What Did Erik Ten Hag Learn From Manchester United’s Pre-Season Performances?

SportsMoney What Did Erik Ten Hag Learn From Manchester United’s Pre-Season Performances? Graham Ruthven Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I am a soccer writer based in the United Kingdom New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Jul 23, 2022, 04:03pm EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JULY 23: Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag watches on during the Pre-Season .

. . [+] Friendly match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Optus Stadium on July 23, 2022 in Perth, Australia.

(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images) Getty Images Erik ten Hag was so wary of the amount of work ahead of him as Manchester United’s new manager that he started preparations for the 2022/23 season early. The Dutchman was in the stands for United’s final match under interim head coach Ralf Rangnick – a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Pre-season has allowed ten Hag to implement some new ideas.

United’s summer tour of Australia and Thailand saw them claim victories over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa also played out on Saturday. Of course, results only count for so much at this stage, but ten Hag can be pleased with some of the progress his side has made. Under ten Hag, Manchester United look to be intent on playing a possession-based game.

The former Ajax manager wants his team to play out from the back with the likes of Eric Bailly and Harry Maguire emboldened to take more risks on the ball. Bailly in particular has demonstrated his ability to carry possession up the pitch. PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JULY 23: Erik Ten Hag the head coach / manager of Manchester United and Harry .

. . [+] Maguire of Manchester United during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Optus Stadium on July 23, 2022 in Perth, Australia.

(Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images) Getty Images Maguire has struggled to get to grips with the high defensive line ten Hag has implemented since taking over. The 29-year-old doesn’t have the recovery pace to keep track of runners when passes are played through the lines. This is surely a concern for ten Hag given Maguire’s status as club captain.

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This explains why ten Hag is so desperate to capture Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona. He would be perfect for this role with Manchester United also keen to add some versatility to their midfield unit. The addition of de Jong would allow ten Hag to shift between a number of different tactical game plans.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 19: Jadon Sancho of Manchester United celebrates a goal during the . . .

[+] Pre-Season Friendly match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 19, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images) Getty Images “We play now a different type of football against different systems,” ten Hag said after the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. “It will also be the case when we face two Spanish teams.

So, again, a different approach and what we want is, I think, to play proactive football, we want to play with initiative, we want to play attacking football but also [it’s] what we have seen today, for long periods. But, in the end, we have to control the game and that’s what we didn’t do. ” Anthony Martial has absorbed many of ten Hag’s ideas with the Frenchman pressing from the front and showing good composure in front of goal by scoring three times in four games.

Jadon Sancho also looks emboldened by the change in management – he also found the back of the net three times in four pre-season outings. There’s a long way to go before Manchester United can consider themselves among the Premier PINC League’s strongest teams alongside the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, but the process of recovery after a difficult few years might have started this summer. Ten Hag has a clear idea of what he wants his United side to become.

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