WOW. Where do we start? What a rollercoaster of a season the 22/23 campaign has been so far. A World Cup sandwiched (sort of) in the middle of Erik ten Hag’s first season as the manager of Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the club, lots of talk about the Glazers selling, the club captain on the bench for most games… and the rest. It has been quite a remarkable and unique season in all for Manchester United so far, and I will break it all down below.
Let’s rewind all the way back to pre-season, which feels like a lifetime ago. Manchester United beat Liverpool 4-0 at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on the 12th July 2022. In this game, we saw signs of the foundations that Erik ten Hag wanted to implement at the club. United had set up in a staggered 4-3-3 with Fred as the 6, McTominay as the 8 and Bruno the higher 8 or 10. We also witnessed Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot as inverted fullbacks at times, and even though United’s lineup on paper looked very similar to what we saw in the previous season, the dynamics of the team were different. United played with purpose and looked to overload Liverpool’s last line of defence by pushing the two 8s really high, often one of the full-backs joining our front line and also pressing really aggressively out of possession. The [very early] signs were good.
United’s lineup vs Liverpool on the 12th July:
Was this the XI that Erik ten Hag was hoping to go into the new season with? Well, no, actually. There were lots of links to new signings, including Jurriën Timber, Lisandro Martinez and Antony from Ajax, as well as Christian Eriksen on a free transfer from Brentford, and of course Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, a transfer saga which started in May 2022.
Why did Erik ten Hag want these profiles? Let’s start with the defence. For the majority of Ole’s era we saw Maguire partner Lindelöf, and despite some good moments and spells, it was not the long-term pair we needed. Also, with Raphael Varane missing so many games through injury, it was clear United just HAD TO go into the market for a CB. Ten Hag wanted to sign a familiar face, someone he could trust, in order to build a solid foundation. Jurriën Timber and Lisandro Martinez were the two names that United were linked with most frequently. With Louis van Gaal warning Timber by urging the Dutchman to remain at Ajax, in order to seal a place in the World Cup squad, United pushed forward with the Martinez signing, and secured the deal for a £56.7m fee. The signings of firstly the Dutch left back Tyrell Malacia and then the Dane Christian Eriksen were confirmed on the 5th and 15th July respectively.
After the win against Liverpool, United won against Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace, before drawing to Villa, losing to Atlético and then drawing to Rayo Vallecano (with a much changed team). Despite a promising start to pre season, United’s weaknesses started to show, in midfield with a lack of control in games and issues during build-up, as well as defensively with individual mistakes and vulnerability in transition. Furthermore, Ten Hag’s key attacking player, Anthony Martial, had picked up an injury. The excitement that was generated from the start of pre-season had dropped, despite making THREE QUALITY signings, United still needed more recruits.
Erik ten Hag’s first competitive match- Manchester United 1-2 Brighton- 7th August 2022
This was a huge day in Erik ten Hag’s reign. It was an important reality check and a trigger to push the United board to sign more players before the end of the window. In terms of the tactical set up of the game, Graham Potter came to Old Trafford with a 3-4-3 diamond and completely suffocated United’s midfield, with Brighton using both Fred and McTominay as pressing triggers, regaining possession in United’s half and punishing loose passes and turnovers from the Red Devils throughout the 90. Do not forget, United had to start the game with Eriksen as a false 9 due to Martial’s injury and Ronaldo not being part of the United squad due to a family issue.
Erik ten Hag’s second competitive match- Brentford 4-0 Manchester United- 13th August 2022
Manchester United went to Brentford with a different team dynamic. With a deep-lying midfielder yet to be signed in the transfer window, Erik ten Hag needed to adjust his midfield three of Fred, McTominay and Bruno from the Brighton game, using what he already had at his disposal. His answer: Christian Eriksen. Unfortunately it backfired massively, because Eriksen is not a first phase player, we know he operates best in the second/third phases rather than closer to his own goal. United got punished time and time again from trying to play through Brentford’s man-to-man press. It was not just naive to keep trying to play through the Brentford press, but we also saw a lack of team spirit and collective work rate. What Erik ten Hag did next was quite extraordinary.
Brentford’s team outran Manchester United by 13.8km during this game. The morning after the hammering, Erik ten Hag joined the Manchester United players on a 13.8km run during training in blistering hot conditions (for the UK-over 30 degrees celsius. This was a very risky move, considering the risks of injury and a negative impact on the mindset of players. But what followed next was quite sensational.
