What Did Erik Ten Hag Learn From Manchester United’s Pre-Season Performances?

Erik ten Hag was so wary of the amount of work ahead of him as Manchester United’s new manager that he started preparations for the 2022/23 season early. The Dutchman was in the stands for United’s final match under interim head coach Ralf Rangnick – a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Pre-season has allowed ten Hag to implement some new ideas.

United’s summer tour of Australia and Thailand saw them claim victories over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa also played out on Saturday. Of course, results only count for so much at this stage, but ten Hag can be pleased with some of the progress his side has made.

Under ten Hag, Manchester United look to be intent on playing a possession-based game. The former Ajax manager wants his team to play out from the back with the likes of Eric Bailly and Harry Maguire emboldened to take more risks on the ball. Bailly in particular has demonstrated his ability to carry possession up the pitch.

Maguire has struggled to get to grips with the high defensive line ten Hag has implemented since taking over. The 29-year-old doesn’t have the recovery pace to keep track of runners when passes are played through the lines. This is surely a concern for ten Hag given Maguire’s status as club captain.

It’s early days, but United are playing at a higher tempo now than they ever did under Rangnick or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Fred has impressed with the Brazilian capable of zipping passes into teammates. There is, however, still a deficiency in the Manchester United squad in that they lack a midfielder who can carry the ball forward under pressure.

This explains why ten Hag is so desperate to capture Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona. He would be perfect for this role with Manchester United also keen to add some versatility to their midfield unit. The addition of de Jong would allow ten Hag to shift between a number of different tactical game plans.

“We play now a different type of football against different systems,” ten Hag said after the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. “It will also be the case when we face two Spanish teams. So, again, a different approach and what we want is, I think, to play proactive football, we want to play with initiative, we want to play attacking football but also [it’s] what we have seen today, for long periods. But, in the end, we have to control the game and that’s what we didn’t do.”

Anthony Martial has absorbed many of ten Hag’s ideas with the Frenchman pressing from the front and showing good composure in front of goal by scoring three times in four games. Jadon Sancho also looks emboldened by the change in management – he also found the back of the net three times in four pre-season outings.

There’s a long way to go before Manchester United can consider themselves among the PremierPINC
League’s strongest teams alongside the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, but the process of recovery after a difficult few years might have started this summer. Ten Hag has a clear idea of what he wants his United side to become.