Erik ten Hag’s start to life as Manchester United manager has certainly been eventful; and, following the reassuring nostalgic narrative that nothing the club does ever comes easy, even a win against Real Sociedad wasn’t enough to secure qualification into the knockout stages of the Europa League, with a playoff now set to follow.
No defeats are wanted but in football they are inevitable. Considering the calamitous form at the back end of last season, it was obvious that there would be some bumps in the road, so as long as you have tempered your expectations, it’s fair to arrive at a conclusion that Ten Hag’s start at Old Trafford has been extremely promising.
Promising, but not spectacular. Yesterday evening’s game saw what many felt as the first true tactical misstep from the manager.
Not every decision has been spot on this season. But Ten Hag has shown a distinct nous for identifying areas of improvement and acting upon them swiftly; he has also shown a certain bravery in making his team selections, caring more about function than reputation.
After difficult starts against Brighton and Brentford, the manager made in-game adaptations that led to improvements. He took decisive action for the games against Liverpool and Arsenal and United put in tremendous displays.
His decision to give older players a chance and bed new players in gradually may have come at some cost at Manchester City but again his intervention saw improvement. And since that dark day, the club put in an authoritative display at Chelsea and possibly their best all-round performance since Sir Alex retired against Spurs.
The team also overcome a difficult start in the Europa League when they suffered a terrible decision by the referee that has ultimately decided the group – but United’s response to that has been perfect. They did win 1-0 yesterday, which is easy to forget against the storyline of Ten Hag’s headline selections.
Some made sense. Maguire was dropped because it was easy to see against West Ham that although he played well, his presence and ability necessitates a slower and deeper build up, which is contradictory to both the way Ten Hag wants to play and the way United need to play to get the best out of their attacking players.
Other changes did not make sense. Van De Beek’s selection was mystifying in the fashion of ‘Nick Powell on for Mata’ and the early gambles to switch to a back three and then bring on Maguire as a de facto forward or left winger were extremely bizarre. The experimentation did not cost United anything from the position they were in, though it can be comfortably said the level of performance regressed significantly. United were guaranteed a play-off position at least so it could be considered the safest form of a gamble; let’s hope it was that and not indicative of the manager panicking at crucial moments.
Although it was frustrating in the heat of the moment, on reflection the manager has earned the benefit of the doubt, because in each and every one of the major decisions he has made a choice with conviction and that has only been of benefit to the structure and progression of the football club.
We can go through the team. There was a moment, when the team were playing deep, where it seemed as though the observation of a decline for David De Gea was spot on. The value of a strong manager with a strong gameplan is that he can identify how that strategy brings the best and worst out of his players. De Gea’s kicking has never been the best in the league but his shot-stopping often has. By having defenders who push much higher, the risk of pressure resulting from the goalkeeper’s kicks has been minimised. It’s also resulted in a style of play that the United support is much more receptive to and familiar with.
De Gea has had some fantastic moments, notably against West Ham last week, while the second part of his double save yesterday was out of this world.
The defence, Dalot, Varane, Martinez and Shaw has been sound. Malacia and Lindelof have both shown some vulnerabilities but have proven to be capable stand ins, even if the established four is clearly the strongest. After nine years of chopping and changing, it feels reassuring to have a foursome that is obviously comfortable playing together and also capable of doing so in a side that is challenging to get in to the top four. They can dominate a game, not in a dour Chelsea sense, but in a progressive manner. Doubts remain, of course. What is Dalot’s ceiling? There still seems to be room for improvement there, and on the left, and while there is no doubting Varane’s class when fit, the last two words do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to how reliable United’s defence can be.
It is in midfield where the most significant improvement has been. Eriksen has been a revelation, his unheralded metronomic fashion the glue that keeps the possession ticking, always notable by its absence.
Casemiro has benefitted from the manager’s gradual integration because he has found his place – and while it might take him some time to assert himself as one of the truly dominant midfielders in the league, his position as that in the United team is not under any question. He is magnificent – a sense of timing in his tackles and passing range that is unquestionably world class.
Perhaps most of the frustration in Fernandes’ last year was his tendency to give the ball away when trying to create; a necessity, perhaps, but somewhat antagonising when United did not have a midfield built for maintaining possession. Now, there is a safer platform to take a risk.
Fernandes is still finding his feet and is being asked to fill other positions but his form is steady and he at least appears to enjoy the combinations with the players around him.