Manchester United faced Liverpool nine days later, in what was a significant night for many reasons. Firstly, before the game, we saw lots of speculation about an empty Old Trafford, in order to protest against the Glazers. In terms of the game itself, it was an Erik ten Hag masterclass. He made some very bold decisions, dropping Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo and club captain Harry Maguire. He also started more traditional wide players- Anthony Elanga on the left hand-side and Jadon Sancho on the right and we counteracted the creative threats that Liverpool’s full-backs normally provide. Ten Hag also played a midfield pairing of McTominay and Eriksen, playing a compact mid-block, as well as dropping Luke Shaw and starting Tyrell Malacia, a more tenacious, aggressive left-back. I posted the full match breakdown on Twitter, it might be worth a read to understand a few tactical changes.
Manchester United then went on to beat Southampton, Leicester and Arsenal in subsequent Premier League fixtures to make it FOUR wins in a row, scoring seven and conceding just two. In these particular games we also saw another two Manchester United players making their first appearances- Casemiro from Real Madrid and Antony from Ajax. Despite criticism about Manchester United’s antics in the transfer window, shifting from the profile of a deep lying playmaker (Frenkie de Jong) to the polar opposite of profile, a destroyer (Casemiro), Manchester United had finally signed a defensive midfield player. Antony was also a vital acquisition, as United needed another winger, and it was also handy that we signed a player who Erik ten Hag had worked with before.
We soon saw the impact of both players, Casemiro from the bench against Southampton and Antony in the Arsenal game with a debut goal. However, we can talk about individuals all we like, but it was Manchester United’s team spirit and cohesion out of possession that was the key. Relationships were starting to build between Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes. Ten Hag had also shown his smart in-game management, with Casemiro being subbed on vs Southampton and having a big impact, Anthony Martial coming on at half time at home to Liverpool and assisting Marcus Rashford for our 2nd goal. Finally, taking Antony off and pushing Bruno Fernandes out to the right side of midfield, when leading a game, and bringing on an extra midfield player to try to shore up the game. Just 3 examples here of the Dutchman making in-game tactical changes in those 4 very good victories.
So how were Manchester United starting to generate more positive results on the pitch? What changed exactly from the first 2 losses to the following 4 wins?
Well, Erik ten Hag had adapted to the squad at his disposal. He realised we cannot consistently play through the first phase comfortably with the GK and midfielders we currently have, so we played long from goal kicks and looked to contest second balls and knockdowns in the mid 3rd of the pitch. This was a big reason why Scott McTominay came into the team, as Ten Hag valued his physical frame to contest or even better, win duels. And when United did get the first goal in games, the vision of Eriksen and Bruno, with Rashford’s movements in behind just meant United were so deadly on the counter.
Now I want to focus on Erik ten Hag’s management of players on and off the pitch.
Cristiano Ronaldo. Firstly, I just want to send my condolences to Cristiano’s family for the loss of their baby son in April last year, something which I imagine must have been a really tough experience for them.
After missing pre-season, Cristiano Ronaldo started in the 4-0 defeat away at Brentford and was then subsequently dropped, like club captain Harry Maguire, for the 2-1 win against Liverpool. Ronaldo would then not start a league game until the 16th October, a 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle. Surely, if he scored 24 goals in 38 appearances in the 21/22 season, he would be a key player for Ten Hag? Surely United would struggle to score goals without him in the team? Well, football often does not work quite like that.
Goals are often redistributed, for instance Marcus Rashford averaged 0.38 goal contributions per 90 last season, however this season that number has risen massively to 1.01 (as of 17th March). Different players start scoring goals when the “main” source of goals does not play- why is that so? Well, there are in possession and out of possession factors. Firstly, if you have a focal point in your team i.e Ronaldo it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to feed that one particular player, without playing the extra pass or setting up another teammate. Secondly, out of possession, if you have a player who does not want to contribute to the press, or cut off the opposition’s passing lanes, this is very detrimental to the team. Especially so, if that player stops putting their chances away when they come, which is actually what happened to Cristiano, who missed chances he would have buried in previous seasons.
