"A coach can't perform magic," Erik ten Hag once said in an interview during his time at Ajax.
And, after his Manchester United side fell to a 2-1 home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday in his first competitive match in charge of the club, that statement now resonates all the more.
There were times at Ajax where it felt as though Ten Hag was producing magic, but he was never alone in that; he had a team that bought into his ideas and fitted his philosophy impeccably, and was backed so that the personnel were right. Though at United, it is already seeming that there is quite some way to go to achieve anything near this.
Against Brighton, many fans were prompted to complain about the use of particular personnel, with the majority flattering to deceive. But the fact is that Ten Hag had little choice in terms of selection given the limited players at his disposal for particular positions. And even then, players are being shoehorned into playing certain roles.
Ten Hag wants precise profiles of players, hence the intense chase for Frenkie de Jong, but the positions of the current crop are extremely vague relative to the manager's desires.
Ultimately, there shouldn't be much surprise at the performance at Old Trafford on Sunday. The fact of the matter is that United have entered the new season with essentially the same players that underperformed for the majority of last term. With only three weeks remaining in the transfer window, it is clear that many reinforcements are still necessary.
A striker should be towards the very top of the list - this was well-proven on Sunday with Anthony Martial absent through injury and Cristiano Ronaldo deemed to not have been ready to start after limited pre-season preparation with the team. (It must be said, it came across as a positive statement of authority from Ten Hag to leave Ronaldo out of the starting side - regardless of him lacking fitness - following reports as to his desire to leave the club over the past month.)
In reality though, in spite of any good precedents being set by Ronaldo's omission, United really missed last season's top scorer. Or at least they missed a recognised striker because, while you could see Ten Hag's intentions, the concept of using Christian Eriksen in the striker role really didn't work.
Even though there was an offering of fluidity, especially through scope for Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes to interchange positions, there was clearly a lack of comfort for whoever operated as the number nine. Eriksen, who was primarily the centre-forward, would often be found wanting to drop deep, meaning that United lacked a focal point.
None of this was Ten Hag's fault, it must be said. Nor was it the fault of Eriksen - a midfielder by trade - that he was unable to play the role to his maximum.
Back in the days of Sir Alex Ferguson being at the helm, there would be at least three, and usually four, striker options at his disposal that could step in and produce at an ample level. But now, as they new campaign commences, United only have Martial, who is inconsistent and often liable to injuries, along with Ronaldo, who is ageing and has a blatant desire to depart the club.
So, against Brighton, Ten Hag's alternative options were Eriksen, Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, with the latter never having reached the heights as a striker that were once promised. As it was, it was opted that Rashford would play out wide on the left, where he produced performances indicating possible rejuvenation during pre-season. Jadon Sancho, who is by no means a striker option, returned on the right flank after illness ruled him out of the closing pre-season matches.
The ineffective attack was partially prompted by issues with progressing the ball from midfield and, whenever in possession, which was often, there was a lack of purpose contributing to an inability to unlock Brighton's defence. These problems were a stark reminder of the need for midfield reinforcement - by that at least two bodies.
As much as he offered promise in pre-season, Fred looked out of his depth and unsuited to the lone deep midfield role; he proved to be not adept enough in the play-making department while lacking the necessary presence. Additionally, Fred being used as in a deep-lying capacity withdraws his strengths in a more attacking role.
But, at the end of the day, Ten Hag clearly views Fred as the most readily-suited player in the role that he is being used in. That by no means suggests that Fred is the right player for the role though. It is a start reminder as to the need for more additions.
Scott McTominay, meanwhile, was tasked with playing a much higher-up role rather than in a double pivot as he has been accustomed to. And it ultimately proved that McTominay - another key figure in moving the ball forward - was a significant contributor to insecurity in possession. The overall absence of abundant midfield quality made control hard to establish in those areas, with United noticeably counter-attacking more - against Ten Hag's ethos. Such lapses on the ball match those that Ten Hag lamented during pre-season.
It was McTominay, who could have seen red for a rash challenge on Moises Caicedo following a loose touch under little pressure, that ultimately lost the ball in the lead-up to Brighton's opening goal. Fred was unable to cut the move out at source before McTominay and Diogo Dalot were indecisive and got into confusion as to who should press Leandro Trossard. By the time that was overcome, the ball was played through Dalot's legs and Danny Welbeck provided a square ball for late-arriving Pascal Gross, who was free at the far post following a muddle in terms of marking.
Ten Hag cut a furious figure. And that was only exacerbated as Gross doubled Brighton's lead before the break for his sixth career goal against United.
United's tempo had been nowhere on the ball, and their intensity was absent off it - apparent as no press was inflicted on Brighton as they were allowed to play out from their own corner flag all the way to score their second goal. The most damning reflection on the midfield was that it felt as though they were non-existent at times, with players out of position and backpedaling as Brighton cruised into a shooting position. David de Gea ultimately parried an effort straight into Gross' path, with Fred not reacting as a straightforward tap-in was allowed.
Struggles to break Brighton down were somewhat relieved as Eriksen was dropped deeper in the second half after Ronaldo's introduction shortly into the period. The significance of a focal point was emphasised, while Eriksen proved the virtue of exceptional technical ability in midfield.
