Return To Glory : Manchester United

A relative calm before the storm would see Manchester United face off against two of their most hated rivals along with the start of Europa League group play, only five games in September would be a minor gift before an October with nine games on the schedule. An international break at the end of the month would represent a much needed break, but with some of United’s biggest names likely to be called up it could make Erik ten Hag’s job much harder.

Opening the month with a home game against Manchester City would ease ten Hag into the rivalry, but he would still need to face a full week of the media calling the game for City. Erling Haaland would give Pep Guardiola the kind of earth shattering scoring option City haven’t had in the past, even with Phil Foden and Aymeric Laport out things would be heavily in City’s favor. As one might expect of an early season engagement by two of the biggest teams in the league, the first half was very touchy with both teams reluctant to commit to an all-out attack. City enjoyed most of the possession, as usual, and took the most shots with neither team really looking that dangerous. It wasn’t until just before halftime that United would manage to break the deadlock, Jadon Sancho would receive a deep pass from Casemiro and cut inside before threading a ball through to Marcus Rashford for a 1-0 lead. Things remained tense until Riyad Mahrez crumpled Rashford in the box at 64’ and a VAR review award the hosts a penalty. Bruno Fernandes would blow his chance to make it 2-0 with Ederson getting his hand on the ball. Not long after the failed penalty, United would show that they still have a ways to go in their training with an infuriating display of ineptitude in playing out of the back. City would press high on a goal kick and when Lisandro Martinez played a ball inside to Casemiro he would be squeezed out by Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland from behind, giving the ball to De Bruyne right in front of the goal and practically handing them the goal they needed to make it 1-1.

“That would have been a hard game to lose. We could have won, but they were the better team” admitted ten Hag after the game. “It is a long season so staying even with them is important, but we need to be better. I need to be better.”



United’s second squad would make quick work of Viktoria Plzeň in their Europa League opener, a 4-1 win would see an Alejandro Garnacho hat trick with two of them coming off the wing and the third a penalty. Anthony Martial would score the fourth of the game, if ten Hag can rely on Martial and Garnacho continues to look like a budding superstar they might have a shot at winning the league instead of just hoping to finish in a Champions League spot. They would follow up the win with another ugly one against West Ham in a 1-0 contest that they looked like they wanted to lose. Fernandes would sit out with an abdominal strain, so Donny van de Beek took some of the blame for their sluggish performance. He shouldn’t have been blamed as it was their defending that put them in trouble, they gave West Ham so many chances to score with a number of them hitting the post. The fact that Antony would score the only goal of the game in the first minute of play made it more infuriating that they couldn’t get things going in the remaining 89’ of play.

The second squad would be called on again in the Europa League, this time against Freiburg, with the first squad getting some rest before a visit from Liverpool. It turned out to be a good decision by ten Hag, but it took nearly 71’ for it to seem like it. An own goal by Matthias Ginter would put United ahead before a furious ten minutes of play would decide the game. Some suspect defending would allow Maximilian Eggestein to find a wide open Kevin Schade to make it 1-1 at 80’, and then Martial would take over the game and help avoid embarrassment. In two nearly identical sequences, Martial would score at the 86’ and 90’ thanks to a player getting to the end line and passing back into the box. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was first with Anthony Elanga on the second, the only difference being Freiburg arguing for VAR to be used on the first only to be let down by the review.

“We work on that, and you see us winning with that already” said Martial of his goals. So far ten Hag has been able to resurrect the Frenchman from near oblivion, only time will tell if he can stay healthy enough to complete the revival.

Old Trafford would be the site of ten Hag’s first game against Liverpool. He has managed in big rivalry games, but with the two teams fighting for top spots in the table it would feel like a bigger game even early in the season. A win for United would leave them level with City on points in 1st, and a win for Liverpool would put them a point above United and two back of City. Luke Shaw would find himself the center of attention after a sore ankle would force him to miss some practice, but ten Hag would put him in the starting lineup as he was reported to be ready to play. Caoimhin Kelleher would start for Alisson, out with a sore shoulder, in the only blow to Jürgen Klopp’s lineup. This game would play out much like the City game with both sides keeping things close without allowing the other team too many openings to attack. The most exciting things to happen in the first half would be Antony and Rashford finding the posts. Unlike the City game, a Liverpool mistake would break the deadlock and lead to a shocking result. As seen recently, United would turn passes from the endline into a devastating offensive weapon, with Antony getting to the line and sending a ball back in at 62’ that would see Virgil van Dijk and Fernandes collapse on it. Unfortunately for van Dijk, Fernandes would get a touch on it first and send it off van Dijk’s shin and toward goal. Kelleher never had a chance as he was moving in the opposite direction and United has a 1-0 lead. The next six minutes of play would crush Liverpool’s chances of walking away with points, at 64’ Fernandes would repeat Antony’s pass for Rashford to make it 2-0, and then Diogo Dalot would head in a corner at 68’ for a shock 3-0 lead. The three goals would be a gut punch for Liverpool, who never managed to get back in the game. Cristian Eriksen would pour salt in the wound at 90’+1 by curling a free kick around the Liverpool wall to make it 4-0.



United couldn’t have asked for a better game to end the month on. A win over Liverpool was worth more than the points, beating a team slated to challenge for the league if not the Champions League was a massive boost for ten Hag. The win would keep United level with City in first and put them five points clear of Liverpool. As mentioned before, an international break would give ten Hag time to prep his squad for an absolutely brutal month of football.

Breezing through this so far. You may be a bit disappointed to have conceded twice to Brentford but the message from the start has been "Patience". This past month with some massive games has really highlighted the aims for the team, winning it all!

The month of October would see United scheduled to play nine games between the Premier and Europa Leagues, the perfect opportunity for Erik ten Hag to juggle between his first and second choice squads. Trying to keep players fresh before a short November, that would lead into the grind of the World Cup, would be yet another task layered on top of high expectations. It would be very easy for things to fall apart over a few key injuries, a great start to the season could easily be undone in a single month.