However, Erik ten Hag also had off the pitch matters to contend with. Ronaldo left Old Trafford early during the friendly vs Rayo Vallecano and refused to come on as a sub during United’s win vs Spurs. Then came the interview with Piers Morgan, in which Ronaldo said he did not respect Ten Hag. The relationship was over and United and Ronaldo mutually parted ways. This was an early example of Erik ten Hag stamping authority on this team. Many went against him in the media, but he proved them wrong…
“A coach must, above all, be a good psychologist. If he imposes his demands harshly, he suffocates the personalities and creativity of his players”- Roberto Baggio
Following on from this quote above, our manager’s harsh but fair attitude has been really refreshing. Dropping Marcus Rashford vs Wolves on New Year’s Eve due to oversleeping for a team meeting, despite Marcus being in top goalscoring form. Marcus was then subbed on by Ten Hag and then scored the winner. Not just any ordinary goal, too. A goal he would not have scored a year ago, having made big improvements with his upper body strength, he stood strong and finished past Sa. Rashford has also gone onto score FOUR headed goals this season. We have to commend both the player and the coaching staff for their combined effort to try to improve Rashford’s overall game, as well as scoring 27 goals in all competitions so far this season, as of 17th March.
We have also seen the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jadon Sancho spend time away from the squad in order to improve their mental state after personal issues, with both players having been slowly reintroduced into the team. It is clear that our manager understands his role not just from a football standpoint, but also on a human level, to look after his players and their welfare.
Erik ten Hag- “Football is important, but there are more important things: the birth of your child, a parent’s illness, a friend who needs help”.
Ten Hag’s Management of Players’ Minutes
Alejandro Garnacho has contributed to lots of important moments from the bench for Manchester United this season. A stoppage time winner in United’s 2-1 win against Fulham (A) in the league, an assist for United’s winning goal in United’s 2-1 win against Manchester City (H) in the league and the decisive 2nd goal in United’s 3-1 win against West Ham in the FA Cup Round of 16 (H). Garnacho has proved he does his best work against tired defences, and our manager knows best when to introduce the youngster.
Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka
In Ten Hag’s first few months as Manchester United manager, Diogo Dalot started the vast majority of Manchester United’s fixtures, with Wan-Bissaka struggling for game time. Why was Dalot so important?
Due to Dalot’s build-up strengths. He is a press resistant player and is a decent progressive passer (ranking in the 72nd percentile for progressive passes per 90), meaning he is an important part of United’s first phase. With United lacking a ball playing GK and also having Raphael Varane in the backline (who is not brilliant in build-up despite being a world class box defender), as well as no deep lying playmaker, Dalot’s strengths in build-up are vital to the team. However, due to the Portuguese missing many games through injury after the World Cup, Ten Hag has called upon Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has performed to a decent standard, but I do believe Dalot is still the manager’s first choice.
Fred- Brazilian or not?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The most important thing is that when all midfielders are fit and available to play, Ten Hag knows when and how to use Fred. He has shown his brilliant tenacity out of possession, completing man marking jobs successfully on both Kevin de Bruyne in the 2-1 win against Manchester City and Frenkie de Jong in the 2-2 draw against Barcelona. Not only that, but also an increased goal scoring rate, with 6 goals in all competitions already this season (as of 12th March) compared to 4 goals in the whole of the 21/22 season. Why is this so? Well, Fred is benefitting hugely from Erik ten Hag’s profiling of him as an advanced 8, closer to our second/third phase where we can use his counter-pressing qualities when the ball is given away.
Varane- Injury Free? (*touch wood*)
Raphael Varane is a Rolls Royce defender. We all know he is an excellent box defender, and has been for many years, having been part of many Real Madrid Champions League triumphs and France’s World Cup win. However, with frequent injuries last season (17 games missed), United could not rely on him and there were doubts whether he could be part of a settled CB partnership going forward. Well, step forward Erik ten Hag once again…
Having only missed 3 league games through injury so far this season *we pray and hope it stays at 3* the management of Varane’s minutes by Ten Hag since getting the leg injury in October, has been excellent. With Manchester United fighting on all 4 fronts at a certain stage in the season, and still on 3 fronts as I am writing this article, there are often 3 games a week and it is quite clear that the manager just does not want to risk playing Varane in every game. Ten Hag is managing him superbly well.
Bruno Fernandes- Captain
As I have previously mentioned, club captain Harry Maguire has had to settle for a place on the bench for the majority of games this season. Bruno Fernandes has since taken the armband and it will be interesting to see who Manchester United’s long term captain is, but I have to say this captain situation was another example of Ten Hag making a bold decision, without it demoralising the rest of the squad and causing any real issues.
