Erik Ten Haag’s First Season

Erik ten Hag took over at Manchester United in May 2022 after being announced earlier in the year, just before their woeful 2021-22 season ended.

Erik ten Hag took over at Manchester United in May 2022 after being announced earlier in the year, just before their woeful 2021-22 season ended. A season where they crashed out of the Champions League in the round 0f 16, finished sixth in the PL, and failed to reach the quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.

  
Though it was a little bit ahead of schedule, Ten Hag insisted on getting things moving as soon as possible.
He came into what seemed to be the hardest job in football—much harder than learning how to open a Betway account - inheriting a position where many great managers had failed in the past. However, it appeared that Erik ten Hag was barely phased by the recent history of managers at the club with Man United's impatient fan base.

From his first press conference, it was obvious he had no fear of what lay in the future of him and the club. He spoke eloquently and daringly said, "Eras have to come to an end," when asked about going up against Klopp and Guardiola.

New Arrivals

Ten Hag made a number of changes to the club on arrival, like changing the position of the home dugout to be closer to the Stretford End, which was welcomed by many United ex-players and fans. But it was what would be done on the pitch that really mattered.

Ten Hag's first signing was Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia, and soon after, he signed Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martínez, Antony, and finally, Casemiro. 
Signing Casemiro surprised many, considering his price tag and age, but his quality was never questioned.

Ten Hag set a new standard for Man United signings, considering how low the bar had been since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer are also notable mentions, although the former's future still remains heavily in question.

Preseason

He had a very difficult job through and through, especially with certain members of the squad suffering from a bit of PTSD due to all the losses they suffered in the previous season. The team spirit suffered a blow when Ronaldo had to pull out of pre-season for personal reasons. However, this did not affect their pre-season too badly, as United destroyed arch-rivals Liverpool, 4-0 in a thrilling pre-season fixture in Thailand.

A Bad Start?
 

Unlike the success in the pre-season, the main season started quite badly with Man United suffering embarrassing defeats to Brighton and Brentford respectively. It took all of those two games for people to question Ten Hag's signings and tactics, with Lisandro Martínez being the poster boy for United's defensive troubles.

Ten Hag had to earn his place at United and made some tough decisions. One of which was dropping Ronaldo in the game against Liverpool, and in subsequent games, which paid off that marked the ceremonial start to what became a brilliant season for Man United.
 

A Good Streak

Soon after, Man United became an unbeatable side. They began to win almost every game and were a joy to watch, with Marcus Rashford leading the line following the departure of Ronaldo after the world cup. Ten Hag began to set up his Man United side differently from how he set up his previous sides, and his tactical changes made life difficult for his opponents.

With Ten Hag at the helm, they recorded a win against Man City in the Premier League and Barcelona in the Europa League, which was a massive boost for the side. It wasn't just about winning games, Ten Hag continually made it known that the threshold for success was winning trophies, and he successfully ended United's seven-year trophy drought.

This could be an even greater season for Man United if they win the FA Cup final against City, destroying any hopes of a blue Manchester treble. The treble is a big part of Man United’s heritage, and Ten Hag has promised that every member of the Man United team and staff will do everything possible to beat Man City for their second title. 
 

Overall Assessment — 7/10

As far as successful first seasons go, he is the best at Man United, having recorded more wins than any other United manager in his first season, with a stunted squad in a rollercoaster season.
There have been a few hiccups on the way to their success, but United seem to have found their way back to the highest level of football. 

If they make it to the Champions League and win the FA Cup, they will easily attract the kind of players they need. Plus, we’ll bump that number up to 8.5.