Opinions

Key change in Erik ten Hag’s words show how Manchester United have improved

Published:

15:10

January 11th 2023

| Last Updated:

13:12

January 11th 2023

Dylan Penketh

Credit: IMAGO / Sportimage

Erik ten Hag, when he joined Manchester United back in April of this year, was very selective in his wording.

There was a lot of emphasis on words and phrases such as “improvement”, “work ethic”, and “training”. However, there has been a recent shift in Erik ten Hag‘s words, with the word “focus” being mentioned on multiple occasions in the last two weeks.

For example, after Manchester United‘s recent 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic, Erik ten Hag commented: “I think we started very well, it was good energy, good focus, we pinned them in their half, we created chances.”

There have been plenty of examples in recent weeks of Ten Hag’s use of the word focus, and very specifically in the case of Marcus Rashford.

“If he develops that skill (keeping focused), he will score more goals and contribute to a successful season,” Ten Hag commented ahead of the FA Cup victory over Everton.

“I was really happy with his (Rashford) goal, 3-0, against Bournemouth, so he stayed in the game, he scored in the game. Still, he was focused, and in the right moment, in the right spot, he was there to make his goal in that game.”

Ten Hag: “We can use him [Rashford] also as a tactical weapon, and he is scoring from every position. If he keeps this focus, I am convinced he will score even more goals. If he keeps investing in training, investing in the games, I'm sure [of it] – I'm convinced.” [MUTV]
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) January 7, 2023

Ten Hag: “We have to understand that we have to give every game 100 percent energy, 100 percent focus and 100 percent play as a team, and if you keep that philosophy, it is possible [to win the league], but you have to go from game to game.”
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) January 3, 2023

The shift from “improvement” to “focus” shows that Ten Hag thinks the squad now has improved to a point where he is satisfied with the level of performance that they are producing, and that now there needs to be a shift towards focus to maintain said improvement.

Erik ten Hag’s tenure so far at Manchester United has seen the club’s results become much more consistent and is building the first sustained run of form United have seen in almost four years – winning eight games in a row across all competitions, and eight in a row at Old Trafford.

As a case study, Marcus Rashford epitomises this brilliant improvement, having scored in all eight of the wins at the Theatre of Dreams, as well as in United’s last seven victories in general.

Despite some claiming that Rashford’s good form is not down to Erik ten Hag’s management, it is clear to see the impact the Dutch manager has had on the winger, and as long as his form can be maintained, Rashford could rise to become one of the “best players in the world,” as Lisandro Martinez put it.