Erik ten Hag’s best Manchester United XI haven’t started a game together yet this season

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Manchester United head into the winter break fifth in the Premier League table and three points off the Champions League places with a game in hand.

After starting life in England with back-to-back defeats, Erik ten Hag‘s Manchester United responded with eight wins from the next 12 league games.

While there will be blips and setbacks along the way – like the battering in the Manchester derby and the defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park, it’s encouraging to see how Ten Hag’s men respond to defeats.

Aside from the circus surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo, there is clear vision and plan behind what the Dutchman is trying to instil and build at Old Trafford.

Apart from United’s wantaway number seven, it’s refreshing to see that everyone is pulling in the same direction and throwing their support behind the former Ajax manager.

Erik ten Hag’s best Manchester United XI haven’t started a game together

It’s becoming evident what Ten Hag believes his best Manchester United team is, but the problem is that he hasn’t been able to start those 11 players in any game yet this season.

The closest the 52-year-old came to selecting his best team was last month when the twenty-time league champions beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park.

The win against the Toffees was Anthony Martial’s first start of the season, but he only lasted half an hour before being replaced by Ronaldo after picking up a back injury.

United’s starting XI on Merseyside was De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes, Antony, Rashford, Martial.

When everyone is fit and available the only change to the side that beat Frank Lampard’s Everton is likely to be Raphael Varane coming in for Victor Lindelof.

Barring there are no injuries between now and 27 December when our Premier League season resumes when we host Nottingham Forest, that could be the team that Ten Hag picks to face the City Ground side.

The feel-good factor and momentum at Old Trafford is building, and not even a petulant five-time Ballon d’Or winner is going to spoil that.

But given that Ten Hag hasn’t had his best team on the pitch yet that should only add to the encouragement that Manchester United fans are feeling during the Dutchman’s tenure so far.

If the Red Devils can keep our best XI on the pitch for the second half of the season, then it has all the makings of being a special maiden campaign at the helm for the three-time Eredivisie winner.