BIG performances
We need to talk about Lisandro Martinez. A massive part of Manchester United’s improvements both in and out of possession. I want to cover both of these facets in more detail now. Having done lots of research on Martinez during the summer, I had realised very quickly how technically gifted he was and the variety of progressive actions he possesses. We have seen: between the lines, around the corner and lofted passes in behind the opposition’s backline- a massive part of Manchester United’s build-up. In terms of the out of possession phase, Martinez has also shown how he can use his aggression to win duels, both ground and aerial, and even if he does not win them, he has the ability to put his opponent off and not allow them to win the duel comfortably. A brilliant signing from Ten Hag.
Luke Shaw. Probably could win 2 accolades this season. Best left back and left centre-back in the world? Luke has been a consistent performer for much of this season, showing his importance during build-up with his forward passes but also his carrying of the ball, and his trademark move, which involves a brilliant first touch, breezing past opposition players and picking a nice pass out. He has also put in stellar performances from left centre-back in big games such as at the Nou Camp against Barcelona and at Old Trafford in the Manchester Derby. Once again, Ten Hag deserves credit for even considering playing Shaw as a CB in a back 4, he is now Ten Hag’s backup LCB when all defenders are fit.
Casemiro? Classemiro? WorldClassemiro?
Okay, sorry, I will stop there :) Casemiro has had a massive impact on this Manchester United team. The ultimate top professional, shoring up Manchester United’s defensive unit with important tackles, blocks, interceptions, as well as a decent range of passing when he has time and space to pick a pass out. Doing his own research on referees and opposition players before games, the Brazilian has shown how much it matters to him that HIS team always wins. The most impressive part of his game for me, is the amount of goals he actually scores. It has shocked me in a positive way, scoring the opener in the Carabao Cup Final, just one example of his presence in the box. Brilliant impact so far.
Wout Weghorst/Marcel Sabizter
In January, Manchester United secured the loan signings of 30 year old Wout Weghorst from Burnley and 29 year old Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich, due to a lack of squad depth in the respective midfield and striker departments, caused by recurring injuries to Anthony Martial and the long term injury to Christian Eriksen. Many fans were skeptical of the Weghorst signing at the time, but I was quite hopeful and I have been impressed by the Dutchman’s overall contribution. Ten Hag has once again shown his flexibility and adaptability with position changes, with Weghorst playing as a ST, number 8 and number 10 in certain games this season. His overall contribution to the team has been positive (I could write a whole article on this in the future). Marcel Sabitzer has also looked tenacious off the ball, and dangerous in the final third, and I hope to see his impact grow on this team when he is called upon this season. Some Weghorst prop below :)
And all of this brilliant man management and rejuvenation of players’ form surely had to lead to something good? Well, yeah, about that…
Manchester United had last won silverware in 2017 under José Mourinho, reaching various semi-finals and finals since, with no success. But along came Erik ten Hag, guiding United to Carabao Cup glory and winning the first piece of silverware available to him, a 2-0 win against Newcastle at Wembley. In the same week, United had also booked their place in the Europa League Round of 16 with a 4-3 aggregate win against Xavi’s Barcelona over two legs. The spirit, mentality and momentum had all been brilliant in what was a run of chaotic, but largely successful fixtures, with a run of 11 games unbeaten between the end of January and the beginning of March.
I would like to finish with a personal message from myself. During Manchester United’s incredible Carabao Cup triumph, “Take Me Home, United Road” blasted out from the speakers at Wembley. A very touching moment for myself, as this was my late Grandfather’s favourite song, he passed away in September 2022. Take Me Home, Country Roads was played out at his funeral. So this is for you, Grandad. I hope you were watching on, I was there singing your song.
Conclusion
There is still a long way to go in this process- the heavy defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool prove that. There are still many profiles that Erik ten Hag needs, in order to start dominating more football matches, relying less on transitions and fast-flowing matches, and more on controlling the way games pan out. In my opinion, the GK, CB, RB, DM, CM and ST areas need strengthening (I may delve into this further in a future article). As Manchester United fans, we are all hoping that the takeover process from the Glazers runs smoothly, and hopefully in the summer, Erik ten Hag will get some more recruits that can take Manchester United to the next level. In the Dutchman’s words, “A coach can’t perform magic”, well, he has performed one or two tricks already, but if you want him to really showcase his skills to full effect, back him again in the summer please.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Thank you for staying with me all the way through, I know it was a long read but so many positive things have happened this season, and there were still things that I had to miss out. Here’s to more success!
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It’s a great one. Very detailed and covered almost every aspect of the club.
Nice Article with emotional touch on last part about your grandad. Lovely mate. Cheers - Kashmendra