Two trophies in two years is no mean feat at Manchester United. Ernest Mangnall, Sir Matt Busby, Sir Alex Ferguson and Erik ten Hag are the only managers who have lifted major silverware in successive seasons.
Without the FA Cup as a new attraction in the Old Trafford museum, there would almost certainly have been a new face in the dugout next season. However long Ten Hag’s new contract is and whoever comes and goes in the coaches’ room adjoined to his office at Carrington, uncertainty over his future has not been entirely banished.
The introductions of Hojlund and Jonny Evans just past the 70-minute mark were key at both ends. Five weeks on from a very different performance against a sky-blue shirted side at Wembley, United had gone from the ridiculous to the sublime to salvage their season against an admittedly anaemic City.
United arrived at Wembley only one player shy (Shaw) of having the luxury of fielding their best XI. This was Ten Hag’s last opportunity to show the new power brokers what he could do with a fullish squad. It was compelling enough for them to eventually decide to retain him.
Their penchant for drama has surfaced in most of their standout wins with Ten Hag in the dugout.
United 2-1 Liverpool, August 2022
This was Ten Hag’s first victory against a team that were the reigning FA Cup and League Cup winners and who had finished second in the Premier League and reached the Champions League final. Only Real Madrid had beaten Liverpool in the calendar year.
Ten Hag dropped captain Harry Maguire, talisman Cristiano Ronaldo and lethargic left back Luke Shaw. To general astonishment, United overwhelmed Liverpool in the first half and led 1-0through a splendidly constructed Jadon Sancho goal. Ten Hag was still dissatisfied. Anthony Elanga was replaced by namesake Martial at the pause.
With a fresh focal point, Martial lured in Trent Alexander-Arnold to release Marcus Rashford for the eventual winning goal. Bold selections before and during the match against one of club football’s most formidable sides marked Ten Hag out as an elite coach.
That night was the turning point for Lisandro Martinez. His height has not been mentioned since and the Latino rebranding of the defence that Ten Hag was so often deprived of last season contributed to David de Gea claiming the Golden Glove, an individual award for a collective effort.
individual award for a collective effort.
United 2-0 Tottenham, October 2022
In terms of the sustained performance level and enterprise, this is probably United’s best under Ten Hag. The scoreline flattered Tottenham as United unleashed 28 attempts on Hugo Lloris’s goal in a proactive display that was overshadowed by Ronaldo’s petulance, which became the story.
Ronaldo’s demotion at the expense of Rashford was the only change from the drab draw with Newcastle three days earlier. With Christian Eriksen not fully fit after illness, Fred continued next to Casemiro and had one of his best games as he scored the opening goal.
Despite not scoring, Rashford produced a near-complete striker’s performance and Antony was genuinely impressive. On a rare night where almost nobody played badly, the only one who underperformed was Sancho.
United 2-1 City, January 2023
Mistakenly highlighted by Ten Hag as the only game he had a fully fit squad for, United strode onto the pitch with Tyrell Malacia in the line-up and Martinez on the bench.
After a misguided approach in the 6-3 shellacking at the Etihad in October, Ten Hag relocated Bruno Fernandes to the right-hand side and brought Fred in alongside Casemiro. United were efficient and edged a goalless first half but their game plan had to be altered at the interval as Martial hobbled off for Antony.
City led through Jack Grealish and the game was meandering until Fernandes’s dubious equaliser. With City stewing, United quickly took the lead as Rashford diverted Alejandro Garnacho’s cross past Ederson. This was Rashford’s eighth goal in seven games. Though playing on the left, he tended to drift infield in second halves during this period of career-best form and invariably got on the scoresheet.
Garnacho had replaced Eriksen, ineffectual as the No.10, at 0-1 and that allowed Fernandes to return to his favoured role behind the striker, where he was perfectly placed to level. This was the most profound evidence yet of Ten Hag’s influential in-game management as United won a ninth successive game.
United 4-3 Barcelona (on aggregate), February 2023
It is worth submitting both legs of this pulsating Europa League knockout tie in Ten Hag’s first season. Even though it wasn’t the Champions League, the eyes of the world were fixed on these games between two of the game’s grandest clubs and there were spectacles at both Camp Nou and Old Trafford.
United took the game to Barcelona in Catalonia in a match that both sides had ample chances to win. Ten Hag’s tactical nous continued to evolve, with Wout Weghorst dropping into midfield and Fernandes influential again on the right-hand side. United recovered from 1-0 down to go 2-1 up within 10 minutes. Raphinha’s fortuitous equaliser claimed a deserved draw for Barca.
In Manchester, United had Martinez back from suspension so Shaw returned to left back, but they went behind again. Ten Hag hooked Weghorst at half-time for Antony, Fred equalised within three minutes of the restart and Antony cushioned in the winner.
This was seemingly another marker laid down by a side that had already defeated Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and City under Ten Hag, three days before the League Cup final. United were mastering a blend of pragmatism and proactive play.
Wolves 3-4 United, February 2024
This was the first time Ten Hag had his best players available. Rashford had erred the previous week with his Belfast bender but was recalled for Antony in the only change from the arduous FA Cup fourth round win at Newport County.
Playing in front of the away end, Rashford ensured they would sing a different tune with the opening goal on five minutes. United did not look back for the rest of the first half against a side that was undefeated at home since September and had beaten Tottenham, City and Chelsea on their own patch. Casemiro neared his best in his first Premier League start since October and Martinez, reunited with Raphael Varane after a four-month absence, made a world of difference.
United were 2-0 up at half-time but should have been out of sight. Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro had two goals chalked off for offside and went close with separate chances United’s inability to kill off games created a contest and they twice squandered two-goal leads, with Pedro Neto equalising in the 95th minute. Kobbie Mainoo earned an uproarious victory with a virtuoso 97th-minute winner.
Ten Hag struck the desired tone post-match. He was constructively critical, irked that United had not won as convincingly as they should have. But, with the best starting XI available, his side had demonstrated their capabilities against testing opposition.
City 1-2 United, May 2024
The zenith of Ten Hag’s tenure. Against the four-time reigning champions in a cup final, United saved their best until last in a tumultuous season.
Dropping Casemiro for the first time, recalling Rashford, retaining Sofyan Amrabat and the strikerless formation were all contentious calls by Ten Hag. He got all of them right. United were intense and compact off the ball and clinical with it. This was a rare occasion where every outfield starter performed.
The introductions of Hojlund and Jonny Evans just past the 70-minute mark were key at both ends. Five weeks on from a very different performance against a sky-blue shirted side at Wembley, United had gone from the ridiculous to the sublime to salvage their season against an admittedly anaemic City.
United arrived at Wembley only one player shy (Shaw) of having the luxury of fielding their best XI. This was Ten Hag’s last opportunity to show the new power brokers what he could do with a fullish squad. It was compelling enough for them to eventually decide to retain him.