After facing Liverpool and being most impacted by the international break the first squad would take a seat for two games; Leeds and Trabzonspor. The Leeds game would turn out to be an easy 2-0 victory marked by Illan Meslier living out a keeper’s worst nightmare. Twice Meslier was caught out of position and United were basically given a shot at an open goal. First Athony Elanga took advantage and then Aaron Wan-Bissaka. There was a time when ten Hag looked to send out the first team against Trabzonspor, but in the end he decided to be safe and give some extra rest to Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, and Raphael Varane. The decision worked out well again with a 2-0 win coming from it, and the star of the show was Alejandro Garnacho even though he was robbed of a potential hat-trick. The young Spanish / Argentine winger nearly scored twice in the span of a minute, first bursting through on the left and barely hitting the post with a shot that Uğurcan Çakır managed to get a finger on. He then struck a ball off the post on the ensuing corner after the ball managed to fall right at his feet. He finally managed to seal the deal 52’ into the game when Anthony Martial made a smart move pulling up after it looked like he would be through on goal, he smartly realized he was going to be closed down and played the ball out wide to a crashing Garnacho who didn’t miss this time. Elanga would make it 2-0 and the win would give United 1st place in the group with nine points, a win in the wrap around match away later this month would clinch qualification for the knockout stages.

Crystal Palace would be the first team’s warm up before a tough run of games that would see United travel to Turkey and face a resurgent Newcastle early in the week after Brighton on the weekend, a truly packed run of games that would stretch United’s resources. The first squad must have been too rested as Palace caught them sleeping just 5’ in with Jean-Phillipe Mateta took advantage of some lax defending to go up 1-0, but the flag went up late and ten Hag’s side got a reprieve. The early goal that wasn’t must have woken them up as they romped to a 3-0 win thanks to a penalty assisted hat-trick for Antony. Diogo Dalot and Jadon Sancho provided assists before Jeffrey Schlupp was booked for knocking down Luke Shaw on the backside of an Eriksen free kick. VAR paused the game before a penalty was awarded and Antony added his third at just 39’. They failed to do much in the second half, but being up 3-0 already meant it wasn’t an issue as long as they kept Palace out of the game. The trip to Trabzonspor turned out to be much easier than expected thanks to Maximiliano Gómez González who earned a straight red for a dangerous tackle on Antony at 63’, though United were already up 3-0 at that point it killed off the game for the hosts. Sancho would be the star of the show with a great game on the left wing, managing a number of dangerous attacks and assisting Casemiro on a goal. The highlight of the night would come from Sancho running end-to-end with the ball, cutting inside and around two defenders to shoot from the penalty spot and finish the game 4-0. United clinched qualification and leave Trabzonspor with work to do, only (3) points up on Freiburg and Viktoria Plzeň they can’t afford to lose again.



Roberto De Zerbi would help Brighton fans to one of the dullest matches of the season, it was hard to get much joy out of the football on display at the Amex even as United won 1-0. Brighton would do an excellent job of parking the bus all game with Donny van de Beek scoring at 25’ almost by accident. Robert Sánchez would block a Martial shot only for the rebound to literally land on van de Beek’s foot with Sánchez laying on the pitch. United’s second squad did their best to extend their lead, but for the most part they were running into a brick wall over and over. A win is a win, so ten Hag didn’t dwell too much on how they did it with a visit from Newcastle looming. As it turned out, ten Hag would need to save his breath for the amount of screaming he would do against the Magpies. Newcastle would be awarded a penalty in the first minute of play thanks to a pile up in the box that Alexander Isak would make the most of, with ten Hag furiously arguing with the officials. It fell on deaf ears as Domenico Berardi converted for an early 1-0 lead that United did everything they could to expand. A bad back pass near the end line would give the ball back and Callum Wilson would score, but the flag would go up and VAR would confirm it. Just 13’ in and United looked lost, it would be charitable to call their form garbage, they seemed flustered and regularly ignored how they should be playing. United were giving up possession regularly and playing low-percentage long balls to nobody, with Newcastle happily collecting the ball and coming right back at the hosts. Ten Hag could be seen doing a great impression of Antonio Conte, walking up and down screaming at his players. They managed to settle down and finally break through, with Eriksen playing a sumptuous slashing through ball that caught Antony cutting inside between the CB and WB higher up the pitch, he would be clear through and score by curling a ball in off his left foot. Eddie Howe would be the one screaming at officials now, with Antony appearing to be quite offsides thanks to Eriksen’s pass, but VAR would confirm the goal and level the game 1-1. Now it would be Newcastle’s turn to lose their focus, a lapse in concentration would allow Eriksen to pip the ball from Bruno Guimarães and quickly get it out wide to Sancho who would make up for his earlier mistake by finding Marcus Rashford for a 2-1 lead at 38’. The second half would see United return to ten Hag’s plan, playing much better and taking the game to Newcastle. Fernandes would pop a ball to Rashford just as he was about to be tackled, tallying an assist as the striker would make it 3-1 at 64’. Newcastle’s Wilson would be back on the score sheet at 71’, making it 3-2 as United contested the goal due to the flag coming up late and managed to get a VAR review. The review only confirmed the goal, but that was the end of Howe’s lucky. Lisandro Martinez would be put under pressure outside Newcastle’s box after a cleared corner, he would get off an ugly looking cross while falling backwards that looped high and found Antony on the back post for a surprising 4-2 lead at 85’. The Argentine wouldn’t be done, heading in a corner in stoppage time to make it look like United had this game handled.

“That is the kind of game I expect to lose,” said ten Hag hoarsely after the game, “we played very poorly in the first half, they were the better team, sometimes you need to be lucky.”

Even with the squad rotation, the heavy workload would show itself in the final three games of the month. A dolorous 1-0 win at Southampton would see Aaron Wan-Bissaka score the only goal by heading in a corner. It was a good thing they managed to pull it off as Liverpool beat City 3-2 to give United a five point lead in the league. A 2-1 win against Freiburg would cling their Europe League group, a game mostly notable due to Martial hitting the post three times in a performance he will be happy to forget. Elanga and van de Beek would score in the effort, Trabzonspor would top Viktoria Plzeň 1-0 to make their final game with United a dead rubber. Their final game against Everton would be nearly as dull, but mostly because a tired United couldn’t capitalize on a wasteful Everton as Frank Lampard’s side seemed to be trying to give away possession. Amadou Onana would walk through United’s defense to make it 1-0 to the visitors, but the rest of the game was a comedy of errors for the Toffees. Fernandes would score first to level the score before a terrible mistake gave Rashford a goal and United a 2-1 win. Dwight McNeill would have two United players descend on him, and in a panic he would pass back to Jordan Pickford who was much farther out than McNeill thought. Rashford was right there to get the ball and a diving Pickford left him with an open goal.

