Man Utd would be lost without Ten Hag… the players look like they always need to be told they’re doing the right thing

WITHOUT Pep Guardiola on the touchline for the next two games after back surgery, it will definitely be strange for the Manchester City players.

But if you look at their fixtures, first they have Sheffield United away.

We can probably argue that even if they went with the Under-18s manager they would win that game.

Then they have Fulham at home, which is slightly trickier but City are just such a well-oiled machine that they can get through these games without Pep being around.

I am sure with the technology of today, there will be a TV link to Pep over in Barcelona. He will be able to watch and get messages to his coaches.

But for the players, it won’t really matter.

For anybody else other than City and Arsenal with Mikel Arteta, it would be a huge factor. Those two sets of players would just be able to get on with it.

I reckon Brighton would manage too, given how good Roberto De Zerbi is at relaying a message. I watched their Under-21s play Walsall the other day and it was a carbon copy of the first team.

But Liverpool, for example, feed off of Jurgen Klopp’s energy.
Klopp also has that routine before kick-off where he watches the opposition warm up, trying to intimidate them. I’ve been there where you can hear him on the pitch.

While Pep and Arteta are both vocal, it is more reminders of what they want. It is very rarely about having big shouting matches with players or drastically changing the tactics. If Manchester United, currently in a transitional phase, lost Erik ten Hag from the sidelines, they would struggle.

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How they play right now is extremely orchestrated by Ten Hag during a game.

Without him there, they would make so many mistakes.

You can see it when you are watching games, the United players are constantly looking for reassurance they did what they were supposed to do.

It is the same with Liverpool, who have a brand-new midfield. Chelsea have basically got a new squad, so need Mauricio Pochettino’s guidance.

It is also about having that authority from the manager’s voice.
Chelsea’s captain Reece James is not experienced in that regard. Liverpool have lost Jordan Henderson, a staple figure who knew what was required.

My one experience of it was at Watford. Our new boss Oscar Garcia came in. He had a heart problem and, within his first few games, he was admitted to hospital and we were playing Blackpool on Saturday.

Assistant manager Billy McKinlay had to step in and that threw us a bit. We managed to win 1-0 but during the training sessions before we were thinking: “What is going on here?”

We were in the midst of training to learn a new style of play and then the guy who was teaching us was no longer around.

Some of the players were a bit lax as a result but it wasn’t malicious.
Where managers have the biggest influence from the touchline is from a defensive point of view.

Are you in the right positions? Is that pocket of space covered? When the average fan watches a game, or when you watch it on TV, you have a great view of the pitch and can see where those spaces are and what should be happening.

But from pitch level as a player it is a lot harder. A fan cannot see what they see or feel what they feel.

There are times when you really think you are doing the right thing, and then you get to the Monday morning debrief and watch it back and think: “What was I doing?”

Psychologically, without the manager on the touchline, do you back off five per cent or so? Possibly, but I don’t think you intentionally would do that.

That would be a naive thing to do, especially as your manager won’t be gone forever. He will be back, and he sees everything, so you’d have to deal with that.

The manager’s dugout is now a different place to what it used to be, especially with these new rules imposed to stop more than one coach standing on the touchline.

I can see why they are doing it, to protect the image of the game, but they just need to stay consistent with it — similarly with this new crackdown on time-wasting.

Takehiro Tomiyasu’s sending-off for Arsenal against Crystal Palace on Monday night is a prime example.

If we are going to remain that strong on it for the whole season, I am absolutely fine with it. Time-wasting remains a massive issue.

But having spoken to people in the game, we are not convinced that it will last. Some leniency will be brought in, especially in a big game like Manchester City vs Arsenal.

No ref will send someone off for that offence in a game of that magnitude.

No chance. I hope I am wrong but I just don’t see it.

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