Erik ten Hag was perhaps ahead of schedule in his first season at Manchester United, but former United player Rio Ferdinand has supported the Dutchman to keep going despite the difficulty of keeping his developing squad happy.
Last season, United finished third in the Premier League, earning 17 more points than the previous season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. After qualifying for the Champions League, which was far from guaranteed after two defeats in the first two games, they have spent lavishly for the second summer in a row.
Andre Onana, Mason Mount, and Rasmus Hojlund have been joined to a squad that has been enhanced by £200 million in talent in Ten Hag’s first window, which could leave certain players dissatisfied with their game time. Now it’s a matter of keeping the squad in control while reminding periphery players that they’re still a part of the team, and Ferdinand believes Ten Hag has already demonstrated the ability to do so.
“I think any successful team needs to keep big players happy,” stated TNT Sports analyst Ferdinand. “Invariably, you have 22 players who all expect to play, and we know that can’t happen for everyone, and you have to be able to handle that.”
“And being able to handle people, personalities, and characters is a huge part of any manager’s job, and that’s a test that Erik ten Hag will have to face this season.” He appears to be okay with doing that since… he was very comfortable with the big moments that came up last season, so I don’t see it as an issue.”
The key occasions mentioned by Ferdinand touch a variety of squad members, some of whom are still at Old Trafford and others who have moved on. Most notably, Cristiano Ronaldo left in November after falling out of Ten Hag’s starting lineup, letting United to move on from the Portugal international’s difficult second season back at the club.
After being dropped for ‘internal disciplinary reasons’ – later revealed to be the England international’s late arrival to a squad meeting – Ronaldo’s former teammate Marcus Rashford appeared to answer to the manager’s satisfaction. The next problem for Ten Hag will be keeping Harry Maguire happy if he stays but falls further down the pecking order after losing the captaincy this summer.