After losing the first game of the World Cup, Argentina won the final championship; after losing the first two games of the season, Manchester United is now only 1 point behind second-ranked Manchester City, and has returned to the Premier League title.
2 to 1 reversal of Manchester City, Manchester United ushered in a ten-game winning streak at home. In these ten games, the Red Devils scored a total of 26 goals, conceded only 4 goals, and kept a clean sheet in 7 games. No wonder, Bruno, who scored the equalizer, said bluntly after the game, "Now we finally play like a team. A few months ago, some players were fighting on their own." At the beginning of the season, it was still a mess, but ten Hag was the one who looked completely new after half a year.
Change starts from the details
Before the start of the Manchester Derby, almost all the mainstream British media contributed an article about how Manchester United was reborn under Ten Hag. In all fairness, those words of unreserved praise for the Dutch once gave people the illusion that Manchester United had won the Premier League crown. But it turns out that the praise for Ten Hag is not groundless. Under the unfavorable situation of falling behind by one goal, Manchester United completed the reversal within three minutes. Although there is great controversy about the equalization goal-the referee Atwell did not look at VAR , but after communicating with the linesman, he made a subjective penalty, thinking that although Rashford was in an offside position, he did not participate in the offense.
In fact, this is not the first time Atwell has been involved in controversy. Last season, in Manchester City's 2-1 victory over Arsenal, he first awarded Manchester City a controversial penalty and then sent two yellow cards in a row Arsenal defender Gabriel was sent off. In the two controversial incidents, Manchester City was one of the protagonists, but the results were very different.
But it is undeniable that Manchester United played a remarkable game, especially compared to the 3-6 tragedy in October last year. And this crucial victory not only allowed Manchester United to squeeze into the top three, but also enabled Ten Hag to defeat Klopp, Conte, Arteta and Guardio after only 6 months as Manchester United coach pull.
However, if we turn the clock back to August last year, not many fans would have had much confidence in United's prospects. It was an apocalyptic start for any manager who has just taken over a team. The consecutive losses to Brighton and Brentford gave Ten Hag a blow. Everyone knows that the Premier League is not the Eredivisie, and the honors achieved at Ajax can be reset to zero. He has to do everything possible to wake up the sleepy team as soon as possible.
After being defeated by Brentford 0-4, Ten Hag canceled the team's rest day on the second day and took the lead in leading the team to run 13.8 kilometers. More distance covered than Manchester United. Ten Hag's actions obviously inspired the Manchester United players. Bruno said, "It was supposed to be a rest day, but as a coach, he accepted the punishment together. This let us know that the coach and the players are fighting side by side and sharing the joys and sorrows."
Although Ten Hag will share weal and woe with the players, he will never be soft on some issues of principle. According to British media, Ten Hag attaches great importance to the discipline of the team and the control of details. During Solskjaer's coaching period, the Norwegian always gave the outside world a feeling of double standards, which caused dissatisfaction among some players. However, after Ten Hag took over, the discipline of the team is the same for everyone, whether it is a veteran or a young man, without any special treatment.
Cristiano Ronaldo's turmoil can best reflect Ten Hag's rigidity. After Manchester United's No. 7 refused to accept the management, the Dutch coach did not give in to the superstar. In the end, Ronaldo had to leave. In addition to big names like Ronaldo, Rashford, who is in hot form, was late for a team meeting because he overslept, and had to accept the penalty of returning to the bench. The same is true for Ganacho, who was twice suspended for four games by the team for being late.
On the first day of Manchester United's summer tour, Ten Hag told the players in all kinds of clothes: in the future, the whole team must dress in the same way in training, games and any public occasions. , and the whole team must be together. In addition, Ten Hag also requires that the training base and the home turf be cut to the same length, and the players' water bottles should be arranged in a straight line instead of randomly placed. In order to get to know the players thoroughly, he talks with the players individually every week to ensure enough interaction and motivation.
Successful signings and training
There is no doubt that Ten Hag's spiritual improvement to Manchester United is obvious. Even if they are behind Manchester City at home, it is difficult for you to see the disappointed expressions on the faces of Manchester United players. They know the importance of fighting to the last moment. What's more, it's still at Old Trafford. But this is obviously only one part of Manchester United's victory. The Dutch's success in signings and training players may be the most important reason for the Red Devils to reverse their decline.
