Manchester United's pre-season tour of America is key to Erik ten Hag rebuild
Erik ten Hag's second pre-season tour with Manchester United - which gets under way today in the US - already looks like being a far smoother experience than his first.
A year ago, Ten Hag inherited a dysfunctional United squad that needed major work – or “open heart surgery” as former interim boss Ralf Rangnick famously claimed. United had finished sixth when Ten Hag arrived, 35 points behind champions Manchester City and with a squad bereft of confidence, discipline, form and belief.
In addition, the tour to the Far East and Australia was played out against a backdrop of uncertainty over United's star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, given permission to sit it out for personal reasons. Despite the ostensible reason for his absence, Ronaldo and his camp were already agitating for a move – which he would eventually get a few months later - with Ten Hag probed about whether the forward was part of his plans going forward.
Another backdrop to Ten Hag's first tour was the summer-long – and ultimately failed – pursuit of Barcelona's Frenkie De Jong, who made it clear he had no desire to reunite with his former Ajax boss at United.
While there were positives, including three wins and a draw, players buying into his methods and his new hardline approach on and off the field, it proved a testing introduction for Ten Hag, who only landed his main summer signing, £70m midfielder Casemiro, when the season had already begun.
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
This time, however, United have moved swiftly in the market to land Ten Hag's transfer targets, with £60million midfielder Mason Mount signed from Chelsea and new goalkeeper Andre Onana set to join the squad in the US once his medical and £47.8m move from Inter has been completed. United's pursuit of a striker may still be unresolved, with a difference of opinion between themselves and Atalanta over the valuation of Denmark star Rasmus Højlund, but there is a growing confidence a compromise can be reached to make the deal happen.
Moreover, the uncertainty over Marcus Rashford's future has ended with him signing a new five-year deal worth £325,000-a-week, which soothes another potential headache and distraction for Ten Hag on the upcoming four-game tour of the States. There are, of course, players on the tour who United are willing to listen to offers for but have so far been unable to offload, such as former captain Harry Maguire, midfielders Fred and Scott McTominay, and striker Anthony Martial.
United will enjoy a pre-season tour of the US ahead of the new Premier League season (GETTY)Mirror Football is now on Threads!
But United boarded their flight to New York, fresh from their 1-0 friendly win over Lyon at Murrayfield, in far better shape than they did a year ago, when Ten Hag began his tenure.
Key players who missed the end of last season through injury are back, in particular Lisandro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho and Donny van de Beek, who scored a spectacular winner in Edinburgh.
In his first season, ten Hag managed to cut the 35-point gap between United and City to just 14, conclusive proof of the wisdom of his appointment and the progress made under him, not to mention a first trophy for six years in the Carabao Cup and a return to the Champions League.
Yet, as Ten Hag has said himself, there is still much work to be done before United are in a position where they can genuinely challenge City and other contenders, like Arsenal, for the Premier League title.
That is why this pre-season tour, which takes in games against the Gunners, Wrexham, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in the US, before final warm-up matches against Lens and Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford and Dublin's Aviva Stadium respectively, is of such significance for Ten Hag, if United are provide a genuine title challenge for the first time in a decade.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