Ten Hag would manage to get out of the month unscathed through some skill and luck, others were not so lucky. A terrible month spelled the end of Conte at Spurs and Steve Davis at Wolves. United’s exhausted team wouldn’t be out of the woods yet, with four games in twelve days next month, but it’s safe to say that ten Hag won’t be sacked just yet.

When you have such an extreme run of games stacked on top of each it’s incredibly tough to balance between resting the first team and keeping momentum. Whilst it wasn’t always pretty, it looks like ten Haag has managed to do that with the 100% record this month. Shows the squad has some great depth!

Sad to see you getting one over us in the Roses Derby but it's hardly unexpected given that run of form! Very impressive

A short month thanks to a winter World Cup would be short on games but not on stress. Thanks to the Europa League and Carabao Cup United would play in four games across just twelve days, after getting through October without any major injuries Erik ten Hag would be walking on eggshells trying to get his players to the World Cup break. Things wouldn’t work out for him, and a few players with World Cup aspirations, but it wasn’t unexpected after last month.

The final Europa League group match against Viktoria Plzeň would be a formality with ten Hag going right for his second squad to give them some additional experience. Diogo Dalot would sprain his ankle during the week and be ruled out for up to three weeks, the club would immediately sit him out in the hopes he would be able to participate in the later stages of the World Cup. The more immediate concern was shuffling around squad depth to fill in for him, Marc Jurado would begin practicing with the senior squad while still being available for U21 games as a bench option while Brandon Williams would be promoted to the starting RB for the second squad. It turned out to be a good choice as the squad romped to a 4-0 win against the recently eliminated Czech side. Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, Anthony Elanga, and Anthony Martial would score in what would essentially be a warm up for their Carabao Cup matchup with Wolves later in the week.

A 4-0 win at Old Trafford against Bournemouth would be more memorable thanks to another injury. Raphaël Varane would be taken off at 13’ with an apparent back injury, leaving the French international in distress over his World Cup future. Immediate reports had him out for two weeks, but there was hope he would still be able to participate in the World Cup like Dalot. Bournemouth did their best to clog up United’s attack with Antony assisting on a Jadon Sancho goal in first half stoppage time. Down 1-0 it looked like the visitors were happy to just keep it there, but Jefferson Lerma managed to get booked a second time at 79’ and then the flood gates opened with United up a man. Sancho would score his second thanks to an assist by newly promoted, and freshly inserted, Facundo Pellistri for his first senior assist. Luke Shaw would make it 3-0 off a corner at 88’, and then Sancho would add a moment to forget in stoppage time with a blocked penalty. There was just enough time for Sancho to return Pellestri’s favor as he would assist on the winger’s first senior goal late in stoppage to close the game out.



For the third game in a row ten Hag would need to congratulate his team on a win through gritted teeth as the physio’s room got more crowded. A 3-1 win against Wolves in the third round of the Carabao Cup would make things worse for the new United manager, though the only blessing is that the injury wouldn’t go on past the World Cup. After assisting on a van de Beek goal Alejandro Garnacho would be helped off the pitch at 26’, moving Elanga to LW with Pellistri coming on once again at RW. McTominay would make it 2-0 on a goal from well outside the box at 56’ and things looked to be locked up until Raúl Jiménez was allowed to dribble through the middle and embarrass Harry Maguire to make it 2-1 at 65’. Elanga would assist Martial on the final goal to avoid letting Wolves back into the game, the win would be nice but losing Garnacho for three weeks would be bitter news later in the day.

The final act of the month would be a dull 0-0 draw away at Leicester. Ten Hag should have expected more from his team, but with Dalot and Varane out and the rest of the team still showing signs of fatigue this would be a decent result. It would be their second draw of the season, remaining unbeaten, and they would finish in 1st by five points. Liverpool and City are still looming, with the biggest question if United can keep up this pace. The club would see fifteen players depart for the unforgiving furnace of Qatar, including Dalot and Varane, so there is still a risk others will be lost to injury. United would also get news of more domestic cup games, drawing Southampton in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and Port Vale in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup.

The world of football took an unprecedented break for a winter World Cup thanks to controversial hosts Qatar. Partially completed lodgings, authoritarian media restrictions, draconian social practices, and over 6500 dead migrant workers couldn’t keep the fans from flooding into the tiny Gulf state for one of the most unique events in tournament history.

Once the dust had settled France would be crowned champions for the second World Cup in a row after defeating Spain 1-0 in the final. Antoine Griezmann would strike at 52’ for the game winner, helping Manchester United’s Raphaël Varane hoist the trophy once again after it looked like he might not play at all. The Netherlands would get a small amount of revenge on Germany in the third place game by winning in penalties after play finished 1-1.



The Golden Boot would go to the Netherlands’ Memphis Depay with five goals, and the Best Player award would go to Kylian Mbappé thanks to four goals and two assists in a title winning effort.

The long World Cup break would be a blessing for players that weren’t selected, though they wouldn’t admit being left home was a good thing, but players who were selected would return to Manchester even more exhausted. The short month would look easy on paper, just three games, but it would roll right into 2023 with little to no room for rest. Erik ten Hag would need to guide his team through playing Chelsea and Arsenal in the span of three days, the only respite being a Carabao Cup fixture followed by Nottingham Forest. Ten Hag would need to lean on his second squad to get the first team ready for that Chelsea-Arsenal run that could prove disastrous.

Antony would turn out the be the only player to miss any time right out of the gate, and ankle injury suffered in training would keep him out for about a week. He might not make the Nottingham Forest game, but ten Hag should be able to handle the team rushing for relegation without him. He would need to deal with some rust against Southampton in the Carabao Cup before he could worry about Forest, and there would be plenty of rust. United would not be in control of the game from the start, with the second squad looking a little lost and ceding possession to Southampton. Kyle Walker-Peters would narrowly avoid a penalty thanks to VAR, but not a booking, early in the game to add to Southampton’s luck. Alejandro Garnacho would be knocked over on a corner, this time VAR wouldn’t come to Southampton’s rescue, but Gavin Bazunu certainly would try. A rumored transfer target for United, the young keeper guessed correctly but Anthony Martial would shoot hard enough for the ball to slip under his arm and give United a 1-0 lead at 44’. Anthony Elanga would make it 2-0 at 70’, but a Southamton protest and VAR would disallow the goal on offsides before United’s lack of control and attention would burn them. Che Adams would be allowed to walk through United’s back line and score to level the game late. Donny van de Beek would end up being the savior with a winding run and cheeky chip over the defense to assist on a Martial goal to make it 2-1. Bazunu would add to his highlights by blocking a second Martial penalty attempt, but the game would still end 2-1.



