In his opening season as Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag has delivered a trophy, secured Champions League football for next season and he also gave his supporters a trip to Wembley for the FA Cup final.
Although United were a long way behind rivals Manchester City and Arsenal in terms of being title contenders, the Dutchman will be hoping he can build upon what his side achieved in the 2022/23 campaign.
United Fourth Best in Next Season’s Title Betting
Ten Hag’s side have opened as fourth best at 17/2 in the Premier League title betting at https://www.paddypower.com/bet for next season. Those odds indicate United have a lot more work to do if they are to challenge for the league championship again.
City finished the season very strongly, and with Guardiola at the helm, they are likely to be one of the leading sports tips for the title next season. The Spaniard will not allow his players to become complacent, as they bid for a fourth title in a row, something which has been achieved before in the Premier League era.
United will look to the transfer window to try and strengthen their squad. They have been linked with some big names, including Harry Kane, Neymar and Leon Goretzka. If they can secure players of that ability, it will help Ten Hag compete with the likes of City and Arsenal.
Unrest Now Forgotten
One of the early challenges Ten Hag faced at United was the argument he had with club legend Cristiano Ronaldo. The United board opted to stand by their manager in the saga, as did the majority of Manchester United fans.
Ronaldo has achieved so much with United in his two spells, but Ten Hag felt he was being undermined by the Portuguese footballer. As you can read in their official statement at https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/man-utd-official-statement-on-cristiano-ronaldo-22-november-2022, the club opted to release the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, and it did not impact their form for the rest of the season.
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That battle with Ronaldo showed strength from Ten Hag. It ensured he earned the respect of the dressing room, and it sent a message that the former Ajax boss was not going to be an easy touch.
Mixed Results in Cup Finals
United were victorious in the opening domestic cup competition of the season when they defeated Newcastle in the EFL Cup final. That was the Reds’ first major trophy since they won the Europa League in 2017.
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Ten Hag fielded a strong side throughout last season’s EFL Cup campaign, and he was rewarded for those team selections. They had wins over Aston Villa, Burnley, Charlton and Nottingham Forrest before reaching the final.
In the FA Cup, United had to overcome Everton, Reading, West Ham, Fulham and Brighton to advance through to the final. They played their part in creating the first-ever Manchester Derby in the final. Unfortunately for Ten Hag’s side, they were unable to record a domestic cup double.
When he reflects on how his first season has gone, Ten Hag is sure to be proud of a lot of his achievements. However, he will be fully aware, there is a lot of hard work still to be done if United are to be where they need to be.
