Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United are starting to fulfil their potential with a fuller squad available.
United have won all three games since a 13-day winter break, scoring 11 goals against Newport County, Wolves and West Ham.
Rasmus Hojlund has been on target in all three triumphs, Alejandro Garnacho took his tally for the season to seven against West Ham while Kobbie Mainoo netted his first two goals for the club at Newport and Wolves.
The three youngsters came together for a celebratory pose to mark Garnacho’s first goal in the 3-0 defeat of West Ham, sitting together on the Old Trafford advertising hoarding. Garnacho mimicked West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus’s celebration and described it as an “inspiration”.
Garnacho has started the past 18 games while Mainoo has lined up in 11 of the last 15 games since he returned from injury. The midfielder suffered an ankle injury in United’s second pre-season tour match against Real Madrid in July that sidelined Mainoo for four months.
“I have to analyse, clinical, calm,” Ten Hag explained of United’s mini resurgence. “So we now have a team that is in balance on the pitch. We can play better, also you see the progress is coming.
“We bought players in the summer for the future, we also made choices to give players who deserve it, to give opportunities in the first team such as Garnacho and Mainoo.
“Mainoo in the second game against Madrid gets a real bad injury. Then the plans you have, you have to adapt. Hojlund had a period, he came late in, young, but you see he is progressing.
“When there is a consistent team in his back with routines, they will serve him better and you see a frontline in balance. It is a threat for every opponent and also you see they enjoy it, to play football, they enjoy it, to give opponents problems, they want to do the togetherness.
“The picture covered a lot, I think, of the three youngsters celebrating together. It’s not about one player, it’s about a team. That’s what I have seen today. It looked like a team. 11 defending, 11 attacking. For me, it was enjoyable to watch.
“That was our plan before the season because we saw the potential from those players. They need games, they need experience and the only way you get this is to play in the first team, to get the opposition, then adapt and have the right attitude and they keep doing this in togetherness and the attitude to improve every day. Then I am convinced they can achieve very high levels.
“But they need experienced players, who’ve achieved everything to help them, to put them in the right positions. Right moment and right attitude.”