Man Utd debate rages as Ten Hag alters season expectations after Arsenal defeat
As he reflected on his side's late defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, Erik ten Hag would have been wise to stop for a second to take it all in.
Arsenal should, after all, be a perfect template for what he is trying to achieve at Manchester United, where his work is bearing fruit during a first season which has been a lot more encouraging than many predicted, or indeed looked like it would be a couple of weeks in.
But with the Arsenal defeat surely strangling any hopes of gatecrashing the title race, what now for Ten Hag and United?
The Gunners may indeed represent a good model to follow, but as we know theirs is a "process" Mikel Arteta asked players and fans to trust. What does Ten Hag do?
We asked Mirror Football's finest how they see the rest of their season going.
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Andy Dunn
Success in both domestic cup competitions is there for Manchester United’s taking but - and I never thought I would say this - securing a top four finishing position has to be Erik ten Hag’s priority.
Why? Because he needs to make two or three blue chip signings in the summer and they will only come to Old Trafford if there is football on the schedule.
A world class striker is at the top of the wanted list and even if Harry Kane is leaning towards a new deal at Spurs, United should still test the water.
United would be wise to see if they can persuade Harry Kane to join them (Offside via Getty Images)With clearly not to his taste, Ten Hag also needs more competition for central defensive positions and a creative alternative to Christian Eriksen, who is not getting any sharper.
In other words, United are progressing nicely under Ten Hag but are still some way off reclaiming their superpower status.
A successful summer in the transfer market can sort that out but Champions League football is a must for next season.
Mike Walters
What did you expect - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Krakatoa erupting? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across Chester Road to Lou Macari's chip shop?
Let's get real: Manchester United have spent £82 million on a winger who doesn't go past his full-back, signed a No.9 on loan who doesn't look like scoring and the midfield is still brittle when Casemiro isn't playing.
Against those debits on the balance sheet, United are well-placed to finish in the top four and end six years without a trophy.
They should beat Nottingham Forest over two legs in the EFL Cup semi-finals and Reading at home in the FA Cup fourth round, so although the title is gone, all is not lost in the cups.
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But the way Arsenal forced them back, and spent log periods swarming around the United box, should tell Erik ten Hag everything he needs to know about how far away he is from turning his side into champions.
Ben Husband
Sunday was a reminder that for all of their progression under Ten Hag, his tenure is still in its infancy. Compare that to Mikel Arteta and the three years he has now had at Arsenal and the causes for optimism are clear.
This season was always about re-establishing United as a competitor and that has happened more quickly than many expected. Now the final months of the season can focus on a top-four finish and a first trophy since the days of Jose Mourinho.
And while all that is unfolding, the Old Trafford transfer committee need to ensure they know exactly the type of player Ten Hag needs to take the next step. A look at what Arsenal have given Arteta should be a clear example of how to do it right.
Where will Man Utd finish in the league this season? Have your say in the comments section
Felix Keith
Ten Hag has plenty to be positive about (PA)The picture around Manchester United is far from the doom and gloom Roy Keane might have you believe right now.
They have turned the corner under Erik ten Hag since returning from the World Cup - and narrowly losing to the best side in the Premier League while without the team's most influential player, Casemiro, does not change that.
United now turn their attention to cup competitions, where they have a real chance of winning silverware. If they beat Nottingham Forest over two legs, which they really should be able to, then a final against Newcastle or Southampton awaits. A first trophy since 2017 would be a huge step.
Ten Hag also has the FA Cup and Europa League on his plate. If he can win a trophy and finish inside the top four that would, undeniably, represent good progress for his first season at the club. This summer's transfer window, when he wants to sign a world-class striker and midfielder, will then be key to shaping their future under the Dutchman.
John Cross
Even if Manchester United have fallen short in the title race, Erik ten Hag has still done a remarkable job.
From the depths of despair six months ago to renewed hope. If they can crown his first season with a trophy that will represent an incredible transformation.
But a top four finish and a return to Champions League football will be by far and away the most important thing of all this season.
It represents the prestige of being back at the top table of European football, big financial rewards and an ability to attract the best signings.
Wout Weghorst has joined United on a short-term loan deal (Getty Images)This is still a club with a strange, lopsided looking squad with a team still lacking something in identity let alone a set, preferred starting XI.
The fact that ten Hag has got them playing so well, got results and got them back on track is a huge tribute to his man management.
Imagine what is possible with two or three good additions. But this season has to be about the top four, building on the strong foundations.
Even after the defeat at Arsenal, most United fans would have bitten your hand off to be in this position, especially after the first two games of the season.
Tom Victor
Ahead of the season, there were plenty who didn’t even expect Manchester United to be in the top four conversation, let alone a title race. With that in mind, there’s an argument that Sunday’s defeat shouldn’t set too many alarm bells ringing.
Yes, there are factors which have allowed United to threaten more than they might have done - one wouldn’t expect Chelsea and Liverpool to struggle quite as much next season - but they’ve still needed to do their part.
