Manchester United: Five standout moments under Erik Ten Hag

In the summer of 2022, Erik Ten Hag was appointed as Manchester United manager, taking the stead of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer as permanent boss and directly succeeding caretaker coach Ralf Rangnick.

Ten Hag’a appointment was the eighth managerial appointment ( permanent or interim) Manchester United had undergone since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

On Monday, October 28, 2024, the Dutch manager was relieved of his duties after an underwhelming start to the 2024-25 season.

With 128 games under his belt as manager, of which 72 were wins, 20 draws, and 36 defeats, Ten Hag leaves United with a relatively decent record.

However, the problem that withheld United was how easily they creaked under pressure and capitulated against the big boys, often leaving fans distraught.

Regardless of that, there were some standout memories United and Ten Hag made in almost three years.

3Sports takes a look at five unforgettable memories under Ten Hag.

 

Manchester United win first trophy in six years

When the final whistle went at Wembley to signal the end of the Carabao Cup final, a huge roar -almost indicative of pent-up emotions – was let out by the United fans at Wembley on February 26, 2023.

Manchester United defeated Newcastle 2-0, with Marcus Rashford and Casemiro getting the goals for the Red Devils to seal the first trophy of the Ten Hag era and the first in six years.

United had long struggled for major honours since Jose Mourinho won the Europa League and Carabao Cup in the 2016-17 season, but Ten Hag brought the feel-good factor back as he managed to win a huge part of the fanbase with the win.

Manchester United beat city rivals to FA Cup glory

In a repeat of the 2023 FA Cup final, Manchester United and Man City squared off yet again at Wembley with the Emirates FA Cup on the line last season.

In what was one of the best performances of Ten Hag’s tenure as United boss, the Red Devils sealed a comfortable 2-1 win over Manchester City with youngsters Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo bagging the goals.

That victory – amidst calls to get Ten Hag out of the job- bought time for the former Ajax manager, leading to the club’s new hierarchy keeping faith in him.

The FA Cup glory also marked Ten Hag’s second trophy as manager of the team.

Manchester United defeat long-time rivals Barcelona 2-1

For a long time, United have struggled when facing Spanish sides, not least Barcelona. Barcelona got the better of the Red Devils in the 2009 and 2011 Uefa Champions League finals, clinching their third and fourth trophies at the time.

The Catalans have proven to be a difficult opponent for Manchester United but in the return leg of the 2022-23 Europa League round of 16 tie (after the first leg ended 2-2 at Camp Nou), it was divine retribution for United.

After going down 1-0 via a Lewandoski spot kick, Brazilian duo Fred and Antony delivered the sucker punches as United beat Barcelona for the first time since 2008.

Liverpool put to the sword to kick-start Erik ten Hag era

After two defeats in his opening two league games as manager, pressure was mounting on Ten Hag to turn the tide around. The gigantic leap from the Eredivisie to the Premier League, per some pundits, was an enormous one, which Ten Hag was not ready to make.

A defeat to Liverpool and the Glaser family would not have required a third party (INEOS) to come in after two years to hand Ten Hag is dismissal letter.

However, English duo Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford ensured Ten Hag stayed long enough to enjoy the early morning sunshine in Manchester. United ended up beating their fierce rivals 2-1 in a make-or-break tie, kicking on from there.

Had United lost, perhaps Erik would have been a distant memory to what he is now.

United out-class Arsenal 3-1 at Old Trafford

After picking up the all-important win against Liverpool at Old Trafford in his first season, United had a spring in their step as they came up against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side in the league.

Till that point, that was the best performance churned out by Ten Hag’s team, who were ruthless on the break and in transition.

Although playing at home, United allowed Arsenal to have the ball and utilized the pace of Rashford to get in behind Arsenal’s high line. Rashford finished the game with a brace as Antony marked his debut with a goal as well.

United were flawless on the day as Ten Hag showcased a glimpse of what could have been, rather than what was.

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