When Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag presumably enters his end-of-season review with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada, Sir Dave Brailsford and a new director of football, the Dutchman will not be able to rely on results to keep him in the hot seat.
This season has been highly disappointing on the pitch with the Champions League early exit a particularly sour note for the Reds. United’s Carabao Cup defence ended in a whimper at home to Newcastle and the current Premier League table leaves little solace.
The Reds sit eight points behind the top four and will need a miracle to drag themselves into contention for Champions League football next season. Fortunately, their position in the table has improved in recent matches thanks to ten Hag finally being able to implement the masterplan he has been dreaming of.
Before he stepped through the door at Old Trafford, ten Hag managed to gain approval from supporters for his forward-thinking approach towards implementing young players into his squads. Trusting younger players at Ajax earned him a good reputation and brought success in the Netherlands as well as Europe.
Sadly, the links between the United senior squad and the academy were non-existent when Ten Hag arrived but he has worked hard to mend those bridges. When pictures from training are released, a handful of youngsters are spotted partaking with the senior squad.
Now those carefully curated plans are starting to yield results on the pitch. Ten Hag’s trust in youngsters resulted in the Reds’ 3-0 win over West Ham this weekend.
While Rasmus Hojlund’s transfer raised eyebrows, the Dane is starting to settle into his role at Old Trafford and is relishing the weight of expectation rather than considering it a burden. Alejandro Garnacho is enjoying his best season to date and will be leaving Atletico Madrid wondering why they allowed him to leave.
Finally, Kobbie Mainoo. Even though he was a newbie to the first team when he picked up his injury in the US, it felt like a big blow for the forthcoming season.
This theory has now been proven on the pitch as Mainoo provides the talent which United lacked for large parts of this season. For United, the next task is to continue to build on what is being created.
Another summer transfer window would allow Ten Hag to bring in more fresh faces and faze out those who don’t fit his image. Under Ten Hag, youth will be the focus point and surely this aligns with the INEOS vision for United.