Manchester United: Erik ten Hag runs about a bit, his new players are said to be impressed - The Warm-Up
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Updated 24/08/2022 at 09:18 GMT+1
Football is a funny old game. On Monday morning, Erik ten Hag had been dismissed in some quarters as out of touch. However, by Tuesday evening – following the morale-boosting win against Liverpool – criticism for insisting his side went on a long run after their humbling defeat to Brentford had turned to praise. A funny old game indeed. Elsewhere, Jill Scott has retired from football.
'I know we have to win especially this game' - Ten Hag on facing Liverpool
WEDNESDAY’S BIG STORIES
ERIK IS ONE OF THE LADS
Football - the adage goes - is a funny old game.
Last weekend, Manchester United - 13-time winners of the Premier League - were humbled 4-0 by Brentford. The following day, Erik ten Hag cancelled a day off, and instead made his side do a 13.8km run as that was the distance Brentford collectively ran more than United in the day's previous match.
“You have to bring at least the same as the opponent but when I say at least, we have to do more in and out of possession.”
The Dutchman was pilloried in some quarters for what was deemed a Draconian, out-of-date punishment.
And then Manchester United ran their socks off as they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Premier League to breathe life into their season and apply pressure to their fiercest rivals, who sit 16th in the table with the sum total of two points from three games.
It would, in the wake of that win, emerge that Ten Hag had not just ordered his players on that extra run, but had taken part too. His decision to run a bit had left the players "impressed" report The Mirror. It seems a low bar if you ask the Warm-Up's worthless opinion. Anyhow, the report adds the coach "wasn't going to let his players take all the blame for the performance", which seems a fairly logical decision given he is the manager.
The Dutchman is now being widely hailed as a master man-manager just a matter of days after being derided.
It seems, then, that Ten Hag is very much one of the lads rather than an out-of-date authoritarian school teacher.
It is a funny old game indeed.
ANOTHER LEGEND OF THE GAME RETIRES
Following hot on the heels of Ellen White hanging up her boots, Jill Scott has elected to retire after helping the Lionesses to win Euro 2022.
She is the second-most capped England player ever on 161, behind Fara Williams who made 172 appearances, and she has won the WSL once, the women's FA Cup four times, the WSL Cup three times and the FA Premier League Cup once.
“Today, I may be saying my goodbyes to football, but we’re going to make this a celebration,” Scott wrote for The Players' Tribune.
“No sad faces!! We’ve had too much fun for any tears.”
Gerrard and Lampard let the narrative down
Some Warm-Ups are easier to put together than others. For example, the day Manchester United beat Southampton 9-0 and it emerged spinach were knocking out emails was one of the easier days.
And thus, when The Warm-Up spotted Everton against Fleetwood Town and Aston Villa against Bolton Wanderers in second-round League Cup action, its eyes lit up. Given their finishes to last season, and the starts to this one, surely one of Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa or Frank Lampard's Everton would be unceremoniously dumped out of the competition?
Alas not...
When Dion Charles opened the scoring on 25 minutes as the League One side out-hustled a full-strength Villa, all the ingredients of a cupset looked very much there.
Unfortunately, a Douglas Luiz goal direct from a corner re-set the initiative and the Villans would go on to win 4-1 courtesy of further strikes from Danny Ings, Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey.
Just in case anyone was in doubt over Luiz' intent, here he is doing exactly the same in training just one day before.
It was, therefore, on Everton to provide (or succumb to) the headline shock of the night. However, a Demarai Gray goal on 28 minutes gave the Toffees a narrow 1-0 win at another League One outfit, Fleetwood.
Thus, it was left to Fulham, who have made an unbeaten start to the Premier League season, to fall to shock defeat.
They lost to fourth-tier Crawley Town, who currently sit second bottom of the table. However, given Fulham made 10 changes, and Premier League survival is of the utmost importance, Marco Silva will likely have slept fairly contently last night.
IN THE CHANNELS
Wolves forward Raul Jimenez produced this celebration after he scored in his side's 2-1 win over Preston North End.
IN THE TOP CORNER
Adama Traore can strike an association football.
The former Barcelona B, Barcelona, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Wolves, Barcelona and current Wolves player - that is one hell of a 'clubs played for' section in Wikipedia - scored a goal worthy of settling any game.
Unfortunately for fans of narratives, it did not settle an El Classico but a League Cup second-round game against Preston North End.
However, the point remains, Adama Traore can strike an association football.
IN THE SIN BIN
Ross County pair Ross Callachan and Jack Baldwin have been charged by the Scottish FA after these challenges against Kilmarnock over the weekend.
HAT-TIP
Manchester United's win against Liverpool was not only owing to Erik ten Hag's emergence as one of the lads. No, there was some tactics involved too.
Over at the Athletic, JJ Bull breaks it down.
COMING UP
More Champions League knockout matches - can Rangers make it into the competition proper? They face PSV Eindhoven - and there are some more cupset opportunities in the League Cup.
Elsewhere, there is plenty of cycling action to get one's teeth into at the last Grand Tour of the year, the Vuelta Espana.
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