admin Samuel Luckhurst previews Erik ten Hag’s second season at Man United, who have to hope 2023 marks the start of their own era.
Erik ten Hag was almost right when he said that “an era can end”. Liverpool’s promotion failed last season but Manchester City rose to the top.
Fifteen months after the Ten Haga celebrations at Old Trafford, Manchester United are the most dangerous team.
Clouds hang over the club as he ponders how to make the decision on Mason Greenwood as a strategic review approaches nine months.
But the team is less healthy than in the same period last year.United’s starting XI have been remodeled, although there will be no new £72m striker in the opening weeks of the season.
Pre-season results in the US were mixed, but it paid off as the intensity and competition of the games were higher than in Thailand and Australia 13 months ago.
United enjoyed three wins and one draw in Bangkok, Melbourne and Perth, followed by a solid performance against Atlético Madrid and a home draw against Rayo Vallecano.
Nadal started the season with a demoralizing loss to Brighton. Six days later, during a generational low in Brentford, visitors broadcast: “You are not fit to wear this shirt.”
Brighton’s defeat was indeed overshadowed by an unfortunate offer for Bologna striker Marko Arnautovic.
The season had started and United were cutting corners and Ten Hag was a supporter of that strategy. He has known Arnautović since they were in Twente together.
The colors of United’s jerseys collided on the sunny Brentford pitch, where they rolled like ordinary turf. The ignominious defeat caught United’s attention and over the next three weeks contracts were funded for Casemiro and Antony.
Her hand was forced, but then strengthened. Now United have key players #039; Future determined and balanced midfielder and goalkeeper playing the ball between the posts. “We’re showing that we can beat all good teams,” said Erik ten Hag on Friday: “The best teams in the world. We have an excellent basis and now we have to work on it and do it consistently.”
“We have a good foundation and now we work well, with the right efforts in and we will be more successful and I believe we can make that step.”
It is unclear what that specific step is. Ten Hag has refused to outright aim for the Premier League title, fudging his answers with stock phrases such as “raise the bar”.
A United championship challenge possibly feels premature though the competition is not as daunting. Liverpool’s retooling continues, Tottenham have been denuded of Harry Kane, Chelsea have got their act together with their coach but not their squad and Newcastle have not made a statement signing.
Arsenal have strengthened sufficiently while Manchester City still boast the best core squad in Europe, despite the loss of influential figures. Quantity reigns over quality with United’s squad depth and that is where they are at a disadvantage compared with their peers.
Ten Hag’s rationale is United have ample options in attack while Rasmus Hojlund recovers from a back injury. It can be spun both ways but Marcus Rashford is not a striker and neither is Jadon Sancho, trialled there in four games across pre-season. Anthony Martial, barely worthy of mention, last played 11 weeks ago.
United are currently light in midfield, with Kobbie Mainoo out until mid-September with an ankle injury and Scott McTominay nursing a minor issue. Christian Eriksen has struggled to regain form since he was crudely tackled by Andy Carroll in January and Mason Mount underwhelmed on tour in the United States.
Mount needs to hit the ground running in a midfield Ten Hag wanted Frenkie de Jong to conduct. Jude Bellingham was beyond United’s reach and they never entered the bidding for Declan Rice or Moises Caicedo. To many fans, all four are more appealing than Mount, chiefly targeted as he had entered the last year of his contract at Chelsea.
There are signs United are tactically evolving with a younger midfielder next to Casemiro. Mount and Bruno Fernandes pushed higher up for Lens’s goal kicks in the penultimate friendly at Old Trafford last week to utilise their pressing. Hojlund’s pressing was cited as one of the pros of recruiting a relatively callow frontman.
Mount has looked better off the ball than on it and that will not cut it in a team with aspirations to be proactive in possession. Character is key, though his apparent aversion to conduct media duties out of fear he may offend Chelsea supporters caused eyes to roll in the States.
Andre Onana will underpin attacks as his old Ajax teammate Lisandro Martinez did last term. The Cameroonian pinged passes effortlessly in his first outings and his shot-stopping also impressed. He may not pull off showstopping saves as David de Gea did but United have an upgrade in goal.
United possibly punched above their weight to finish third in the table last year but hardly overachieved after a record summer investment of £226.1m on four players. That has now risen to £405.4m on Ten Hag’s watch.
The minimum objective should be an improvement on last season and, having come third, why aim just for second? A trophy more cherishable than the League Cup has to be targeted. Top four and the FA Cup would constitute a successful season.
The squad rebuild is far from complete. A centre half will come in if Harry Maguire stops deliberating over whether West Ham is his level and a new goalkeeper would be a prudent addition with Tom Heaton injured and Dean Henderson recovering from thigh surgery.
That the squad is incomplete should not temper United’s preparations for the new campaign. They are ready.
“First, you never can compare seasons with each other,” Ten Hag stressed. “But I think we are much further than last season. But you can never compare games, different opponents.
“We had a very good pre-season, our fitness levels are very good, we are on really good levels and I think also our performance levels during pre-season were on a high level.
“We are very confident but also I want to mention pre-season doesn’t say anything, it’s friendly football. Though I never take a game as a friendly, it’s friendly in the sense. In the league, you’re going for the points, it’s a different approach for both teams.
“We are ready to go for the fight, the team is really energetic and we worked really good for pre-season and we go for it.”
Now United have to start their own era.
