯在国际训练营期间在阿根廷完成了膝盖韧带损伤的康复。据说马丁内斯非常沮丧，因为他在赛季初经过三次扫描后，他再次骨折的跖骨没有被及时发现。
Casemiro also questioned why he suffered muscle injuries this season given he had never experienced such problems before. His only previous muscle injury lasted six days, but Casemiro was out for more than two months with a hamstring issue in the autumn and he came close to sustaining a rupture in March before the FA Cup tie with Liverpool despite tailoring his training as per instructions. Supported by United’s medical team, he decided against playing as soon as he felt a tightness in training and, after the match, he also ran the scans past Brazil’s national team doctor, making the call to stay home rather than join up.
The issue reared its head again on FA Cup final day when Casemiro withdrew from his place on the bench, citing hamstring discomfort once the teamsheets had been handed in at Wembley. Some people close to the team suspected an element of calculation on Casemiro’s part given Ten Hag had dropped him from the starting line-up after he had filled in at centre-back for seven successive games to help the club. There was consternation among players and staff about the timing of Casemiro reporting his problem.
卡塞米罗也质疑为什么他本赛季会遭遇肌肉伤病，因为他以前从未遇到过这样的问题。他之前唯一的肌肉伤病只持续了六天，但卡塞米罗在秋天因腿筋问题缺席了两个多月，尽管他按照指示调整了训练，但在3月足总杯对阵利物浦的比赛前，他差点再次受伤。在曼联医疗团队的支持下，他一旦在训练中感到紧绷就决定不上场，并在比赛后还让巴西国家队的医生检查了他的扫描结果，选择留在家里而不是加入国家队。
在足总杯决赛日，这个问题再次浮出水面，当时卡塞米罗以腿筋不适为由退出了在温布利递交的球队名单中的替补位置。一些接近球队的人怀疑卡塞米罗的退出是出于某种算计，因为滕哈格在卡塞米罗连续七场填补中后卫位置以帮助球队后，将他从首发阵容中撤下。球员和工作人员对卡塞米罗报告问题的时机感到困惑。
United said on the day of the final he was not fully fit in the days building up to the game and then felt a tightness that meant he was unable to play. People close to the player insist this was the case.
The scale of injuries meant more reliance than intended on Hojlund, Garnacho and Mainoo — three young players all in their first campaigns as Premier League regulars. Each showed major promise while also experiencing dips, as any emerging player might, but especially so because of fatigue. All three are in the top seven for minutes played by United outfield players this Premier League campaign.
曼联在决赛当天表示，他在比赛前的几天里并没有完全恢复健康，然后感到紧绷，这意味着他无法参加比赛。与该球员关系密切的人士坚持认为情况确实如此。
大规模的伤病意味着比预期更多地依赖霍伊伦德、加纳乔和梅努——这是三名年轻球员，都是他们第一次参加英超联赛。他们都展现出了巨大的潜力，同时也经历了起伏，这是任何新兴球员都可能经历的，尤其是由于疲劳。这三名球员在本赛季英超联赛中都是曼联出场时间排名前七的外场球员。
Recruitment disappoints players and coach
Different recruitment over the past two summers may have allowed Ten Hag greater rotation. In the depths of the MetLife Stadium, after United had beaten Arsenal 2-0 in a pre-season friendly with Sancho as a false nine, Ten Hag spoke casually to reporters. He was asked when he wanted a new striker in. “Last year!” he replied, smiling.
Hojlund signed a fortnight later, although he would not play for United until September 3 due to a back problem and a lack of depth up top affected the team all campaign. United scored 57 Premier League goals this term, after 58 goals in Ten Hag’s first season. That total of 115 is 75 goals less than City scored in the same period.
四、引援令球员和教练失望
过去两个夏天的不同引援可能让滕哈格有更多轮换的选择。在季前友谊赛中，曼联以2-0击败阿森纳，桑乔担任伪九号后，在MetLife体育场深处，滕哈格轻松地向记者们表示。当被问及他何时想要一名新前锋时，他笑着回答：“去年！”
两周后，霍伊伦德签约，但由于背部问题和球队前场深度不足，他直到9月3日才为曼联出战，这影响了球队整个赛季的表现。本赛季曼联在英超联赛中打进了57球，而在滕哈格的第一个赛季中打进了58球。这两个赛季的总进球数为115球，比同期曼城少进了75球。
In the summer of 2022, United lost Edinson Cavani on a free, with Ronaldo following that winter. Wout Weghorst was a temporary solution, but with Anthony Martial fit for less than half the games Ten Hag has managed, Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay have been shifted from their best positions to play up top.
