The stakes are increased for Erik ten Hag in his second season at Manchester United.
A 12 months into some of the daunting jobs in world soccer, the Dutch coach has spent massive and made some even larger calls.
As a consequence, he is now anticipated to convey the nice instances again to United.
While Ten Hag’s first season was a hit on many ranges, there have been additionally blunt reminders of the work wanted to be completed to show his group into a real Premier League title contender.
He delivered his first trophy by successful the League Cup and in addition secured a return to the Champions League.
There have been notable wins towards Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona, in addition to a feel-good issue amongst supporters after a decade of decline because the retirement of United nice Alex Ferguson.
Under Ten Hag’s steerage, Marcus Rashford scored a career-best 30 objectives.
Those have been the highs.
At the opposite finish of the size there have been humbling losses. United was routed 4-0 by Brentford, 6-3 by City and 7-0 by Liverpool, which was the membership’s heaviest aggressive defeat in 90 years.
United additionally superior to the FA Cup closing, however was comfortably crushed by City. The 2-1 rating line didn’t replicate City’s dominance in that match.
In dropping that closing at Wembley Stadium, not solely did United fail to cease City’s treble of titles, which additionally included the Premier League and Champions League, however the recreation underlined the hole that also existed between the groups.
In response, Ten Hag has made massive calls within the offseason.
Long-standing goalkeeper David De Gea was launched when his contract expired and changed by Andre Onana, who will higher enable Ten Hag to focus on constructing play from protection.
Harry Maguire has been stripped of the captaincy, with Bruno Fernandes taking up.
The United manager has additionally discovered an unlikely alternative for Cristiano Ronaldo at heart ahead. Despite being repeatedly linked with a transfer for Harry Kane, Ten Hag opted to signal the largely untried Rasmus Højlund, who was purchased from Atalanta for a payment that would attain 72 million kilos ($92 million),
“I think he has such a huge potential,” Ten Hag stated of the 20-year-old Denmark worldwide, including “the whole team was waiting for a type like him”.
There is little doubt United wanted extra objectives, even after Rashford’s excellent marketing campaign.
Its return of 58 objectives in 38 league video games final season was the fewest of any group within the prime six.
While United describes Højlund as one of many “best players in the world for his age group,” he has been handed an enormous accountability to fill the void left by Ronaldo’s departure final 12 months.
He is nonetheless to play 100 senior video games and solely scored 10 objectives in all competitions final season.
He will face comparisons with Erling Haaland at City, regardless of the actual fact they’re at completely different levels of their improvement.
But United will want him to ship rapidly to offer the objectives the group lacked final season.
Ten Hag’s different key addition to his squad is England midfielder Mason Mount, who joined from Chelsea for 55 million kilos ($69 million) and was instantly given the long-lasting No. 7 shirt worn by United greats like Ronaldo, David Beckham and Eric Cantona.
The summer time enterprise takes his complete switch spending to 334.6 million kilos ($426.3 million) in his time at Old Trafford.
That kind of expenditure provides to the pressure on Ten Hag to return the membership to the summit of English soccer sooner, moderately than later.
By comparability, Pep Guardiola has spent 230.8 million kilos ($294.1 million) over the identical interval.
United has actually backed its manager, each available in the market and with the daring choices he has remodeled the squad he inherited.
Maguire was the most costly defender in soccer when he signed from Leicester for 80 million kilos (then $97 million) in 2019. Despite that, and his standing as membership captain, Ten Hag benched him for a lot of final season and has now stripped him of the armband.
United can be fortunate to get again a lot of Maguire’s authentic value if he is offered this offseason.
Ronaldo, in the meantime, left the membership after struggling to ascertain himself in Ten Hag’s system, leaving a void up entrance for the second half of the season.
De Gea’s exit got here after his limitations with the ball at his toes have been uncovered.
Ten Hag needed to accommodate De Gea by altering his most well-liked tactical strategy, which sees keepers being concerned within the buildup play, as has been efficiently deployed by City and Liverpool lately.
The ranges set by City and Liverpool are what Ten Hag is aiming to realize at United.
While few anticipated him to hit these heights in his first season after taking up a group that had recorded United’s worst Premier League factors tally (58) in 2021-22, supporters are hoping for a major step ahead this 12 months.
Ten Hag has a extra settled squad, and he is now used to the trials of England’s prime division.
He has star signings and a group that has already received silverware below his watch.
Knocking City off its perch should be too massive an ask at this stage of his reign. But he can be anticipated to run Guardiola a lot nearer than earlier than.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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