Erik ten Hag’s Human Touch Reinvigorates Manchester United

The renovated briefing room at Manchester United’s Carrington training complex is dominated by a monochrome mural of matchgoers, a reminder to the players to play for the fans. During the Manchester derby, players such as Casemiro, Raphael Varane, Fred, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Harry Maguire engaged with the supporters. Even the quiet Aaron Wan-Bissaka roused the crowd with footwork befitting a dancefloor.
Manager Erik ten Hag has reconnected the players with the supporters. He urges the ‘singing section’ to live up to their billing and they do. Switching the dugouts has had an underrated effect, making the United bench not as distant and it feels as though there is a stream of energy between Ten Hag and the hardcore contingent by the tunnel that manager and supporters feed off.
Ten Hag has also been tactful in his management of Jadon Sancho and he forced the players to watch the first half of the Brentford debacle together in the briefing room. This was necessary in order to channel the negativity into the uplifting defeat of Liverpool nine days later.
Ten Hag has also added character to the team. Sources at United received feedback on one target that Ten Hag recommended, that he was a “lazy b—–d” and “difficult to manage”, and United have rooted out most of the rotten apples.
The commitment of players regular and rotated is unquestionable, and even Facundo Pellistri, who could be forgiven for feeling alienated, was as bright as a button on his long overdue debut against Charlton Athletic.
Ten Hag’s human touch has started to shine through and he has created a more harmonious dressing room to manage. With the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, the only player who abandoned the tenets of professionalism, and the steadfast performances of players such as Varane, Maguire and Rashford, United are a team for the present and the future.