Ten Hag asked for a new striker during his first summer and advocated for Cody Gakpo because he could play on the wing or through the middle. He was available from PSV Eindhoven for £40million. Ideally, Ten Hag wanted both Gakpo and Antony, but United could only afford a deal for one.
After having to rely on personal connections to source Weghorst midway through his first campaign, Ten Hag was determined to get a guarantee of goals for his second and pushed hard for Harry Kane. But Murtough, in conjunction with Joel Glazer and chief executive Richard Arnold, declined to enter the running, ruling negotiations with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy too complicated and Kane’s price too high for a 29-year-old.
在2022年夏天，曼联免费失去了埃丁森·卡瓦尼，随后在那个冬天又失去了罗纳尔多。沃特·韦格霍斯特是一个临时的解决方案，但由于安东尼·马夏尔在滕哈格执教的比赛中健康上场的场次不到一半，拉什福德、布鲁诺·费尔南德斯和斯科特·麦克托米奈都被从他们擅长的位置上调到锋线。
滕哈格在他的第一个夏天就要求引进一名新前锋，并推荐了科迪·加克波，因为他可以在边路或中路踢球。当时他以4000万英镑的价格从埃因霍温PSV转会而来。理想情况下，滕哈格想要同时签下加克波和安东尼，但曼联只能负担得起一个人的转会费。
在第一个赛季中途不得不依靠个人关系来引进韦格霍斯特之后，滕哈格决心在他的第二个赛季中确保进球，并大力推动引进哈里·凯恩。但是，莫塔夫与乔尔·格雷泽和首席执行官理查德·阿诺德一起，决定不参与竞购，认为与热刺主席丹尼尔·列维的谈判过于复杂，而且29岁的凯恩的价格过高。
United wanted a longer-term answer and Ten Hag was pleased to get Hojlund having been convinced of his character during video calls. He was a gamble, though, aged 20 having scored 10 goals in 34 games for Atalanta in 2022-23 and still costing £72m. Internally, it was agreed that signing Hojlund meant United adjusted their expectations for the season.
Many in Ten Hag’s squad wanted and expected United to go for Kane so that the team could, in their minds, be transformed into title challengers. Casemiro was known to feel that having come third, with 75 points, adding a proven scorer of Kane’s quality would have lifted United’s aspirations significantly. He had been told when signing that United intended to make additions to compete at the top of the Premier League and gave the impression he was disappointed that, having done his bit, the recruits last summer did not marry up to that proposed ambition. He was not alone in that thinking and the attitude in camp suffered as a consequence.
曼联想要一个更长期的解决方案，滕哈格很高兴得到霍伊伦德，因为在视频通话中他确信了他的性格。然而，这仍然是一笔冒险的引援，霍伊伦德年仅20岁，在2022-23赛季为亚特兰大出场34次打进10球，但他的转会费仍然高达7200万英镑。在曼联内部，已经达成共识，签下霍伊伦德意味着曼联调整了本赛季的期望。
滕哈格队中的许多人希望并期待曼联引进凯恩，以便球队能够成为冠军的有力竞争者。据了解，卡塞米罗认为，在获得第三名、积75分之后，引进一名像凯恩这样经过考验的射手将大大提升曼联的野心。他签约时被告知，曼联打算增加引援以在英超联赛中竞争，但他给人的印象是，他对自己去年夏天的引援没有达到预期的雄心感到失望。有这种想法的不仅仅是他一个人，因此球队的气氛也受到了影响。
United also looked at Randal Kolo Muani, who was available from Eintracht Frankfurt, and Ten Hag met him in London but decided he was not the right fit for his team. Kolo Muani, then 24, moved to Paris Saint Germain in September 2023 for £72.7million and has scored nine goals in 40 games.
Ten Hag was encouraging and supportive of United’s controversial plans to bring back Mason Greenwood, too, but the U-turn left them a striker short and overshadowed the start of the season.
Ten Hag’s influence on United’s transfer business is clear and INEOS wants to reduce his role, aiming to appoint a head of recruitment. But Ten Hag has missed out on key players for his style. He still speaks to people about the evolution that would have been possible with Frenkie de Jong on board, believing there was a chance early on in his first summer to strike a deal with Barcelona and convince the player to join.
