Erik ten Hag has set a new precedent at Old Trafford this season – earn your place in the starting eleven.
His decision to leave experienced players such as club captain Harry Maguire and five-time Ballon D’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench has only further proven to his squad that their status and history at the club do not equate to guaranteed time on the pitch.
Erik ten Hag Will Not Reward Poor Performances With Game-Time This Season
He Has Bolstered His Squad Wisely This Summer
Manchester United began their 2022/2023 Premier League campaign poorly and ended the second match-week in 20th place, after falling victim to two defeats in two games. They conceded six goals across the two opening matches, with four of those goals conceded in only 35 minutes against Brentford.
Manchester United Are in Top Form as of Late
They then faced rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on August 22, with the odds stacked firmly against them. Ten Hag opted to make three major changes to the lineup; Ronaldo, Maguire and Luke Shaw were all set for a stint on the substitute bench after all three players offered lacklustre performances against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford.
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The Manchester side completed a triumphant 2-1 win over Jurgen Klopp’s side that saw them cruise above Liverpool in the league table. Maguire’s replacement Lisandro Martinez was awarded Player of the Match for his dominant performance at centre-back alongside Raphael Varane, whilst Tyrell Malacia looked a promising alternative to Shaw in the left-back position.
Surprisingly, Ronaldo was barely missed amongst the attackers, as it was goals from the young Englishmen Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford that secured the Reds’ three points.
Ten Hag Has Found a Suitable Starting Eleven to Secure Wins
Ten Hag was so impressed with his team’s efforts that game, that he chose to deploy the same lineup for the following two fixtures against Southampton and Leicester City – both resulted in 1-0 wins for United, meaning David de Gea and his solid backline picked up their first clean sheets of the season.
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There was one change on the team sheet when the Red Devils faced Arsenal on September 4; their newest arrival Antony replaced Anthony Elanga in the front three. The Brazilian netted his debut goal and Rashford added two goals and an assist to his tally as United saw out an emphatic 3-1 victory, consequently ending the Gunners’ five-game unbeaten run and moving to fifth place in the league.
🤩 @B_Fernandes8 is ALL of us right now 🙌#MUFC || #MUNARS pic.twitter.com/VdUrBH4w0R
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 4, 2022
New Arrivals Key for United’s Change in Results
Many of the club’s outfield signings this summer have already proven their worth; Christian Eriksen, Martinez and Malacia look irreplaceable in the lineup at the moment.
Antony is likely to replace Elanga for the upcoming games given his instant impact against Arsenal, whereas Casemiro is still yet to make his full debut as a starter, as he adjusts to the pace of the Premier League.
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The likes of Ronaldo, Maguire, Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Fred and Scott McTominay were all regular starters under the reign of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. This is the first time in years that they have felt their place in the squad threatened by quality alternatives.
The players know that a bad performance, like many of them have offered in recent seasons, will result in them being omitted from the lineup by Erik ten Hag or sitting on the bench, rather than having the reassurance that they would start the following fixture as normal.
