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It’s a feeling of deja vu for Manchester United fans after the dismal performance in the 2-2 draw vs Bournemouth.
An encouraging first season under the new man-in-charge, injuries start mounting, performance dips in the second, players turn, fans turn and eventually a sacking
Erik ten Hag looked like he would be different because his football in the first season was dominant at times and it seemed like he was building something.
All that went out the window this season and United have been left as a frail outfit that concedes goals at will and scores through moments.
Gary Neville senses the pattern and now thinks the Bournemouth draw is the beginning of the end for the manager.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said there are no mitigating factors as to the bad playing style which is the biggest worry.
He said this “breakdown” has been happening for the last seven, eight years and it happens to managers at the club in their second or third season.
Neville added that it is a “bizarre” experience watching United as they seemingly find new lows every week both, in terms of playing style as well as the manager’s comments on it.
He said: “There’s nothing more to say, we’ve seen it all before, it is a repeat of what we’ve seen over the last six, seven, eight years.
“Managers in their second seasons, third seasons sometimes at Manchester United where there seems to be that sort of breakdown at the end.
“The main thing is the performance levels. We’ve seen at Brentford, we’ve seen at Bournemouth, they’re really low-performance levels which is the biggest worry.
“But it is a sort of bizarre experience watching United play in terms of how bad they can get to in games.”
It is safe to assume that Neville is echoing what many United fans have been thinking lately with the only difference being that until recently, players were getting the brunt of criticism but Ten Hag has faced increasing pressure of late.
Does it end the same way it has for pretty much every manager post-Sir Alex? It is looking like it’s trending that way but for once, the manager isn’t helping his case.
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