When Arsenal bottomed out and beat Chelsea 4-2, European big data agency StatsPerform conducted a new round of analysis and speculation, which showed that the probability of Manchester United competing for 4 was only 3.1%. Such a result indicates that the battle for 4 has basically become a contest between Arsenal and Tottenham, and Manchester United may only be a spectator with a perfect location.
It is clear that the United hierarchy is also aware of Champions League qualification, which cannot hide Manchester United's current problems, even if Ronnick creates a miracle, Manchester United's rebuilding is inevitable. Therefore, in the continuous media rendering, Manchester United officially announced the fifth official manager of the post-Ferguson era, Tenhag.
This season, in addition to Ronaldo's occasional surprises to Red Devils fans, it is difficult to satisfy fans, whether it is the team's record or the atmosphere within the team. From Solskjaer to Carrick to Lonnick, the position of the head coach has changed hands three times, which is a visual indication of United's chaos.
In such an embarrassing situation, Manchester United did not have the slightest ability to fight back against old rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, and even in the face of relegation zone teams like Wardford, they only handed over a weak performance of non-loss or draw.
Some fans may argue that this is just an individual performance of some of the games. But if you look at the overall stats of Manchester United in the current 33 league rounds, the whole team has only scored 52 goals and conceded 48 goals, you will find that Manchester United can rank in the top 6 positions, it is already lucky. To be honest, in the fiercely competitive Premier League, an average of 1.58 goals per game with 1.45 goals conceded, plus a dismal 4 goals difference, is almost only the level of the mid-range team.
If you put aside the 15 league goals contributed by Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United may be on a par with Newcastle's attack. What I want to express here is not that Ronaldo's goal is not important, after all, the 37-year-old Ronaldo's performance of the explosion can only provide a short help. There are therefore indications that Tenhag is facing a massive reconstruction effort.
Championing attacking football and tapping potential players, Tenhag's successful experience at Ajax is perhaps the most ideal solution for United at this stage. But Red Devils fans know that United's embarrassing results in recent years are not entirely determined by the level of the manager and players, but by the management ideas of the club's top management, especially in the player transfer market.
Previously, there were many media reports that the biggest obstacle to Tenghag coaching Manchester United was the issue of the right to speak in the transfer of players. However, the day before the official announcement of Therhag's signing, Manchester United announced a departure news, although it did not attract much attention from the outside world, but indirectly responded to the concerns of the outside world. Jim Lawler and Marcel Pot, who have been in charge of Manchester United's scouting for seven years, reportedly left Manchester United before Tenghag's official announcement.
Since 2005, the two scouting leaders have been involved in the transfer operation of the three official managers of Louis van Gaal, Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. And played a role in the transfer of di Maria, Martial, Pogba, Lukaku, Fred, Maguire, van der Beek and other players.
Although it remains to be seen whether this move by the Manchester United executives means that the transfer discourse will be completely handed over to Tenhag, it is reported that Tenhag can at least circle the players he wants in the scouting network he has formed. It also seems to indicate a positive shift in club management for Manchester United's new CEO Alexander-Arnold.
In addition to the new atmosphere revealed within the club in the transfer operation, the new financial fairness rules planned by UEFA will also help Tenghag's reconstruction plan. Judging from the content of the new regulations that have been announced, from 2025, the amount of expenditure on players' salaries, transfer fees and agent commissions will be limited to 70% of club income. And starting from next season, it will be gradually transitioned from 90%, 80% and 70% in 3 seasons.
This is undoubtedly good news for Manchester United. According to the statistics of the authoritative media Dezhuan, although Manchester United's expenditures this season are second only to Manchester City and Chelsea, ranking third in the Premier League, in the face of huge commercial value, Manchester United's expenditures account for only 65% of revenue. Coupled with Pogba's high probability of leaving next season, and the expiration of Ronaldo's contract in the summer of 2023, it means that Tenghag can give full play to the advantages of Manchester United's commercial value in UEFA's new regulations while digging up youth players.
With a distinct tactical style and the courage to use the personality of a newcomer, Tenhag once again opened the curtain on the revival of Old Trafford with a new coaching concept. Will Arnold's compromise and UEFA's help be an opportunity for Tenhag? The upcoming summer window may be the answer.