Following confirmation of Erik Ten Hag’s appointment as Manchester United, here are four players who could excel under his management.
Known for his aggressive pressing style of attack in a regular 4-3-3 formation, Ten Hag certainly face a huge challenge in imposing his footballing philosophy onto Utd’s squad who currently lack quality, discipline and consistency in their play.
Ten Hag therefore is in for a tough introduction to Man Utd and Premier League football next season especially if he seeks to blend youth and experience moving forward into the future.
It is also thought that there will be a real possibility of a shake-up in the first-team squad with several players set to be moved on to pastures new, yet there will be opportunity for some current players to finally show their potential under Ten Hag.
On that note, here are four players who could excel under Ten Hag at Old Trafford next season.
James Garner
Currently on loan at Nottingham Forest, James Garner has established himself as a technical midfielder especially in defensive midfield, which is a key role in Ten Hag’s style of pressing play so the opportunity could be there for Garner to finally break through into the first-team.
Another positive in Garner’s favour is that several midfielders including; Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira could follow Nemanja Matic out of the door, which could well leave the path clear for the 21 year-old to step into the first-team as a deep midfielder dictating the game.
The only concern that Ten Hag could have though is that Garner is still young and his long-term development could be considered more important, which could well mean a loan move to a Premier League rival or even a return to Forest if they secure promotion.
Ten Hag though has a strong track record with young players which could play luckily into Garner’s lap if he can impress his new manager during pre-season, whilst also building on his current quality with Ten Hag’s coaching.
Either way, Garner could certainly be a Utd player to watch next season in terms of his development and Ten Hag’s plans for the youngster.
Marcus Rashford
Having struggled for form after recovering from surgery on a shoulder injury, Marcus Rashford certainly will be pleased to finally get a proven manager in Ten Hag who can help him rediscover his best form and win trophies again.
Rashford also should be heartened by the fact that Ten Hag is a fan of physical yet skilful forwards and the 4-3-3 formation could suit the 24 year-old in allowing him to drop deep prior to unleashing fast-paced diagonal attacks once he wins possession in his favoured winger role.
The biggest issue facing Rashford though is his positioning because he hasn’t really been allowed to settle in a single position this season across the front three, except for a five-match run on the right wing so he will need talks with Ten Hag about his tactical formation plans.
Should those talks go well and Rashford feature within Ten Hag’s plans, he certainly should be a player to keep an eye on up front for Utd next season otherwise he could well be another big name leaving the club this summer.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Having struggled to make much impact this season at right-back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka will be eager for Ten Hag’s arrival to herald a fresh start for the 24 year-old who has slipped down the list of talented fullbacks within English football.
Wan-Bissaka also can take heart from Ten Hag’s strong defensive work at Ajax in which the Dutch club have conceded just 25 goals this season, which should give the youngster hope that he can enjoy similar success under Ten Hag if he can find his form and add discipline to his defending.
Now if he can do that and quickly establish himself at right-back under Ten Hag, Wan-Bissaka could well revive his maximum potential and push for a late spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
These next few weeks though could be crucial for Wan-Bissaka to build some confidence to take forward into pre-season, especially if he wants to head into pre-season ready to prove his worth as a first-team regular.
Dean Henderson
Having struggled for game time this season, Dean Henderson surely is set to be amongst the exits but Ten Hag’s arrival could well offer hope given the Dutch manager’s preference for a reliable all-round goalkeeper capable of distributing with hands and feet plus also defend aerially from crosses and set-pieces.
David De Gea though is Utd’s first-choice goalkeeper but at 31 years-old, the Spaniard is slowly approaching the twilight years of his playing career whereas Ten Hag is beginning to build a long-term vision at Utd so tough choices will have to be made in the goalkeeping department.
If Ten Hag convinces Henderson to stay, pre-season will be crucial because if the 25 year-old can enjoy a strong pre-season to force himself into the no.1 position, he definitely stands a good chance given how more suitable his style matches Ten Hag’s philosophy.
Otherwise, Henderson probably will leave in search of regular first-team football elsewhere if he isn’t given assurances of increased game time at Old Trafford.
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