Dealing with Ronaldo, transfers & more - seven things Ten Hag got right in first Man Utd season

While Erik ten Hag’s first season at Manchester United ended on a disappointing note at Wembley on Saturday, there has been undeniable progression since the Dutchman took the reins at Old Trafford a little over a year ago.

Indeed, a victory against Manchester City at the weekend would have turned a great maiden campaign at Old Trafford into an outstanding one, with United claiming a third-place finish in the Premier League, winning the Carabao Cup, making it to the FA Cup final and enjoying a good European run.

Considering the mess Ten Hag inherited from Ralf Rangnick, the ex-Ajax manager should be hugely encouraged by the team’s development over the last 12 months. But what exactly has he got right? Below, we’ve listed some of the 53-year-old’s biggest achievements so far at United.

Changing mentality

Too often under Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United lacked purpose in matches. The opposition regularly dictated the flow of the game, with the Red Devils scrambling to react. But it’s been different under Ten Hag, who has inspired more consistent performances from his players. Orchestrated by Casemiro in the middle, it’s been United who have stamped their authority on proceedings this season, for the most part.

After an initially slow start, winning runs became commonplace, and on three occasions a streak of four or more consecutive league victories were recorded. After the World Cup break, United amassed seven straight wins in all competitions, while they recorded a run of just one league defeat in 12 over the winter, thanks to performances imbued with grit and determination.

Bouncing back

Despite the steely displays, there were occasions when the ghosts of seasons past became apparent. The 7-0 loss to Liverpool will always remain a dark day in the club’s history, while a 6-3 defeat at the Etihad and the 3-0 capitulation at Sevilla were cause for concern. There were also losses away to Brentford, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion that were reminiscent of the Solskjaer era.

Yet, unlike previous years, Ten Hag ensured the 2022/23 campaign didn’t implode following these seismic losses. The 4-0 defeat to Brentford was followed with four league victories, while the Red Devils repeated the same trick after losses to Brigthon and West Ham in May. There were also similar responses to the defeats at the hands of Manchester City and Liverpool.

Transfer business

While much of United’s transfer work last summer and in January was chaotic and uncoordinated, the club did end up bringing in some major upgrades. Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez are the standout additions, while Christian Eriksen also enjoyed a good campaign. Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Marcel Sabitzer had good moments in the season too, with Wout Weghorst the only real flop across the campaign.

While Ten Hag isn’t solely responsible for the incomings during the season, he played a significant role and identified players with links to Dutch football.

Shutting out the noise

Perhaps Ten Hag’s greatest achievement this season is developing the team despite all the external issues surrounding the club. The takeover saga and fan protests have provided a toxic backdrop, while the United manager also had to answer questions on Mason Greenwood’s situation and internal issues that have emerged surrounding the likes of Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho.

The United manager also has a way of shutting down questions on these matters during press conferences, with short, blunt responses that make follow-up questions feel futile.

Ronaldo response

Of all the fires Ten Hag had to put out, the Ronaldo palaver in the first half of the campaign was the most challenging. From missing the start of pre-season, trying and failing to get a summer move and then being among several players to leave a friendly early without permission, Ronaldo had already caused headaches before the season began.

When the football got going, Ten Hag faced questions about the attacker’s suitability in the side and whether he justified a starting berth. All the while, the spotlight was centred on Ronaldo, who often huffed like a petulant child, and impacted the team’s performances when selected.

Storming down the tunnel against Tottenham Hotspur saw Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, banished to train with the youth team, while he was suspended for a game against Chelsea. The explosive Piers Morgan interview at the start of the World Cup break gave Ten Hag the perfect opportunity to move on the ex-Real Madrid man and draw the messy saga to a close.

Getting the best from the squad

The performances of Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw have improved markedly under Ten Hag’s watch, while he’s also got results from Diogo Dalot, Fred and Anthony Martial on occasions. There have also been issues surrounding injuries and fitness which the United manager had to contend with, and he’s concocted makeshift plans in response to selection issues at centre-back, midfield and up top.

Home form

United won 27 home matches during 2022/23, which equalled the club record for a single campaign. The Old Trafford victories were pivotal in the third-place finish and the cup runs, while Ten Hag’s side provided home supporters with some enjoyable performances during the campaign.

Beating City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Villa and Barcelona in Manchester gave United a great platform from which to build on, while they ended the campaign with a run of 29 unbeaten at Old Trafford.