Other than the appointment of Erik Ten Hag, Manchester United fans have little to be excited about after the disastrous 21/22 season.
They were unable to get close to winning any silverware and also crashed out of the race for the top four. It's going to be interesting to see how the ex-Ajax manager implements his philosophy and set up the team
Ten Hag will not be given an exorbitant budget to rebuild the team but he will be backed with sufficient funds to improve the squad. He usually employs a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation with wingers playing wide and high up on the pitch.
Much like Ragnick, he also prefers high pressing, possession-based attacking brand of football. Whether the current squad is suitable for this high-octane style of play is yet to be seen.
As interim manager, Raif Ragnick already questioned the fitness of the squad. Without a doubt, Ten Hag has to work on his squad’s fitness issue if he wants to implement his style of football. With players like Lingard, Matic, Mata, Cavani and Pogba leaving Ten Hag will want to sign players that fit his playing style. Moreover the club’s top scorer across all competition Cristiano Ronaldo is also likely to leave.
Manchester United has a lot of areas to improve, but a right-back and a central midfielder should be their priority signings.
A right-back who offers more offensively than Wan-Bissaka is highly needed and a press-resistant central midfielder as a replacement for Paul Pogba is a no-brainer.
As of now, they completed the signing of Feyenoord left-back Malacia and midfielder Cristian Enkriksen who was a free agent. They probably also need to sign a centre-forward if Ronaldo decides to leave.
In the centre-back department, Tel Hag will want to have pacy defenders who are good with the ball as his teams play with a high defensive line. Given Maguire’s woeful form, the manager might want a more suitable alternative to play alongside Varane.
Speaking of poor form Rashford’s performance in the last season will also be a matter of concern for Hag.
Ten Hag is known for putting faith in the youth. We might see a few well-known names being dropped from the starting line-up in favour of the youngsters. So players like James Garner and Anthony Elanga will get ample opportunity to shine.