Antony would end up making it back for the Nottingham Forest game, but he would barely be needed despite earning a Man Of The Match award. A 6-0 beating would be possible thanks to Antony adding a goal and an assist, but Forest looked like they were in a hurry to get back to the Championship. The big win would turn out to be a good warmup for one of the craziest games of the year, any fans who traveled to Stamford Bridge would not leave for home disappointed. Just 5’ into the game and it looked like ten Hag wouldn’t get out of 2022 without losing at least once, a bad back pass from Luke Shaw would be snagged by Raheem Sterling and set off a series of events that would end with Shaw tripping Kai Havertz in the box for a clear penalty. Jorginho would convert easily and give the hosts a 1-0 lead, one they wouldn’t surrender easily. Just 10 minutes later Jadon Sancho would drag United out of their stupor running down wide left before feeding the ball inside to Bruno Fernandes, Fernandes would apply his usual flair and loop a shot over the charging Édouard Mendy to level the game 1-1. Chelsea’s player would surround the ref claiming offsides, but VAR wouldn’t agree only to set off more finger pointing and whistling from the home crowd. In truth, United were level to pull level with the way they were playing and it showed when Havertz found Sterling just a few minutes later to reclaim the lead 2-1. Graham Potter’s 5-2-3 was causing United serious issues, making them waste possession and dump the ball deep to nobody. It’s hard to believe so much was packed into the first half, but only 29’ minutes in Chelsea would be pulling their hair out again. A bizarre series of events would leave the ref signaling for players to get away from him as VAR once again went against the Blues. Antony would cross the ball into the box and Sancho would get a foot on it close to the goal, but Mendy managed to get a hand on the ball to send it straight up against the crossbar and sideways near the far post. Marcus Rashford would manage to get his body in the way to block the ball off and send it in off his stomach. Somehow Chelsea thought Rashford was offsides despite the number of bodies in the goal, but it couldn’t stop United pulling level again. Lisandro Martinez, the recent addition many claimed was too short to succeed in the Premier League, somehow managed to head in a corner among a crowd of people for United’s first lead of the game at 36’. Ten Hag couldn’t get to the locker room fast enough, but the insanity wasn’t over yet. A horrific series that started with Shaw losing the ball in the box would see it ping-pong around via headers before Reece James would collect it, loop around the outside, and score to make it 3-3 at 38’.

“Undisciplined, unacceptable…” is all ten Hag could manage in the tunnel at halftime before storming off.

Both teams must have used up everything they had because the second half was quite sedate and didn’t end the way the hosts would have liked. After all the crazy goals, six of them, Chelsea would lose the game on a goal United seems to score over and over. Casemiro would find Antony out wide with a long ball, he would take it to the endline and pass back into the middle for Rashford to make it 4-3. It seems like United is developing a taste for winning poorly played games, an ugly win is still a win. Chelsea fans no doubt left the stadium feeling robbed.

United would limp out of London (8) points clear of Liverpool in 1st with half an invincible season under their belt. Rashford would also be the second highest goal scorer in the league with (13), just a paltry (10) behind Erling Haaland who’s (23) have him on a record pace. That pace would help him take the FIFA & FIFPro Best Player awards.

Half way through the season it looks like Erik ten Hag has managed to rebuild a number of players’ careers. Even though the team spent heavily on a number of players, ten Hag has had to make due with a side that floundered under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. United’s half season of invincibility looks to come down to a team effort, few teams achieve success with a single player doing everything, but with so many players contributing it makes sense that they would be winning. United current lead the Premier League in goals and have allowed the fewest, likely the driver behind their unbeaten start.


The players with the most to show from the ten Hag era are those that looked to have one foot out the door last year. Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial have managed to start a number of games while also scoring quite a bit, both have endured some ‘Flat Track Bully’ labels as they have played mostly against lower tier teams and relegation fodder, but they haven’t managed to do this at all in previous seasons at United.

Marcus Rashford is also looking like a new player, or like the player he could have been, his (14) goals has him on pace to pass his best season of (22) in 2019-20. He isn’t doing it on his own, ten Hag looks to have struck gold with the creative trio of Jadon Sancho-Bruno Fernandes-Antony pulling the strings behind Rashford. All three of them are piling up goals and assists at a pace the club hasn’t seen in years, and it really isn’t just them. Ten Hag’s wingers have been able to drive scoring in his system, even the second squad is seeing Anthony Elanga and Alejandro Garnacho create goal involvements from out wide. If things continue at this pace, or even if they lag a bit, a return to the top might not be out of the picture.

Anyone hoping for a typical United transfer window was deeply disappointed. The first half success managed to rev up the transfer rumors once again, but Erik ten Hag was willing to cede the transfer rumor crown to Chelsea. The club managed to keep their approach close to the vest, though there were so many rumors swirling online that someone was probably right. While the summer window was full of spending on big names, the winter window was focused on filling some roster depth with future talents.

As soon as the window opened United managed to close in on two transfers and two loans, bringing in António Silva from Benfica for £34M and Yaser Asprilla from Watford for £13.5M were the most important signings. Both of them fill an immediate depth need, with Silva possibly becoming immediate competition for the faltering Harry Maguire, while also helping to build for the future. Asprilla might even push Anthony Elanga for playing time, but having a player able to handle both wings is a huge boost for roster depth. Asprilla also has Premier League experience, enough that Watford attempted to loan him back until the end of the season, so the change of scenery won’t be a big change.

The deal that drove the most media speculation was agreeing to a loan for Bayern Munich’s midfield wonderkid Ryan Gravenberch, yet another player familiar with ten Hag from Ajax. The big issue was an option to buy him for £52M at the end of the loan, something United are most likely not going to trigger despite him being named the World Cup’s best young player. With Asprilla coming in, Facundo Pellistri would head out on loan as he needs more playing time than available from the bench.

