Erik ten Hag Shocks the World by Fulfilling Gary Neville’s Vision and Transforming Manchester United’s Future
After last year’s fiasco, it was evident to everyone associated with Manchester United what needed to be addressed first.
“We need a reset in the culture of the club. That’s how I feel,” said Juan Mata just before his exit from Manchester United in the summer.
“Many things that need to be clear – this is Manchester United and anyone who doesn’t meet those standards is not up to the task and should not be here. That’s as clear as I can be.”
The Reds required a reorganization after accumulating the fewest points in Premier League history. Many questioned how long it would take Erik ten Hag to get the club out of the muck, while Ralf Rangnick advised adding ten players this summer.
Two months before to Mata’s forthright remarks, United had suffered a 4-1 defeat in the Manchester derby, the first of eight consecutive Premier League games without a victory in the club’s last 11 contests.
speaking after the game, expressed concern for his former club, stating that United needed to restore the camaraderie that had been evidently lost under Rangnick and possibly even before his time.
“That’s the biggest concern as those players have to get that spirit back,” he said. “They’ve got to get the fight back.” A month later they announced that Ten Hag would be Rangnick’s successor shortly after a 4-0 loss to Liverpool.
Despite a good preseason, Ten Hag realized the magnitude of the work at hand after the season-opening loss to Brighton and the 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brentford – two results that are now understandable but still unacceptable.
On the night Casemiro was introduced to Old Trafford, Ten Hag was placed under immediate pressure before guiding United to a historic 2-1 victory over Liverpool. Since then, United has not lost a home league game.
The explosive interview given by Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to rock the ship, but a way out was facilitated and team spirit was unaffected. Some would claim that it has strengthened.
Casemiro’s goal celebration after scoring the equalizer in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea in October will be remembered as one of the season’s most memorable moments.
Jamie Carragher recently admitted that there is “something different” going on at United under Ten Hag, who “knows what he’s doing”. He added: “There’s a spirit at United that we haven’t seen for five or six years.”
And speaking to Sky Sports recently, Ten Hag himself agreed with this analysis. He said: “The team is growing. I see this about the culture of being hard to beat, win games, do it in the United way, in togetherness, and doing it in an attacking and proactive way.”
United have, probably for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, a sense of team cohesion, and fans are understandably ecstatic about the club’s return to the Champions League and League Cup final.
“The relationship between fans and the club is re-establishing itself. Carragher went on to add on The Overlap, “There’s a feeling there, and when they score a goal, everyone celebrates.” Next to him, Neville would have been secretly grinning.
