Erik Ten Hag Is Changing Manchester United For The Better; He Simply Must Be Backed

Manchester United fans were more than aware of what type of rebuilding job it would take for any new manager who took the position post-Ralf Rangnick in the summer.

The Red Devils have, quite frankly, been free-falling for the past nine years and were reaching new depths of depravity. While there were false hopes and promises being made over a comeback, they never came to fruition and instead fell by the wayside.

Ten Hag arrived after what was arguably the worst season in Manchester United’s modern history. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had taken the Red Devils to a Europa League final the year before, but lost it to Unai Emery’s Villarreal.

Following on from the back of it, Man United feel deeper and deeper into a rut that they could not see out of. The walls closed in on them and the players were absolutely shot for confidence. It appeared as if the XI on the pitch did not even know each other, let alone reference one another as ‘teammates’.

In came the German tactician Rangnick, who had a world-class CV and reputation to follow. Perhaps he tried to alter too many things at once, but his position soon became untenable, especially as the Board did not like him going so public in his disapproval of the way the club has been run into the ground.

Rangnick eventually left, too, taking up position as the head coach of national team Austria. While he was still supposed to be advising Manchester United on a consultancy basis, Ten Hag preferred to work with those in the club in a more defined structure.

As pre-season drew to a close and the season begun, it was fair to say that Manchester United fans were mightily impressed with how Ten Hag conducted the team, as well as dealing with the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was looking for a way out at the earliest convenience.

The opening two PremierPINC
League games might have ended in humiliation and defeat, Ten Hag rallied the troops and has Manchester United on the straight and narrow. Every single one of his signings, carefully selected along with his team, have been a major success – especially Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.

Each player has contributed in their own way and allowed Manchester United to play more aggressively and dominant. There are clear issues that still need to be ironed out, but Ten Hag has the team playing in a much more coherent and aesthetically pleasing way.

Progress looks almost certain in the Europa League, which should be a competition that Manchester United prioritise over all but the Premier League. The race for a top four finish has never been so heavily contested, and so the need for a failsafe option is of paramount importance.

With the right investment heading into the January and then summer transfer windows, Manchester United will have a Ten Hag team that should be comfortable in operating in all competitions at the highest of levels. While they are still several leagues away from the efficiency of Manchester City, they can certainly close the gap with each passing season.

Ten Hag has made a hugely positive impact in such a short space of time. Manchester United fans are delighted with the way he has their team playing and will only hope he can bring silverware home this season.