Erik ten Hag still has a lot to prove as Manchester United manager in his third season in charge.
The Dutchman has won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup during his first two seasons in charge of the Red Devils, but he came close to losing his job this summer after an underwhelming Premier League campaign in 2023/24.
Ineos explored other managerial options over the summer before sticking with Erik ten Hag and offering him a one-year contract.
Despite publicly backing him, Ineos still had concerns over United’s style of play under Ten Hag, and he is under pressure this season to prove to the new owners that he is progressing the squad.
There have certainly been promising signs at the start of this season, with United showing a clear style of play during the 7-0 win over Barnsley on Tuesday evening.
Erik Ten Hag has faced his fair share of issues as United boss but under new ownership, hopefully he can kick on this season.
Has Erik ten Hag been let down by senior players?
The United squad has undergone major changes since Ten Hag was appointed manager, with several big-name stars leaving the club.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and David de Gea – three megastars in United’s squad – all left under Ten Hag, with Ronaldo famously criticising the Dutchman in an explosive interview before his exit.
There is still a handful senior players in United’s squad who have stepped up into leadership roles such as Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, but it is easy to argue that many of the best performers during Ten Hag’s tenure have been youngsters and academy products.
Former Premier League star Emmanuel Petit believes Ten Hag has been let down by senior players during his time at the club.
Via The Mirror, Petit said: “Ten Hag absolutely deserves credit for giving younger players an opportunity. You cannot say that everything Ten Hag has done so far has been bad. Definitely not.
“Ten Hag is not the only one responsible for the situation at United. He has tried to do his best in a difficult environment at United.
“I think he should be very upset about the behaviour of some of his senior players and I think he has tried to add some discipline to the club. We’ve seen that in his management.
“It’s a pity that the youngest players have to set the right example on the pitch. I want to see senior players taking some responsibility. We’re talking about some players that have won absolutely everything in the game; huge, huge medals, and they’re giving him nothing.”
Erik ten Hag’s focus on youth
One of the main reasons that Ten Hag was hired as United boss in the first place was for his success at Ajax bringing through academy stars.
The likes of Donny van de Beek, Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong all made their breakthrough at Ajax under the Dutchman.
Ten Hag has proven to be excellent at handling young talent at United too, with the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo all breaking through under him.
Ten Hag’s handling of United’s bigger stars towards the start of his tenure was certainly not perfect, but ultimately he is future-proofing the club by creating a fantastic young squad.
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