5 questions Erik ten Hag still needs to answer before Man Utd's season kicks off
Manchester United have finished their pre-season and are now preparing to kick off their Premier League campaign against Wolves on Monday.
Erik ten Hag has overseen eight games over the past month and now has a good idea of where his squad stands ahead of the 2023/24 season. United have spent over £170million to bring in Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund in the summer transfer window.
With a debut season behind him and decent investment in new players, Ten Hag will be eyeing an improvement when the campaign begins. But while he appears to be making progress, there remain some uncertainties surrounding the Dutchman and his plans.
Here Mirror Football casts an eye over the most pressing question marks for Ten Hag as we stand on the brink of a new season.
1. Are more additions needed?
United have landed their three main targets, but they still have a further 23 days left until the window closes on September 1 to make further additions. The word from United is that they are happy with the business they have done and are not actively working on any more deals.
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
There have been strong links to Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who Ten Hag knows well having worked with him at Utrecht, but his £30m price tag appears to be too much for United at present.
Hojlund provides goalscoring back-up to Marcus Rashford and Onana replaces David de Gea, but is another goalkeeper needed? Much will depend on departures over the coming weeks, with Dean Henderson, Fred, Scott McTominay and Eric Bailly among those linked with moves.
Sofyan Amrabat has been linked with Manchester United (Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)2. Will he solve the Maguire problem?
Speaking of departures, there’s an elephant in the room at Carrington at present. Harry Maguire is in limbo at United, having been stripped of the captaincy and relegated to the B team in pre-season.
He was berated by Onana in the defeat by Borussia Dortmund and given a verbal volley from youngster Dan Gore against Athletic Bilbao. The two incidents were indicative of his standing and confidence at present.
Ten Hag has made it clear that Maguire is below Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez in the pecking order. But is keeping him around a wise idea, or should United push for a sale? Having an experienced and possibly bitter ex-captain around, on £200,000 per week, could cause problems in the dressing room.
3. How does Hojlund fit in?
Rasmus Hojlund signed for £72m (Manchester United via Getty Imag)Hojlund was unveiled to the Old Trafford crowd on Saturday before the 3-1 win over Lens. The 20-year-old striker has arrived nursing an injury, meaning he won’t go straight into the United side, and he is yet to be given a shirt number.
But the question remains: how will he slot into the side when he is fit and raring to go? The Danish international is a centre-forward so is likely to be used down the middle in Ten Hag’s preferred 4-3-3 formation. He contributed 10 goals last season for Atalanta, but can he provide proper back-up to Marcus Rashford?
Patience will be the order of the day with the youngster, but a transfer fee of £72m puts immediate pressure on. Ten Hag will have to manage that and protect his star signing.
4. How will he balance the midfield?
Mason Mount played alongside Casemiro vs Lens (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)Ten Hag’s line-up for the Lens game offered a telling glimpse into his first-choice line-up, with the team the following day against Athletic Bilbao much weaker. Mount lined up alongside Casemiro in central midfield, with captain Bruno Fernandes operating in a more advanced role.
Mount is at his best when given the freedom to roam forward with the ball and lead the press without the ball. It will take time for things to click in the middle of the park, but it seems Mount will replace Christian Eriksen in the starting XI, with Fred and McTominay potentially leaving for pastures new.
Man Utd deadline day live updates as Sabitzer completes loan move
The injury sustained by Kobbie Mainoo was poorly timed for the 18-year-old midfielder, who had been given plenty of opportunities in pre-season. It will be interesting to see how Ten Hag balances things in the middle of the park, especially against strong opponents.
5. Can he tailor the influence of Onana?
Andre Onana has had an eventful start at Manchester United (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)The signing of Onana to replace De Gea was very much driven by Ten Hag, who wanted his old Ajax keeper and was willing to sanction a £43m investment to make it happen.
The idea is obvious: Onana is good with the ball at his feet and his addition will allow United to play out from the back more easily. The Cameroon international will step up and give United the benefit of 11 outfield players in possession.
The downsides have been evident already too, notably when Onana was lobbed in the 3-1 win over Lens, who took advantage of his high positioning.
Onana is keen to be a leader at the back and wasted no time in marking his mark, shouting at Maguire in the Dortmund game. He said post-match “I am responsible for everything, especially when we concede goals," Onana told MUTV. "I’m the big man at the back so I take all the criticism, all the responsibility is on me." De Gea was far less vocal on field and, at least appeared to be, far less demanding of those around him.
Ten Hag is banking on his new stopper to make a big impact and a big difference to the entire side. The relationships Onana builds throughout the side will be critical if United are going to make a big leap forwards in 2023-24... but not all on-field personalities mesh immediately, if at all. Ten Hag needs to be aware which ones work from the off and which could potentially be problematic.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