Aside from those deals the window was quiet with Spurs lodging a rejected £30.5M bid for Fred, on some level one of United’s quiet moves should have had more resonance. Phil Jones, who hasn’t played at all this season, was discretely sold to Girona in a deal that was at the very least bizarre. Once seen as a potential Legend by Sir Alex Ferguson, Jones reportedly requested to be loaned or sold before his deal expired in the summer. A player who once turned down the chance at a testimonial while asking “Apart from my mum and dad, who else would show up?” silently exited the club with little fanfare.



Fans were also not happy with the transfer business once reports leaked out that numerous U21 & U18 players were being informed they would be released at the end of the season, ten Hag is starting a clear out of youth players that could possibly making room for a summer splurge. Alejandro Garnacho, brought in by Ralf Rangnick, is the kind of signing the club needs to make more of at youth level.

Senior / Major Transfers (Out)
Axel Tuanzebe (CB, Lazio) - £8.5M
Phil Jones (CB, Girona) - £2M
Tom Heaton (GK, Celtic) - £150K
DiShon Bernard (CB, Hammarby IF) - £145K
Facundo Pellestri (RW, QPR) - Loan

Senior Transfers (In)
António Silva (CB, Benfica) - £34M
Yaser Asprilla (RW, Watford) - £13.5M
Ryan Gravenberch (CM, Bayern Munich) - Loan

Final Transfer List (Impact Signings)
Harrison Rhone (GK, Reading - England) - £350K

The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson had the opportunity to sit down with Manchester United’s first year manager Erik ten Hag to discuss the pressures of taking the helm at United and the unique challenge of rebuilding a large club.

Manchester United, one of the largest and most storied clubs in the world, changed hands this summer. How has the transition been, and do you feel it has had a positive effect on the club?

It has been very good, obviously it is not ideal to happen in the summer, but the new owners kept on everyone so no trouble. I think that Jim [Ratcliffe] being familiar with the club, the culture, has been beneficial. I think having them come in has been good, they support the club and the vision we have.

I think it’s safe to say you’ve had a dream start to the season, do you think United are firm title contenders or will there be any regression in form?

We think we are always in contention, but can we achieve that I do not know. The start has been better than I could have imagined, but that just means the players have been working hard and are together on our path forward. I am very proud of the hard work they have done. Do I think we will not lose? No, even the best teams lose games, so in that sense yes I think we will regress.

United have a very different structure, and quite a lot of overturn in approach, compared to Ajax. How have you dealt with that, and are you trying to duplicate anything from Ajax?

Yes, many changes in managers and how the club wants to build the team has caused problems. Going from Ferguson, to Moyes, van Gaal, to Mourinho has made building a vision hard. If I am trying to bring over anything from Ajax, it would be a single vision for what type of football the club wants to play. You hire a manager to play your football, not change the club to each manager. It is also not a secret that we must develop youth, bring more players up through our system. Spending one-hundred, two-hundred million on players every summer only works for [Real] Madrid.


Where do you see the club in five years? Do you see yourself staying here long term, or are there other places you would like to manage?

Near the top, on the field not just in making money. We are always a big club, but have not been playing like one in some time. We need to be challenging for the Champions League every year, and be a favorite to win the league. Yes, I would like to stay and build the club. I have been told about “ten months” jokes, but I would like to make it “ten years” and win. Right now I am focused on where I am, not where I might be, I cannot think about that.

There has been quite a bit of discussion about your ties to Ajax, primarily the drive to import a number of former players. Is this because you feel they fit your system well, are players ready to grow on the global stage, or a bit of both?

Both. The players that came over, this is also Jurriën [Timber] who decided not to come, I think are ready to move beyond Ajax to a bigger stage. For me to come in, at a new club, and install a new system… they are like a safety net. Everyone we recruit has played internationally, they have also experience in Champions League, and they understand high intensity play, it was a good match.

Manchester United would come out of the short schedule to end December and land right into a meat grinder with seven games on the schedule, the only blessing being that they didn’t need to worry about the Europa League just yet. Games in the Premier League, Carabao Cup, and FA Cup would force Erik ten Hag into a roster juggling act to try and keep his first choice players healthy and ready to play games. The World Cup did him little favors, but United wouldn’t be the only team facing issues.

Ten Hag’s new year would open with a lose-lose scenario that pitted his side against Arsenal just a few days after facing Chelsea in one of the wildest games of the year. Even the addition of transfers wouldn’t give ten Hag breathing room, and it looked like he had decided to concede the game when he named his second squad to start. Even the Old Trafford crowd couldn’t tip this game in United’s favor in the media’s eyes as soon as they saw who was starting against Arsenal’s first choice XI. One thing that everyone overlooked was that the Gunner were just as beaten as United, and Mikel Arteta probably should have made more changes to his own side. It only took 4’ for Arsenal to find themselves in a 1-0 hole as Anthony Elanga headed down a Tyrell Malacia cross for Donny van de Beek to slot it in. Granit Xhaka was the first to look too tired to play when Elanga robbed him of the ball, found Aaron Wan-Bissaka on an overlap, and played a through ball for Anthony Martial to shock the visitors 2-0 just 8’ into the game. Alejandro Garnacho would pile it on by hitting Martial with a long ball as he split the central defenders to make it 3-0. The Gunners looked absolutely gassed by halftime with body language they said they wanted to get on the bus and head back to London. Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka looked dead, barely moving around the pitch and ending up the center of comments during the game. Fábio Vieira managed Arsenal's brightest spark late in the game, scoring but turning around to see the flag was up. The shock 3-0 win would put United (8) points on top of the league with half the season behind them.

United would beat Port Vale 4-0 in an easy game for the second squad before facing Norwich in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal, sadly a sign of things to come as ten Hag decided to stick with the second squad to keep the first rested for Liverpool. Andrew Omobamidele would head in a corner just 6’ in, and things never really got better for United. Elanga would find Martial to make it 1-1, but then United would quickly give it all back on comical defending with Harry Maguire standing right in the middle of it. Aaron Ramsey and Teemu Pukki would link up perfectly, walking right through Maguire, for a 2-1 lead at 17’. Pukki would strike again at 33’ for a 3-1 lead, leaving United’s back line looking like a mess. Getting stomped by a Championship side is not the best way to go into a game with your biggest rival. The only thing that went United’s way was a colossal mistake by Omobamidele late in the game. United would give away the ball in Norwich’s third, but Omobamidele would mishandle the backpass and give Martial the ball right in front of the goal for a 3-2 scoreline. United’s first loss of the season was a bad one, but it wouldn’t be the end of it.