Up front is United’s biggest dilemma because of the talent they have and the inability of Ten Hag to get a perfect blend. He has handled everything with Ronaldo impeccably and it has to be said that Ronaldo, on the pitch at least, has been willing to at least try and do what the manager wants.
Being willing is one thing, being able is another; and we have seen from Anthony Martial that the simple freshness of youth is significant as an attribute in this regard. Martial has only had one season where he has scored more than twenty goals for the club. That was also the only year where he scored more than eleven league goals. Peculiarly, that is not the concern with Martial this time around; it’s that he cannot be trusted to stay fit. Martial is not the best striker in the league, and while that might seem like a criticism, what it actually is is a message to the manager that he doesn’t have to go and buy Erling Haaland for £80 or £800m (picture Lionel Hutz asking if you want the ‘truth’ here); someone who can link up the play and break behind the defence is all you’ll need to make a huge improvement in this team.
Ten Hag has understood the invigorating impact a new kid can have and Garnacho’s impression over the last eight days will have been a glaring message to Rashford, Sancho and Elanga. It’s on them to step up when their place is threatened – as it was on McTominay, for example, and his immediate reaction was positive.
In the midst of all that he’s been able to give most players – even Van De Beek – some game time to show whether they can impress within the system he wants to play. You can argue with some players it’s not enough time, but you can look at the impact Garnacho has made and say the opportunity is there to be seized. Van de Beek seems to be afflicted with the same issue as Pogba in that you don’t know where the best place is for him in the team, whereas with Maguire, you can see the notable impact he has on the way the team plays. The manager has allowed that to play out so that there’s no hiding place and he’s been able to do that while building consistency.
It is difficult to fault Ten Hag’s squad or man-management (unless of course you’re Piers Morgan) because it’s done without ego, without conceit and always for the good of Manchester United.
Even if Ten Hag did gamble unnecessarily yesterday, well, he’s already earned the right to take a swing and miss and not face too much internal criticism (internal in this instance meaning the support).
We can recall David Moyes making multiple errors with squad management from almost day one; we can recall Louis Van Gaal using at least three or four different systems in his first few weeks. We can recall Jose Mourinho’s regressive start where his pragmatism already looked a concerning contrast to United’s identity within the first three months. We can recall skepticism over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s experience after his run as caretaker.
Those with longer memories will appreciate Sir Alex’s start coming with some fireworks. Or, to be more accurate, hairdryers, which were already warmed up before Christmas.
You might argue that Ten Hag’s start bears some similarities to that of Ron Atkinson or Frank O’Farrell, in that you saw a manager bring about immediate improvement, a club that seemed reinvigorated, and a team that seemed connected to the fabric of what United are supposed to stand for.
In O’Farrell’s case you might say it was the Emperor’s New Clothes; the age of the squad meant the swift decline was impossible to avoid. Likewise, Atkinson needed some true substance in his team to take the next step and challenge.
Both managers made good choices in their first signings; Buchan, Storey-Moore, Stapleton, Moses, Robson. That’s not to say that Martinez and Casemiro are the new Buchan and Robson but they can serve as similar catalysts for their respective areas of the team to be built around, and in that sense, Ten Hag’s decisions appear to have been wise, in spite of (or even because of) what the Liverpool-centric pundits are saying. There is something to connect to and if that is something that rankles the opposition, all the better.
By far the most reassuring thing is that for the first time since 2013, the club have a sincere and notable direction that you can trace beyond merely getting to the next transfer window. There is a pattern of play that is enjoyable to watch when it works, there is room for flair and invention, and there is a sense of anticipation once more, a renewed connection with the team, and that is down to the manager – a remarkable piece of work considering the disillusion of recent times.
Yes, the noises are already coming that we should not expect too much transfer activity in January, but there could be some movement considering the collateral United have in terms of players to move off the books.
Regardless of how the next week or so goes, Ten Hag will have reason more than most to feel upset with the disruption that’s about to follow. He’s been finding a rhythm, a groove and asserting his authority, as the form since Brentford proves.
The next step is in maintaining a level of consistency in a way that O’Farrell and Atkinson were not able to. Turning what at times seems like profligacy into goals before it evolves into saturation of chance creation.
Ten Hag seems to have a more resolute determination to win games of football than either of those men.
For that, it’s worth the odd gamble, as perplexing as it might often seen. After all, the odd gamble is also part of what makes Manchester United what they are, and it’s good that the manager has noted that too.
