Ten Hag searches for clarity in United's empire of incoherence

Given his input on transfers costing a total of 385m, the manager now finds himselfin the line of fire at Old Trafford

- Jamie Jackson

For Erik ten Hag the question has become burning: when will Manchester United have a clear and consistent plan, a distinctive style of play? The 3-0 hammering by Manchester City in front of their own crowd on Sunday was the latest evidence in a bulging file that the Dutchman's side are a mishmash. They can feature a dash of high pressing and slick passing mixed in with sluggish ball retention, passiveness, erratic defending, and everything seems predicated on the hope of a smash-and-grab counterattack.

Seventeen months and three transfer windows in, this is a surprise. To see what can be engineered in a similar (actually shorter) timeframe look to the Midlands or the south coast. In Birmingham, Unai Emery has taken Aston Villa to fifth place, seven points ahead of United, with a team showing a clear identity of intense, front-foot football.

At Brighton, Roberto De Zerbi has the Seagulls bamboozling opponents with the type of dizzying geometric angles that make them the closest imitation of Pep Guardiola's City: the greatest compliment any manager can receive.

Emery has been in position for 12 months, De Zerbi 13. The budgets available to the Spaniard and Italian are far less than that given to Ten Hag, whose investment stands at £385.4m.

Here we come to the chief factor Ten Hag has agency over as he seeks to affect his on-field product: recruitment. The rule at United is that the manager and football department have a veto - therefore Ten Hag and John Murtough, the football director, have to agree on any signing.