Anfield would be as hostile as it could possibly get barring violence between the fans, with United well ahead of Liverpool a win for Jürgen Klopp’s side would help bring them closer to winning the league again. Both teams would play a tight game, neither going full out on the attack just yet, but disaster struck first for Liverpool. Luke Shaw put together a shambling assault down the left, losing the ball twice and getting it back both times, before losing it to Mohamed Salah near the end line. Salah would quickly pass back to Alisson, but he wouldn’t notice Marcus Rashford shadowing the keeper. The two would race to the near post for the ball with Rashford getting there first for a 1-0 lead at 17’. Liverpool were already looking like the better side, but perhaps the error would light a fire under Salah as he would go on to destroy Shaw in a one man quest to win the game. Salah would wipe out his error at 30’, dribbling through Shaw like he was nothing, and finding Jordan Henderson at the near post from the end line to make it 1-1. From that point on United would struggle to get the ball back, and Salah would eat Shaw alive by constantly taking the ball off him as United tried to play their way out of the back. Salah would be the deciding factor again as he drove down the right, found Trent Alexander-Arnold, who would hit Fabinho slashing across the box for a shot. David De Gea would get a hand on it but it would still go in. Liverpool would take the outright lead at 78’, and ten Hag just didn’t have an answer for it. Klopp would get his revenge, even with United still (5) points in first, the ‘crisis’ narratives would start after their second loss in a row.

“Crisis? No, I would not say crisis. We play against a good team, they play a better game. Not a crisis.” was ten Hag’s curt response to the first reporter who rushed to write their title obituary after the game.

The 2-1 loss to Liverpool must have lit a fire under ten Hag’s side because they proceeded to run roughshod over the next two teams they faced. Shaw specifically managed to turn his form around, though the floor was low after getting wrecked by Salah. United would pull out a dominating 2-0 win against Brighton, with Shaw heading in a corner at 38’ for the first goal. At that point Brighton had yet to attempt a shot, with United tallying (14) at that point. Shaw would complete his rehabilitation by assisting Bruno Fernandes on the second goal, earning Man Of The Matchand helping everyone forget how poorly he performed against Liverpool. Shaw would cede his spot in a 3-0 win over West Ham to Malacia after an ankle injury led ten Hag to hold him out. Antony, Lisandro Martinez, and Diogo Dalot would net in another easy win.

The first squad would be riding high, seeming to end the ‘crisis’ caused by losing twice in a row, but the second squad would need to face their demons in the last game of the month. The win over Port Vale would earn them a date with Norwich in the FA Cup fourth round and a chance at revenge. It’s clear ten Hag has some work to do with his second squad, as they would not be up for the challenge and were lucky to stay alive in the competition. A poorly played 1-1 draw would be rescued early by a borderline penalty, Maguire would make the most of being shoved at the near post on a corner and Martial would convert it for a 1-0 lead. Tim Krul nearly blocked the attempt, guessing the right way but letting the ball squeeze under his arm, exactly the kind of dumb luck United needed to get out of this game. Once again, Maguire would find himself the victim of Pukki as the back line struggled to deal with Route One tactics. A 78’ goal, with Maguire looking lost, would be enough for Norwich to earn a replay and give ten Hag more schedule woes. The last thing they needed was yet another shoehorned into the schedule.

The month of February would look easier on paper prior to the addition of an FA Cup replay, but navigating six games would be rough with a trip to Arsenal in the middle. Keeping the team focused would be key for Erik ten Hag, Liverpool and Manchester City are breathing down his neck and would love to see United trip up against someone more concerned about avoiding relegation than anything else.

United would open with a dull 1-0 win over Crystal Palace that was more memorable for a confounding offside call that denied a Casemiro goal just before halftime. Marcus Rashford nicked the ball near the end line and passed it back to Jadon Sancho who centered it for Casemiro to score. The flag went up, VAR was trotted out, and to everyone’s confusion it looked as though the goal had been disallowed because Rashford didn’t make it onsides before Casemiro had scored. Ten Hag had to walk off at halftime with an official on his hip, nobody on United’s sideline could understand the ruling. Eventually Christian Eriksen would feed Antony for a goal that wasn’t called back to save some face. United looked totally off, the final straw being Sancho missing wide with a free go at goal. United carried that limp energy right into the 4th round replay of the Carabao Cup, Norwich would see this game as low hanging fruit with ten Hag sending out his second squad to clean up the mess they made. Ryan Gravenberch would finally replace Scott McTominay in midfield, but it would only take 10’ before he would find his way back on the field. Fred would injure his knee and be taken off for McTominay. Somehow Victor Lindelöf and Harry Maguire conspired to make things worse with a defensive performance akin to a clown car, basically giving the ball to Todd Cantwell inside the goal area for a 1-0 lead. The two might as well have kicked it in themselves. A disallowed Aaron Wan-Bissaka goal at 37’ only fueled the frustration that boiled over at the half, ten Hag was apparently “furious” and put on his version of the Ferguson hair dryer. It must have worked because United looked like a completely different side after the half, almost immediately a Gravenberch-Elanga-Martial exchange pulled them level 1-1. Donny van de Beek would give United a 2-1 lead on a similar exchange, with Norwich ready to account for Martial but forgetting the Dutchman lurking behind him. Maguire and Elanga would add two more to seal the win 4-1, though it did come at a price. Alejandro Garnacho left in the second half and was reported to have suffered an ankle injury that would keep him out for three weeks. Fred would also be ruled out for three weeks, basically ending their month.