When Manchester United signed Casemiro for 70 million, cab portal doubted whether he, who was over 30 years old, was worth the Red Devils spending a lot of money. But the Brazilian quickly proved that he is still a world-class midfielder, not only playing a vital role on the defensive end. In the past five games, Manchester United's No. 18 has also contributed 3 assists and 1 goal. Excellent interception and scheduling allow Eriksson and Bruno to more easily display their talents on the offensive end.
Martinez is another successful signing. At the beginning of the season, he was not favored because of his short stature. He successfully conquered Manchester United fans with his "butcher" temperament, leadership and organizational skills in the backcourt. , ESPN commented, "Martinez is the kind of player who can make his teammates improve in the game. De Gea, Luke Shaw, and Dalot have played like this this season."
The success of signings proves Ten Hag's vision. Ten Hag's real skill lies in the training of players who were originally in a low period. Luke Shaw, who played well in the Manchester Derby, is one of them. At the beginning of the season, he could only serve as a substitute left back. When the team's central defender suffered extensive injuries, he was unexpectedly pushed to the front line. What was even more unexpected was that the 27-year-old played steadily since then. Occupying a main position, Lindelof and Maguire can only be pressed firmly on the bench.
The biggest surprise came from Rashford. When Ten Hag joined Manchester United, Rashford was experiencing the lowest point of his career. He lost his position in the national team. In the Premier League last season, he played 25 games but only scored 4 goals. The arrival of Ketenhag changed everything. Whether playing left winger or center forward, Ten Hag gave Rashford absolute trust, and Rashford also repaid the trust of the Dutchman with active running and uninterrupted goals.
After breaking through the gate guarded by Ederson, Rashford's goals in the Premier League came to 67 goals, as many as 27 of which were winning goals, which also made him the player who scored more than 50 goals in the history of the Premier League. The player with the highest goal-winning efficiency (40.3%). This is not over yet, the England striker has scored 19 goals in the past 31 games in all competitions, scored in 9 consecutive home games, scored in 7 consecutive games, and has scored the most goals since the end of the World Cup players from the top five European leagues.
hope trumps all
The change of players certainly has their own efforts, but there is no doubt that Manchester United's current strong momentum is largely due to Ten Hag, he made the team more cohesive, and he chose the most suitable players for the team , and unleash their fullest potential. The record speaks for itself. Since losing the Manchester Derby 3-6 away in October last year, Manchester United has only lost 1 of the last 19 games, and has 12 wins and 1 loss in the last 13 games.
Ten Hag's ability to lead Manchester United out of desperation comes from his desire for victory and his study of football day after day. Of course, those Dutch coaches who are famous in the world of football also gave him endless nutrition. Not long ago, in an official interview with the Premier League, Ten Hag talked about the four coaches who had the deepest influence on him. It is not surprising that Van Gaal, Cruyff, and Michels were mentioned. It is the inspiration for all young Dutch coaches. But what he wants to thank most is former Twente coach Keith Rivers.
"I had the honor of working with him for two years when I was playing at Twente and I learned so much from him, his philosophy of football, how to build a team, how to attack from the back, how to attack from the back. The spirit of building the team, he had the biggest influence on me."
Ten Hag had already made up his mind to be a coach when he was a player. When he was still playing football, he obtained UEFA's C-level and B-level certificates. On the day he hung up his boots, he had already obtained the A-level certificate. , And step by step took the coach seat of Old Trafford.
After suffering a shock at the start, Ten Hag managed to stay calm and became the fastest coach in Manchester United's history to win 20 wins in all competitions. Of course, Manchester United's full support for him is also one of the factors for the team's victory. The club has learned from the experience and lessons of continuous coaching changes in the past, and they have given Ten Hag enough patience and unconditional support. In the Ronaldo incident, the club stood firmly behind Ten Hag. As for signings, the club also tried its best to meet the Dutchman's request. Whether it was buying Anthony, Casemiro, or Martinez, Manchester United would Never hesitate. Verhorst, who joined during the winter break, is also a member of Ten Hag's plan.
Although Manchester United has not yet returned to the heights where Ferguson once dominated English football, cab portal believes that Ten Hag has at least given Manchester United fans hope of recovery. As he himself said after the game, "Obviously, we have made progress. But we still have a long way to go.”