Cesc Fabregas has implied that Manchester United operated with “a plan” during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure, but have since lost their direction under Erik ten Hag.
In his candid evaluation, Fabregas asserted that United possessed a clearer vision and a more defined structure under Solskjaer’s leadership.
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Yet, with Ten Hag at the helm, the club appears to lack a unified strategy, resulting in a feeling of uncertainty and inconsistency.
Fabregas’ remarks emerge as pressure mounts on Ten Hag to reverse the club’s fortunes following a turbulent season at Old Trafford, particularly in the wake of their surprising loss to Fulham over the weekend.
Speaking to the Planet Premier League podcast, Fabregas said: “I have to say as well that I don’t know the numbers, but with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] there were some good big games. They used to have a structure, they had a plan.
“At least you saw a plan, which was to defend well and have great breaks and this is exactly what Manchester United don’t have at the moment.”
Fulham repeatedly exploited United’s vulnerabilities on the counter, prompting Fabregas to suggest that such a display should have set off “alarm bells” in the Old Trafford boardroom.
“Looking carefully at the counters that Fulham did to them and the way they were done, it makes the alarm bells go for a very, very long period of time,” he said.
“It cannot happen that a top, top team gets done on the counter so many times in one half, or over 60 minutes. And this shows that they are lacking something. I don’t know his game plan, I don’t know if he has structure, I don’t know what his message is. But, definitely, if these happen to my team, there would be a lot of alarm bells going on.”
Solskjaer managed United from March 2019 to November 2021, overseeing 127 Premier League matches: winning 59, drawing 32, and losing 36.
The lack of tactical clarity has been apparent in United’s displays, as the team grapples with consistency and struggles to achieve positive results on the field.
Should they face a heavy defeat by Manchester City in the upcoming derby on Sunday, further scrutiny will be placed on Ten Hag’s approach.