The stupor that opened the month would turn into a full blown gut punch at The Emirates courtesy of an Arsenal side looking to climb back toward the top of the table. Wan-Bissaka would start over Dalot due to a suspension, but ten Hag’s problems extended far beyond not having his first choice RB. Bukayo Saka would start the deluge at 19’ after catching Shaw asleep, United giving the ball away and letting Arsenal rush up the field for a 1-0 lead. Gabriel would head in a Martin Ødegaard free kick at 33’ and by that point it looked like United had quit on themselves. Casemiro would add to the calamity by getting booked for a penalty on Emile Smith-Rowe, with Albert Sambi Lokonga converting for a 3-0 lead. Ten Hag could only stand and stare with his arms crossed as his players quit on him, giving away the ball like they thought it would end the game more quickly. Arsenal would love it, playing with passion and doing their best to pour it on. Gabriel Martinelli would find Saka for his second goal at 39’, now leading 4-0 over a team ready to forfeit. While ten Hag could just stand in disbelief during the first half, reports are that he tried the hairdryer again at halftime but a 1-1 draw with Norwich is very different from being down 4-0 to Arsenal. It must have worked on some level, or Arsenal felt comfortable up 4-0, because United managed to show some limited signs of life in the second half. An Antony shot would hit Marcus Rashford an end up going in at 56’, and at 75’ he would get on the end of a Casemiro cross and collide with Aaron Ramsdale. Antony would manage to just barely get a foot on it and pop it over the advancing keeper to make it 4-2. The game dragged into stoppage before Mohamed Elneny hammered a nail into United’s coffin, firing in a screamer from well outside the box to close it out 5-2.

“Unacceptable. Simple. This is not what we practice, not how to play our game. I take responsibility,” is all a dejected ten Hag could manage before walking away from reporters.



Getting thrashed 5-2 may have been the wakeup call United needed this month, the next three games were about as good as ten Hag could have hoped for. A 2-0 win over Leeds, a 5-0 destruction of Fulham, and a 3-0 win over Wolves would mentally right the ship after looking like a bottle job was in their future. Sancho would continue his hot start under ten Hag by having a hand in three goals from the Fulham and Wolves games, and to make this even better Newcastle would stun Liverpool 5-4 at Anfield before the Wolves game to give United a (7) point lead before even taking the field. The win streak, and breathing room, came at a great time as United were drawn with AS Monaco in the Europa League to make next month a critical stretch of the season.

United manager Erik ten Hag would face a crucial run of games this month, they have managed to escape some tight games by dumb luck but the 5-2 loss at Arsenal was a sign of how quickly things can change. An FA Cup run, with a matchup against an opponent very happy to face them again, Chelsea and AS Monaco (twice) won’t leave much room for error or dumb luck.

The opening game of the month would be a tense 1-1 draw with Wolves in the FA Cup that would be decided in United’s favor in penalties. Yaser Asprilla would finally supplant Anthony Elanga in the starting lineup at RW, with Harry Maguire apparently next on the chopping block. Anthony Martial would score United’s only goal just before half time, after receiving a poorly placed pass he would manage to get the ball back after it was taken from him and get a free run at goal. United appeared to have the game in hand until Maguire would let Wolves back in, allowing Saša Kalajdžić to shoot right in his face and level the score. Aaron Wan-Bissake looked to win the game at 90’+2 by heading in a corner, but VAR ruled that he shoved Max Kilman and the game eventually went into penalties. On the very last attempt, with the shootout sitting 6-5, Adama Traoré would have his attempt blocked into the post by David De Gea. United’s reward for just barely winning would be a date with Arsenal in the quarterfinal.

A visit from Chelsea would have ten Hag wondering if he’d been found out, but once again they would be able to do just enough to avoid losing. A 2-2 would be United’s reward on the same day that Manchester City would somehow lose to Fulham at Craven Cottage, nearly slamming the door on their title chances. Back-to-back questionable calls robbed United of a lead and gave Chelsea a 1-0 early in the game. Bruno Fernandes would head in an Antony cross at 12’ only for VAR to disallow it because Rashford was offsides, followed by Raheem Sterling appearing to be a mile offsides on the end of a Jorginho long ball that saw him slip it past De Gea. Jadon Sancho would find Fernandes for a leveler that wasn’t disallowed at 38’, but it was a wonder United were even in the game. Graham Potter was making use of a midfield diamond, but United were trying to force the ball through the middle instead of taking advantage of the wide areas. Sterling would be the man again at 69’ to make it 2-1 on the end of a Christian Pulisic pass from the end line, and with the way United were playing it looked to be all they needed. Somehow, in a callback to Fergie Time, Diogo Dalot would send a desperate cross into the box in stoppage time and find Sancho at the back post for a leveler that would leave Potter fuming on the sidelines.

“Not sure if we can keep doing this, but all of us fight to the end. We can’t have let downs, can’t pack it in like we did against Arsenal,” said Sancho after the game. Once again they were able to pull a rabbit out of their hat in a game they had no business getting points from.



AS Monaco would be waiting for United on the other side of the Chelsea game, the only mercy being a trip to Nottingham Forest before the second fixture, at least traveling to Monaco would be easier than most Europa League games. Louis II Stadium was packed and loud, but the air came rushing out after just 14’ of play. Fernandes would score just 7’ into the game, and Rashford would make it 2-0 at 14’ on a ball Alexander Nübel should have made it to first. Rashford would manage to get his foot on a Christian Eriksen long ball just before Nübel and loop the ball over the hapless keeper. Lisandro Martinez would put on a shambolic display of defending by booting the ball randomly for Monaco to collect, allowing Breel Embolo to feed Wissam Ben Yedder to make it 2-1 at 17’. That goal made it seem like Monaco was going to get back in the game, but that was all they had in them for the night. Antony would assist Rashford, and Eriksen would assist Sancho to close this one out 4-1.

The second squad, now with António Silva replacing the error prone Maguire, would make quick work of Nottingham Forest in a 2-0 win that would see Silva and Asprilla score. The second leg of the Monaco fixture would be mostly done before it started, already up 4-1 it would take a total collapse to lose this one at Old Trafford. Sancho would put on another of his creative performances, having a hand in both of United’s goals. It would only take him 2’ before assisting Eriksen on an opening goal, and then he would be on the end of an Antony cross to make it 2-0 at 18’. Kevin Volland would manage to get Monaco on the board, but already down 6-1 on aggregate it was too little too late. Sancho would finish with an 8.1 rating and easily take the Man Of The Match award, earning United a draw with Real Sociedad in the quarterfinal.

