Manchester United's Red Resurgence: Analysing Erik ten Hag's first few months in charge
Manchester United fans endured their team's worst-ever season in living memory last year. The 2021-22 season saw United finish with a goal difference of zero, an unprecedented low for the club. The atmosphere at Old Trafford turned toxic on multiple occasions, with a 5-0 loss to arch-rivals Liverpool being the most bitter of pills for fans to swallow. The players looked apathetic, rudderless and unhappy. The club found itself in a crisis.
Erik ten Hag was appointed and tasked with the seemingly impossible job of restoring Manchester United to its former glory.
𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Erik ten Hag appointed as new Manchester United manager 🔴
The new season got off to the worst possible start as United lost their opening match 2-1 at home to Brighton. This was followed by a 4-0 hammering at Brentford. After match week two, Manchester United sat bottom of the Premier League table
Fast forward eight months; United are a lofty third in the Premier League, in the final of the EFL League Cup and in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Fresh off a victory against Barcelona in the Europa League, things are looking rosy again at Old Trafford.
How has Erik ten Hag managed to engineer this miraculous revival?
Manchester United's cultural reset and new signings
Erik ten Hag walked into an absolute mess. Player power had plagued Old Trafford for years and stopped multiple managers from imposing their ideas and philosophy.
To make things worse, star player Cristiano Ronaldo made his displeasure explicit when he was not picked in the starting XI. Ten Hag took Ronaldo's behavior as an opportunity to set an example for the rest of the team. He suspended the legendary player for one match after Ronaldo refused to make a substitute appearance.
Ronaldo's contract was mutually terminated immediately after he did a controversial interview without the club's permission. The Ronaldo saga helped Ten Hag elevate his status in the dressing room and command respect from the players.
The manager stamped his authority early on to make sure his players knew who was boss. He brought in former Ajax players Lisandro Martinez and Antony who understood his system and way of playing. Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner, was purchased from Real Madrid.
The new signings provided the dressing room with leadership and personality, and performances on the pitch showed the team's newfound resolve.
#MUFC
Casemiro to Man United, here we go! Real Madrid accepted all details of the bid, clubs preparing contracts right now. €60m fixed fee, €10m add-ons 🚨🔴🇧🇷 #MUFC
Casemiro has full agreement on four year deal, option until 2027.
Medical and then visa to be sorted during weekend. https://t.co/tiuAdkCR81
Ten Hag changed the culture of the club, made the players more accountable and rekindled the connection between the team and the Old Trafford faithful; a combination that has seen them turn their home into a fortress once again.
Rashford remontada
Marcus Rashford ended the 2021-22 season with just five goals and two assists, his worst-ever season. The forward seemed out of ideas and frustrated, and there were rumors he wanted an exit from the club.
Fast forward a few months, and his current season total stands at 24 goals and eight assists. Rashford's upturn in form is a perfect embodiment of Manchester United's upward trajectory. The Englishman grabbed the winner against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City this season and we are still only in February! Rashford has become the main man at Old Trafford and replaced Ronaldo with aplomb.
Marcus Rashford has more goals in all competitions (24) than Chelsea have in the Premier League (23) this season.
UNREAL 😳 https://t.co/MELX44ay6v
Rashford has already beaten his personal best of 23 goals in a season and Ten Hag will be expecting much more from his star man.
Style of play and adaptability
In the Brentford game where United lost 4-0, David de Gea's weakness in playing out from the back was exposed. Brentford pressed the United keeper and pressured him into making two mistakes. It became obvious that Ten Hag's philosophy had to be tweaked in order to accommodate his players' weaknesses.
In the next game against Liverpool, De Gea went long and did not play risky passes into his center backs. The Red Devils won the game 2-1, and Ten Hag showed he was capable of altering his playing style from game to game.
Over the months, he has proven himself to be a master tactician, developing a clear style of play yet having room for improvisation within his system. The Dutch manager has vastly improved his players and instilled them with his ideas. De Gea has improved his ball distribution and the team looks like a well-oiled machine.
The good times seem to be back at Manchester United. The club have a chance to win their first trophy in six years on February 26 when they take on Newcastle United in the EFL League cup final. The job Erik ten Hag has done in his first season is nothing short of remarkable.
A resurgent Manchester United is a force to be reckoned with!