Erik ten Hag ended 2022 with a victory for Manchester United, to make it three wins from three after the World Cup break.
The Dutchman has steered United onto a path of consistency, after a rollercoaster 12 months. He is giving the stability the club needs.
This was what United hoped when he was hired, that he could revolutionise a club which had lost it’s way. He is living up to expectation – and then some.
Over the weekend Ten Hag provided three more reasons to show why Manchester United have struck gold by hiring him.
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Taking on under-21 oversight
A report from The Mirror states Erik ten Hag has added oversight of Manchester United’s under-21 side to his responsibilities.
While he won’t be in the dugout for under-21 games, he is directing which players will feature, and for how long, as he looks to integrate them into the first team set up.
Ten Hag wants United’s approach to young player pathways to echo Ajax, and this is a very encouraging developments.
He explained: “Of course I still give the coaches freedom to work, but I also give them direction, by saying for example ‘I want that player to start making minutes in that position.
“Of course I still give the coaches freedom to work, but I also give them direction, by saying for example ‘I want that player to start making minutes in that position.”
United are fortunate to have a manager who cares about the academy. This hasn’t always been the case in the past. Even when some predecessors have looked to bring young players through, Ten Hag’s actions suggest he is ready to take it a step further, and maximise the talent coming through.
Control of player discipline
Ten Hag’s decision to leave Marcus Rashford on the bench at the weekend was reminiscent of Sir Alex Ferguson, with the manager showing nobody is safe if they let their standards drop.
Rashford was benched as punishment for being late for a team meeting – shortly before going on to score his 11th goal of the season.
Ten Hag’s actions shows he is not afraid to drop any player, no matter how well they are playing. Rashford had been in sensational form.
He showed he wasn’t afraid to axe big names when he left Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire out early in the season, but neither of them were playing well.
His decision with Rashford showed how ruthless he is prepared to be in order to uphold the standards he desires.
Pushing for new signings
Erik ten Hag is being persistent in his desire for Manchester United to make a new signing in attack this month.
This is what we want to hear. Supporters don’t want to listen to a mouthpiece for the owners, simply being happy with what he has.
Speaking to the club website, Ten Hag said: “You need players, you need numbers to cover. So, we need good players. Not only numbers, you need quality players to cover that and also that you need competition.
“And you need also that you can make tactical choices. So, we are looking for the right player for our squad.”
We are confident United will make a signing and get their man, and Ten Hag’s insistence will end up being key.
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