曼联还考虑过从法兰克福引进穆阿尼，滕哈格在伦敦与他见面，但决定他并不适合他的球队。随后，24岁的科洛·穆阿尼在2023年9月以7270万英镑的价格转会至巴黎圣日耳曼，并在40场比赛中打进了9球。
滕哈格对曼联有争议的召回梅森·格林伍德的计划也表示了鼓励和支持，但这一转变让他们缺少了一名前锋，并给赛季初蒙上了一层阴影。
滕哈格对曼联转会业务的影响是显而易见的，INEOS希望减少他的角色，并计划任命一名招聘主管。但滕哈格在为自己的风格寻找关键球员时错过了机会。他仍然向人们谈起如果弗伦基·德容加入球队，球队将如何演变，他相信在第一个夏天早期有机会与巴塞罗那达成协议并说服球员加盟。
As an alternative option, Ten Hag liked Declan Rice, who was very interested in joining, but Casemiro was seen as more attainable by the club. Last summer, Ten Hag pushed again for Rice, judging his blend of physicality, quality and mentality to be the right mix to elevate United’s foundation. Again, several players agreed with their manager, but United were way behind Arsenal and even Manchester City in the pursuit.
United eventually made contact with West Ham, but it came across as a token gesture, which was dismissed. Instead, the club pressed ahead with signing Mount, who was seen as a versatile player of excellent quality. His injury record this season was entirely unexpected, playing 20 games in all competitions and only 513 minutes in the Premier League.
作为一个可选项，滕哈格喜欢德克兰·赖斯，后者对加盟曼联非常感兴趣，但曼联认为卡塞米罗更容易得到。去年夏天，滕哈格再次推动引进赖斯，他认为赖斯的身体素质、技术和心理素质是提升曼联基础阵容的正确组合。同样，有几名球员与他们的主教练持相同观点，但曼联在追逐赖斯的竞争中远远落后于阿森纳，甚至落后于曼城。
曼联最终与西汉姆联进行了接触，但这被视为一种象征性的姿势，并遭到了拒绝。相反，俱乐部继续推进芒特的签约，他被认为是一个品质极佳的多面手。然而，本赛季他的伤病记录完全出乎意料，在所有比赛中出场20次，仅在英超联赛中出场513分钟。
Ten Hag was interested in recruiting Denzel Dumfries to offer more attacking potential at right-back. A swap including Diogo Dalot was discussed by United and Inter Milan, but both sides wanted money on top for their player. Talks ended when Malacia’s injury became clear because Dalot’s ability to play on the left made him more of an asset than Dumfries. Dalot has responded well to Ten Hag, adding areas to his game and becoming United’s player of the season.
A new goalkeeper to replace David de Gea was very much at Ten Hag’s behest. People privy to his thinking say Ten Hag felt De Gea’s performance in the FA Cup final against City lacked hunger.
As well as Andre Onana, United also agreed a deal with Anderlecht for Bart Verbruggen, who chose to join Brighton to get more games. Altay Bayindir signed instead.
滕哈格有兴趣引进邓弗里斯，以增加右后卫位置的进攻潜力。曼联和国际米兰讨论了包括迪奥戈·达洛特在内的交换交易，但双方都希望对方额外支付一些费用。然而，当马拉西亚的伤病变得明确时，谈判结束了，因为达洛特能够胜任左后卫的位置，使他比邓弗里斯更有价值。达洛特很好地回应了滕哈格的期望，增加了自己的比赛领域，并成为了曼联本赛季的最佳球员。
滕哈格非常希望引进一名新门将来替代大卫·德赫亚。了解他想法的人表示，滕哈格觉得德赫亚在足总杯决赛中对阵曼城时缺乏饥饿感。
除了安德烈·奥纳纳之外，曼联还与安德莱赫特就费布鲁亨达成了协议，但他选择了加盟布莱顿以获得更多的比赛机会。最终，巴因迪尔签约了曼联。
The tactical plan
Onana’s arrival was intended to dramatically alter the way United could play, enabling Ten Hag’s team to build up from the back and keep a high line. In Onana’s first game for the club, the friendly against Real Madrid in Houston, it was striking to see him near halfway when United had attacking set pieces.
But Onana was caught out with his positioning against Lens at Old Trafford when Florian Sotoca scored from the edge of the centre circle and that jolt triggered uncertainty for team-mates adjusting to this new approach. The carousel of defenders in front of Onana, especially the absences of Martinez and Shaw as two ball carriers, had an impact, too.
In United’s Champions League tie at Copenhagen, Onana projected nervous tension during the 4-3 defeat that proved terminal for progress. He had by then become known for being vocal in talking to himself and others and, as the goals went in, he began asking those around him what was going on. “What do we play?” he said.