Liverpool and Chelsea's poor form has helped United succeed (PA)The Carabao Cup certainly feels winnable, and the long gap since the last trophy means even that shouldn’t be sniffed at. A trophy and a top-four finish might not feel like much to United fans still used to the title challenges of the Ferguson era, but based on where they have been over the last few years it should be considered a successful campaign if they can pull it off.
Arsenal might be ahead of Ten Hag’s side right now, but they’re further along their journey under Mikel Arteta and United can certainly get closer if they get things right when signing a striker this summer. There’s no need to panic right now.
Darren Lewis
Take a look at Manchester United's position in the Premier League.
Fourth, six points clear of a fifth-placed Spurs in disarray. A Spurs that could well be forced to surrender Harry Kane to a top four club in the summer.
Why would anybody connected with Manchester United panic over Sunday's defeat to Arsenal?
Everything about the club under Erik ten Hag suggests they are heading in the right direction. He really is that guy.
Had Casemiro played in midfield we could easily have seen a different result at the Emirates Stadium.
Lisandro Martinez epitomised the character in the United side when he stooped to head in the equaliser for 2-2.
Yes, United conceded at the death for the second time in a week but Ten Hag is a man who identifies mistakes and rectifies them.
After the 6-3 humiliation in the Manchester derby, the Dutchman’s side were winners in seven of their subsequent nine, winning the other two.
After that shock Premier League defeat at Aston Villa, United were winners of nine games in a row with the wheels only falling off in the past two games.
Casemiro was missing for United's trip to Arsenal (AFP via Getty Images)So why would United fans panic?
Most are also realistic about where the club is right now. Taking baby steps, blinking, into a new era.
Respect for the shirt is back. Recruitment follows a sensible plan and Champions League football next season will attract a higher calibre of player in the summer.
There is every chance that they could win the League Cup with a very winnable semi-final opponent in Nottingham Forest (United beat them 3-0 in the Premier League on December 27) and Ten Hag’s side will fear no-one in the FA Cup either.
If anything, Sunday simply kept feet on the ground at Old Trafford and served as a reminder that they have a long way to go before they really are back.
Alan Smith
Returning to the Champions League was the number one priority at the beginning of the campaign and it still is now.
Considering how dysfunctional the entire club was in the second half of last season, they are ahead of schedule and Arsenal are proof of how quickly a team can become challengers with joined-up thinking.
United's squad remains a combination of players signed under several different managers dating back to Sir Alex Ferguson. So once Ten Hag can get the right faces to suit him in key positions - on recent evidence that is a goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at his feet, an improvement at right back and depth in central midfield - then they should be genuine contenders.
But, again, reaching the Champions League will determine what they can spend in the summer transfer window.
United are in a much better place than the start of the season (AFP via Getty Images)Where will Man Utd finish in the league this season? Have your say in the comments section
Tom Blow
Don't panic.
Sunday's game could have gone either way and United should take the positives out of their toe-to-toe clash with the new title favourites.
The Red Devils are not out of the title race yet - Gary Neville has even backed them to finish above Arsenal! They will also be wary of late top-four charges from Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Therefore, Ten Hag must keep playing his strongest team in the Premier League. A top-four finish would be a success after last season's debacle.
Overall, United are in a really good position. They'll be confident of winning both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup after being drawn at home to Reading in the latter competition.
Success in Europe will be difficult considering Barcelona's form, but not impossible.
To quote Rio Ferdinand, Ten Hag's at the wheel. Relax, United fans.
Josh O'Brien
If the question is what now for Manchester United, the answer is to surely simply sit tight and let Erik ten Hag work his magic.
In such a short space of time, the Dutchman has transformed the Red Devils and turned them from the perennial joke of the big-six to a candidate in the title discussion after just 20 Premier League games at the helm.
Arteta has been given time to build the side he wants (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)While Sunday's defeat at the Emirates would suggest a true title tilt may just be beyond reach this season, all the signs are there that with sufficient backing in the transfer market to iron out the small problems in the squad, such as a back-up midfielder and world-class striker, Ten Hag has the tools to turn United into a force once again.
All those at the top of the Old Trafford hierarchy need to do is look at the way Sunday's opponents Arsenal have entrusted Mikel Arteta, if they are willing to place a similar level of faith in Ten Hag then a similar level of success will likely follow soon enough.
Nathan Ridley
Stay the course with Erik ten Hag leading the charge.
Manchester United were never going to be in the title race come crunch time; this season is about growing as a team and finding out what their new manager can do. A long-awaited trophy must be the priority and Ten Hag recognises that.
Fans have had enough false dawns, talk of progress and top-four finishes, what truly matters is getting some silverware in the cabinet and learning how to win. Anything but success in the League Cup would be a failure at this stage and if United can beat Barcelona in the Europa League, they should fear no one.
This is not a time for United to panic (Getty Images)As for the bigger picture, finding a solution to the club's long-term striker problem needs to be at the top of the recruitment team's to-do list. Ten Hag's coaching is working, as are his signings, so whoever's running the show at Old Trafford - be it the Glazers or Sir Jim Ratcliffe - must back the impressive Dutchman.
His team are a way off Arsenal right now, but as the Gunners have demonstrated, things can change quickly.
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