The midfield hadn't been feeding the attack well, which exposed the lack of technical well-roundedness of Fred and McTominay. Sancho and Rashford only became factors in proceedings once Eriksen shifted into midfield, with the match concluding with essentially three attacking midfielders (Fernandes, Eriksen and Donny van de Beek) making up the midfield. The three aforementioned are technically the best senior midfielders at the club by a stretch, with the extreme gulf between them and other options shown by the fact that, despite being less familiar with deep midfield roles, they outperformed those that should be more accustomed.
Brighton were more unsettled after the juncture, yet problems often arose with end product when service improved - just like at times last season. United did manage to get a goal back through an Alexis MacAllister own goal after Robert Sanchez made a hash of dealing with a United corner. But that proved not to be enough.
And the frustration of United fans only grew after the match as, while the club have now pulled out of the move, it emerged that there was a push to sign 33 year-old former Stoke City and West Ham United striker Marko Arnautovic from Serie A side Bologna. The need for another striker is clear, but Arnautovic was a marker that the club are reaching a stage of desperation in terms of their transfer pursuits.
While he would have been a back-up option, it very much seemed a backwards step given that Arnautovic is considerably past his prime years, thus would be yet another short-term fit (during a time that Ten Hag wants to build long-term). Even in his prime years there would be debate as to whether is Arnautovic was up to scratch for being a United player.
Attitude issues that have developed since his time with Ten Hag at FC Twente over a decade ago are another reason why Arnautovic was a strange consideration - and they have ultimately proved a reason why United have walked away. He is a maverick, but that often boils over to him being disruptive. Then you had racism allegations, which were flagged on social media, added to the equation.
Do the club even do background checks?
The day after match-day, it was revealed that United were in talks with Juventus over signing French midfielder Adrien Rabiot. Admittedly, it isn't quite as outlandish a prospect as Arnautovic was, plus more recent reports have indicated that Ten Hag has accepted the idea and has held positive talks. It has also been suggested that Rabiot has been a long-term consideration, though that provokes some confusion as to why the club haven't acted sooner.
At 27 years-old, Rabiot fits a more acceptable age profile with his better years supposedly ahead of him. He is regarded as a very talented midfielder, though he has failed to set the world alight in his career thus far at top clubs in Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. There is potential in the move, but some metrics would suggest he is minimally an upgrade on what United currently have at their disposal, especially on a technical front in terms of passing, which Ten Hag views as a necessity for a deep-lying midfielder.
There are caveats in recent years that Rabiot has been played out of position, but there must be reasons behind such a decision.
Again though, regardless of quality on the footballing side, there are questions surrounding attitude when it comes to Rabiot. One example provoking criticism was removing himself from the French World Cup squad in 2018 upon discovering he would only have a squad role. Another instance is when him and his mother - also his agent (and notoriously tough to deal with) - complained when he wasn't given a 'more exciting' role at PSG even though he was logically being used in his best position as a defensive midfielder.
Frankly, it is seeming that, in many cases, there is not much consideration of whether players will be the right fit for the team and its dynamics on and off the pitch. In a time of building greater harmony under a new regime, it would be far from ideal for potentially disruptive characters to be added to the fray. Especially in the case of Arnautovic, a real lack of planning is becoming apparent.
The scouting and recruitment departments should undoubtedly be contributing to a greater extent. The fact that all three summer signings thus far are familiar to Ten Hag (either from coaching them or playing against them) suggests that the manager is being tasked with an unnecessarily large role in finding and suggesting signings himself; a veto system is fine, but the manager having the major say in transfers isn't right and undermines those in the transfer department. Ultimately, it would seem that there is a lack of confidence within the board, with a possible lack of belief in those working on transfers by Ten Hag himself.
Discontent quickly simmered inside Old Trafford on Sunday after the initial 'first day back at school' feel before, with an air of optimism as Ten Hag geared up to take charge in the Premier League for the first time. Still, 'Glazers Out' protests took centre stage. And, once United went behind, boos grew all the more audible around the stadium.
Fittingly, Avram Glazer was present for only the third time in three years (yes, you read that right - not exactly commitment you'd expect from an owner). Even if those in the ground were unaware of the presence of a Glazer, just Avram being in attendance on a day of such discontent being voiced made the demonstrations even more powerful.
But will it actually change much? Fans have been begging for change for so long, but the Glazers have been immune to adversity and change is yet to come.
As things stand, the reality is that things will take time under the latest regime. Ten Hag is clearly working tirelessly to promote his ways, but the buy-in has to be absolute - not just from players but also those higher up in the club's hierarchy.
At present, there is almost an air of helplessness, with the view currently one towards a long season ahead unless drastic work is done in the transfer market before the summer window concludes. It is a matter of fact that there will be no stark upturn unless the right personnel are acquired.
Right now, players are unfamiliar with their roles - majorly because the manager hasn't been backed enough to sign those that he needs to fit his precise system. There remain too many square pegs in round holes, and United are thereby lagging behind the competition.
As it is, Ten Hag still needs a striker, possibly two midfielders, a right-back (given that Aaron Wan-Bissaka has fallen our of favour and Ethan Laird is set for a loan), and a winger or even two (given the drop-off from starters to more inexperienced, youthful alternatives).
Signings could still be made by the end of the month, but that is besides the point that Ten Hag has been left to start the season without many of the correct tools.
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