五、战术计划
奥纳纳的加盟意在大幅改变曼联的比赛方式，使滕哈格的球队能够从后场组织进攻并保持高位防线。在奥纳纳为俱乐部效力的首场比赛中，即在美国休斯敦与皇家马德里的友谊赛中，当曼联有进攻定位球时，看到他接近中线位置令人印象深刻。
但奥纳纳在老特拉福德对阵朗斯的比赛中，由于站位问题被对手弗洛里安·索托卡从中圈边缘进球，这一失误让正在适应新战术的队友们感到不安。奥纳纳身前防守球员的轮换，特别是作为两名持球手的马丁内斯和肖的缺席，也产生了影响。
在曼联与哥本哈根的欧冠比赛中，奥纳纳在4-3的失利中表现出紧张情绪，这成为球队进步的终点。到那时，他因自言自语和与他人交谈而广为人知，并且随着丢球的出现，他开始询问周围的人发生了什么。“我们该怎么打？”他说道。
There were times when defenders thought the same thing, occasionally dropping deep to receive the ball from Onana only for him to go long and force those in front of him to run to keep up to play. Patterns were practised at Carrington, but Onana also “played what he saw” in moments, spotting and aiming for an attacker despite midfielders being in poor positions for second balls. That left some players not being as open to short passes to avoid pressure from opponents and the possibility of exposing themselves should a mistake follow.
The assertive Onana that came out of his box at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the second game to win United possession and then picked out Garnacho with a long pass — the kind of transition unthinkable under De Gea — experienced a confidence dip. But he did not shrink away, instead putting himself forward for media duties and eventually finding a groove on the pitch. His pass to set up Dalot for a chance at Kenilworth Road, for instance, was straight from the training ground, with the Portuguese sprinting from full-back through the middle.
有时，后卫们会想到同样的事情，偶尔会后撤到深处从奥纳纳那里接球，但奥纳纳会选择长传，迫使前面的球员跑动以保持跟上比赛。虽然他们在卡林顿进行了相关练习，但奥纳纳也会根据场上的实际情况进行决策，即使中场球员的站位不佳，他也会选择寻找并瞄准攻击者。这导致一些球员在避免对手压力和可能出现失误时，不太愿意进行短传。
在第二场比赛中，在托特纳姆热刺球场，自信的奥纳纳从自己的球门区域冲出，赢得了曼联的控球权，并用一记长传找到了加纳乔——这是德赫亚时代不可想象的一种过渡方式。但奥纳纳的信心出现了下滑。然而，他并没有退缩，而是主动承担起媒体职责，并最终在球场上找到了自己的节奏。例如，他在肯尼沃斯路球场（卢顿主场）为达洛特创造机会的那记传球，就是直接从训练场上照搬过来的，葡萄牙人从后卫位置冲刺到中路。
That defensive line was at the crux of Ten Hag’s troubles, however. He continued to instruct for a higher starting point so that his team could squeeze the play in the final third to win the ball and counter quickly. It was the blueprint mapped out by the United hierarchy, but the personnel at his disposal, especially with Martinez injured for the vast majority of the campaign, were ill-equipped for that style. Often they would drop deeper than Ten Hag intended, leaving a large space for midfielders to cover.
A clear example came in the FA Cup win over Liverpool when Caoimhin Kelleher claimed a Fernandes free kick that Varane and Lindelof had got in the box to meet. As Varane and Lindelof jogged back, Ten Hag shouted and demonstrated with his palms down that they should stop just beyond the halfway line. When they fell further back, he slapped his hands in frustration.
然而，那条防线正是滕哈格困境的核心。他继续指示球队从更高的起点开始，以便在最后三分之一区域压缩对手的进攻空间，赢得球权并快速反击。这是曼联高层制定的蓝图，但他手头的球员，特别是马丁内斯在赛季的大部分时间里都因伤缺阵，并不适合这种风格。他们经常会比滕哈格所期望的站位更靠后，给中场球员留下了很大的覆盖空间。
一个明显的例子是在足总杯战胜利物浦的比赛中，科伊明·凯莱赫扑出了费尔南德斯的任意球，而瓦拉内和林德洛夫原本已经进入禁区准备接球。当瓦拉内和林德洛夫慢跑回位时，滕哈格大声呼喊并用手掌向下示意他们应该停在中线稍后的位置。当他们进一步后退时，他失望地拍了拍手。
Varane was regarded as an excellent box defender but problematic when covering large spaces and Ten Hag tried dropping him, instead starting Evans for the Manchester derby in October. Three days later, he planned to name Varane on the bench for the League Cup tie against Newcastle, but when the teamsheets arrived, the Frenchman’s name was not there. United reported Varane had an illness, although he did turn up at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag’s relationship with Harry Maguire was also severely tested at the start of the campaign, with the defender bruised by how United went about looking to sell him in the summer.