Ten Hag would finish the month with yet another ‘crisis’ as the team returned to The Emirates for the FA Cup quarterfinal. He would first face criticism for sending out his second squad, with the media quickly forgetting that they beat Arsenal in January. Silva would make his return to the starting lineup, signaling that Maguire’s days in Manchester might be coming to an end, along with Asprilla and Ryan Gravenberch. Ten Hag would again look like a genius, at least briefly, as Donny van de Beek would head in a corner at 32’ for a surprising 1-0 lead. Arsenal would control this game, dominating possession, but United would hold their own. Despite being in control, Arsenal were lucky to keep it at 1-0. Martial would score at 46’, but a plea for VAR would prove warranted as it would be disallowed for offsides. A foul on Alejandro Garnacho right at the edge of the box would bring calls for a penalty, but VAR would come down against United again and instead award a dangerous free kick. Gravenberch’s attempt would be nearly headed in by Asprilla at the far post but Aaron Ramsdale would knock the shot up and over. Finally, at 84’, things would break Arsenal’s way when Fábio Vieira would find Eddie Nketiah for a leveler. Arsenal would press late, but United would stand firm and drag the game into penalties. Martial and Marc Jurado, on late as a sub, would have their shots blocked by Ramsdale and Arsenal would convert four straight to seal it.

“I stand by my team selection. They earned a chance to play, these players got us here.” said ten Hag in defense of his second squad. He has proven time and time again that he is willing to let younger players play in order to allow them to develop, and this time it didn’t pay off. Inside sources report that ownership was rather disappointed they were eliminated from their second domestic cup, expectations were that they would play in the final.

Some of the squad would get a rest as the last two weeks of the month would be taken up by an International break. Even being eliminated from the FA Cup wouldn’t help them in April, with seven games on the schedule that included a trip to San Sebastián ten Hag would need every little scrap of rest possible.

With just two months to go in the season Erik ten Hag would have his last opportunity to distance United from their title challengers. Two games against Real Sociedad in the Europa League would be United’s most pressing games, with an “easy” slate of Premier League games he could juggle his roster in a way to keep everyone fresh for May. Getting through Real Sociedad would put United two games away from the Europa League title game, something he might need to go through Arsenal to get to, with domestic cups no longer an option United still have a shot at a double.

Games are only easy on paper, and United would play two games with wildly different results. Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers would come into their game with United a dead man walking, nobody knows how he has survived this long aside from the fact that they can still avoid relegation. The Foxes entered March three points in the drop zone in 19th, it’s completely possible they could escape with four teams outside of the zone just six points above them. This outing did nothing to help, a 7-1 demolition only helped United pad their stats in a game Leicester were never in. Marcus Rashford would earn a 10.0 rating and Man Of The Match with a hat-trick and an assist in a comedy of errors and poor play for Rodgers’ side. If he was sacked in the tunnel nobody would have been shocked. On the other end, United would follow a big win with a confounding 2-1 win over Bournemouth that they made way too hard for themselves. The second squad, now with António Silva and Yaser Asprilla permanent members, would take 68’ before scoring on a Bournemouth side who looked like they were trying to park the bus from the very start of the game. Donny van de Beek would give them some breathing room by heading in a corner, but then Ryan Gravenberch would give it right back. The lanky midfielder would lose concentration and allow Jack Stacey to take the ball off him in United’s third. He would quickly cross the ball into the box for David Brookes to head in and level the score. Anthony Elanga, on for a poorly performing Asprilla, would save the day by serving up Anything Martial for a 2-1 lead at 86’. Ten Hag would face criticism for starting Asprilla, but the fact that United would clinch Champions League qualification with the win would overshadow the complaints.

United’s trip to Real Sociedad would start a worrying series of injuries that would leave ten Hag scrambling for answers. Luckily the first injury, van de Beek’s ankle, wouldn’t affect this tie but would force ten Hag to think ahead. With the Dutchman out at least two weeks it would force Asprilla or Gravenberch into his position. Despite the headache of going to San Sebastián, the game itself would turn into a routine affair for a United back to their winning ways. A Sancho endline pass to Antony would open the scoring at 36’, and an incredible penetrating pass from Eriksen would pass two lines of Real Sociedad defenders to find Sancho at 81’ and close out the game 2-0. Ten Hag must have learned from their recent issues with Chelsea, as Real Sociedad employed a midfield diamond, in this instance they took advantage of the wide areas and made the win look easy.

A 3-1 win against Southampton would follow the Real Sociedad win, despite the win ten Hag would finally be hit by a serious injury that could have an impact on the final stretch of the season. Lisandro Martinez would damage his achilles tendon during practice and be ruled out for at least four month, opening the door for Harry Maguire to return to the first squad. His return wouldn’t be without drama, as Southampton’s only goal would come from him failing to clear a ball and let Che Adams score. The immediate impact would be dealing with Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, being up 2-0 in the matchup would reduce the pressure but a two goal lead can vanish quickly if you aren’t focused. Unfortunately for ten Hag, that’s exactly what his side would do with one of the limpest first halves of the year. They wouldn’t take the game to Real Sociedad, and at 35’ lax defending would allow them to cycle the ball around the outside of the box before Diego Rico would slot the ball inside for Ander Barrenetxea and a 1-0 lead. Ten Hag would make halftime adjustments and United would come alive to crush Real Sociedad with a five goal run that would close out the matchup. Antony would start the explosion with one of his signature, if not predictable, breaks inside and curling a shot in off his left foot. Sancho would score twice along with Rashford, who would be robbed of a double by a Jon Pacheco own goal, righting United’s ship and setting up a matchup with Arsenal in the semifinal.

The final two games of the month, both on the road, would put a little pressure on United’s attempt to close out the league but with such a large lead only the biggest disaster would send the team into a death spiral. A 1-0 loss to Newcastle was inevitable, the second squad was mostly cobbled together with Gravenberch back at CAM and McTominay in the starting lineup. Martin Dúbravka would be ineligible to play, forcing ten Hag to use Radek Vítek as a backup. Things were so bad that Daniel Gore, an U21 mainstay, was on the bench in the event a central midfielder was hurt. A 3-0 win over Everton would close out the month, the win was mostly notable because António Silva earned the start over Maguire. Ten Hag assured the media this selection was made due to Maguire being a booking away from a suspension, something that would cause even more issues with Martinez out for so long.

Ten Hag’s slightly relaxed attitude to the title chase would be down to Liverpool having a terrible month, losing two out of four game in the league along with getting dumped 4-0 at Camp Nou by Barcelona after winning the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal 2-1. Manchester City would be on fire though, or playing up to their potential, winning all four of their games and closing in on Liverpool to take second level on points but +7 GD to pip them. With four games left a win at Spurs to start next month would clinch United’s first title since the 2012-13 season.