Erik ten Hag has proven his pre-season assessment correct at Manchester United

There are several Manchester United players that look reborn under the management of Erik ten Hag this season.

The Dutch manager arrived in the summer for a monumental job at Old Trafford. United were coming off the back of their worst-ever Premier League season.

Three words for the entire Manchester United squad at the time: void of confidence.

It was Ten Hag’s job to turn that around. He needed to bring additions into the squad after a number of departures left the squad lighter than it previously was. The midfield was in need of major improvements.

Eventually, the club brought in the duo of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro to bolster the engine room. Further signings of Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Antony boosted the United defence and attack.

However, Ten Hag was not only focused on stripping down the squad. He was convinced that there was a serious level of talent amongst the squad at Carrington to tap into. A report from The Times in June added that the United manager saw potential in a number of the underperforming squad ahead of the season.

“I have to learn, to know my squad, the personnel, the individuals, the players. That is, I think, one of the biggest advantages from the tour,” he said during United’s pre-season tour.

“We have two weeks to work really close together and we will learn about each other because I want to learn about them and they want to learn about me, my coaches and assistants.”

Fast forward six months and after a difficult start to the season, Ten Hag and United have impressed. They are in the race for the top four and are seeing constant developments in their play on the pitch.

More importantly, there are several players who have completely turned their form around under the Dutch manager. Marcus Rashford is United’s current top goalscorer with 10 in all competitions so far this season.

The English forward was attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain during the summer window and, at the time, most supporters were ready to see the back of him.

He’s now looking like the most dangerous player for The Reds in offensive situations. He’s confident and cites the changes that the manager has made since coming in as one of the main reasons for his upturn in form.

“It is definitely a different mindset and mentality, but I’m enjoying doing what I’m doing at the minute,” he told Prime Sport following the latest victory against Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, full-backs Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot have been two of United’s best players in the campaign thus far. Dalot’s career at the club looked completely over 10 months ago.

He impressed under interim Ralf Rangnick last year and has continued to develop under Ten Hag. Defensively he looks much more refined, whilst his progression has been key on the right-hand side too.

Shaw has been one of the more frustrating cases in United’s recent history. He’s shown more quality than he’s been given credit for since arriving at the club in 2014 but has had injury and consistency concerns looming over his career at the club.

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Poor performances at the start of the season were not ignored by Ten Hag – he dropped the England defender for new signing Tyrell Malacia without hesitation.

Shaw worked hard to get his way back into the side and has been crucial ever since. He was not begrudged after being replaced and wanted to work hard in order to restore his place in the XI.

“The good thing with this manager is that if you’re not playing well then you won’t play. In the past, that’s not been the case but I think the good thing about this manager is that he’s keeping everyone on their toes,” explained Shaw back in October.

You can also see a hunger in the belly of the likes of Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes, whilst the underperforming Jadon Sancho is being handled carefully by the United boss. It helps to show how he’s getting the best out of others in the squad.

Before the start of the season, there was little hope for the majority of the squad. It’s been a stark turnaround for some under Ten Hag. For others, there is an expectation that they will get the best possible chance to revive their form with the Dutchman at the helm.

Things aren’t perfect. United certainly need more signings and sales to really transform the squad into something resembling a title-challenging outfit. However, Ten Hag was clearly correct in his assessment that certain players could turn things around at Old Trafford.