On the pitch, Ten Hag did not want to compromise further, having done so in his first season when allowing De Gea to kick long rather than pass out from the back. But others in the coaching setup, such as McClaren and Fletcher, advocated for a pragmatic approach in the short term.
Ten Hag had organised his team in a compact shape for the trips to Arsenal and City, taking the lead in both before losing late. He repeatedly cites that trip to the Emirates in September, when Garnacho had a potentially winning goal ruled out for a fractional offside, as a sliding doors moment because he feels victory there, using a clear plan, would have electrified the mood at United and earned buy-in from players, while damaging Arsenal.
瓦拉内被视为一位出色的禁区防守者，但在覆盖大区域时存在问题。滕哈格尝试让他退居二线，在10月的曼彻斯特德比中让埃文斯首发。三天后，他原本计划让瓦拉内在联赛杯对阵纽卡斯尔的比赛中坐在替补席上，但当球队名单公布时，法国人的名字并不在列。曼联报告称瓦拉内生病了，尽管他确实来到了老特拉福德。
滕哈格与哈里·马奎尔的关系在赛季初也受到了严重考验，这名后卫因为曼联在夏天尝试出售他的方式而感到沮丧。
在场上，滕哈格不想再做出进一步妥协，他在第一个赛季时就因为让德赫亚选择长传而不是从后场传球而这样做过。但教练组的其他成员，如麦克拉伦和弗莱彻，则主张在短期内采取务实的策略。
滕哈格在前往阿森纳和曼城的比赛中组织球队以紧凑的阵型出战，并在两场比赛中都领先，但随后在比赛尾声阶段失利。他多次提到9月前往酋长球场的比赛，当时加纳乔的潜在制胜球因轻微的越位被判无效，他认为这是一个关键时刻，因为如果在那里使用明确的计划赢得胜利，将会极大地鼓舞曼联的士气，赢得球员们的信任，同时也会给阿森纳带来打击。
The 4-0 embarrassment at Palace, when United executives felt players had given up, acted as a catalyst for change. Against Arsenal, Ten Hag shored up the midfield by selecting Sofyan Amrabat and a more secure performance followed — albeit a defeat nonetheless. The wins against Newcastle and Brighton came from the same measured system, adapted to include two false nines in Fernandes and McTominay, with Hojlund looking tired. McClaren became more visible on the touchline.
在0-4惨败给水晶宫的比赛中，曼联高层认为球员们已经放弃了，这成为了改变的催化剂。在对阵阿森纳的比赛中，滕哈格通过选择阿姆拉巴特来稳固中场，随后球队表现更为稳健——尽管最终还是输球了。在对阵纽卡斯尔和布莱顿的比赛中，滕哈格采用了相同的战术体系，并进行了调整，让费尔南德斯和麦克托米奈担任两个“伪九号”，因为霍伊伦德显得疲惫。同时，麦克拉伦在边线上（教练席）变得更加显眼。
这将是滕哈格在足总杯决赛中娴熟地运用这套战术阵型的关键，之所以奏效，是因为球员们从最后几场英超比赛中获得了执行这些指令的信心。
It would be the formation that Ten Hag used to masterful effect against City in the FA Cup final, working because the players gained the confidence to carry out the instructions from those final Premier League matches.
From an INEOS perspective, the question remained why the team had not shown such coordination for many of the 38 Premier League games, or the Champions League group stage, and that is why they came close to changing manager.
Those familiar with his thinking say Ten Hag feels the unique stress of playing for a club under immense scrutiny warrants greater recognition during recruitment and that due to the fact he overachieved in his first season, lifting United from sixth to third, he was owed some leeway in his second season.
After an uncomfortable start to the summer, humility from INEOS and soon a new deal for the manager, all eyes will be on the start of his third campaign.
滕哈格在足总杯决赛中出色地运用这套战术阵型来对抗曼城，这套战术之所以奏效，是因为球员们从最后几场英超比赛中获得了执行这些指令的信心。
从INEOS的角度来看，问题仍在于为什么球队在38场英超联赛或欧冠小组赛的大部分比赛中没有展现出这样的协调配合，这也是他们差点换帅的原因。
熟悉滕哈格想法的人表示，他认为在备受瞩目的俱乐部踢球所面临的独特压力需要在招募时得到更多的认可，而且由于他在第一个赛季的出色表现，将曼联从第六名提升到第三名，因此他在第二个赛季应该得到一些宽限。
在经历了一个令人不安的夏季开局后，INEOS的谦逊态度以及随后与主教练达成的新合同，使得所有人的目光都将聚焦于他第三个赛季的开局。
