da lvbet： United have generously backed their manager in the transfer market once more and the pressure will be cranked up when the season begins
da doce： “Good is not good enough,” is Erik ten Hag’s motto, so after a debut season that more than exceeded expectations, now is the time for Manchester United to step things up. And after a highly productive transfer window, there can be no excuses for the Red Devils not going even further next season.
In his first summer in charge, Ten Hag was allowed to spend a club record £210 million ($270m) to reboot a flailing squad that had just achieved the club's lowest points total in 30 years in the Premier League. Now, after leading the team to third place and a first major trophy in six years, the Dutchman has been generously backed again, handed a £170m ($218m) transfer warchest to ensure he can build on all the progress he has made.
In last summer’s transfer window, United adopted a bit of a scattergun approach to transfers, signing Casemiro after the shock defeats to Brighton and Brentford and paying well over the odds to sign Antony on transfer deadline day, despite the squad being well stocked with wide forwards.
But this year the club have engaged in targeted transfer activity that has addressed every area of the squad where weaknesses had been identified. Ten Hag has what he wanted and he has a sense of authority with the club’s hierarchy and the squad which his predecessors lacked.
He must respond by leading the team into a proper title race and push Manchester City all the way, while his side also need to make a real statement on their return to the Champions League.
Getty ImagesWeghorst and Martial weren't enough
The most obvious area where United needed to strengthen was up front. Despite finishing third in the Premier League last season, United scored only 58 goals, as many as ninth-placed Brentford and fewer than every other side who finished in the top six.
In countless games they created all types of chances, but were crying out for someone to bury the ball in the net, particularly in the narrow defeats to West Ham and Brighton in May. For the latter half of the season, their only options at centre-forward were Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst.
The former missed 31 matches through injury and during the whole season never managed to play 90 minutes. The latter ended the campaign with zero Premier League goals in 17 appearances.
AdvertisementGettyTowering Hojlund can fire up the attack
But signing Rasmus Hojlund should make United much more threatening up front. The Danish striker might still be raw and unproven, with just one season in one of Europe’s top five leagues under his belt, but he has huge potential.
He struck nine goals in Serie A for Atalanta, and while that might not sound like a lot for a £70m player, he only started 20 matches. And he has been in prolific form for Denmark, scoring six times in four matches, including a hat-trick on his debut.
Hojlund is built like a tank and should be able to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League, while he is devastatingly quick. He will also give United a focal point in attack which will take the pressure off wide forwards Marcus Rashford and Antony.
Whilst Harry Kane was the player Ten Hag and United fans dreamed of signing, the 20-year-old is an exciting prospect with a very high ceiling. And unlike the Tottenham striker, who has just turned 30, he could potentially spend the next 10 years or more at the club, or be sold for a large fee.
GettyBiting the bullet with De Gea
While the need for a striker was clear from the day Cristiano Ronaldo left the club, or arguably when he began pushing for a move over the previous summer, the need for a new goalkeeper was less clear. David de Gea had papered over his lack of ball-playing skills with consistent performances, and United were ready to hand him a new contract, albeit on reduced terms. But an error-strewn end to the season led to the club biting the bullet.
The final straw for United when it came to deciding on De Gea’s future was the fact that he no longer appeared to be a capable shot-stopper, which was underlined by his gaffe against West Ham and his poor performance in the FA Cup final.
Andre Onana’s performance in the Champions League final with Inter, meanwhile, showed how a forward-thinking, ball-playing goalkeeper can transform a team. At great risk to the club’s image, United made a U-turn on De Gea and went all out to get Onana, who was Ten Hag’s No. 1 at Ajax.
GettyOnana can open a world of possibilities
Onana's audacious performances against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund have excited fans, while his passion and mentality have also led to supporters warming to him already. His dribbling ability and passing range could unlock a world of possibilities for United and allow them to play in a completely different way to last season, when Ten Hag was forced to be pragmatic with De Gea after seeing he was not capable of playing out from the back with confidence and when under pressure.
Ten Hag had defended De Gea when he was feeling the heat of criticism, but he also did not hide his frustration over the Spaniard's lack of ability as a footballer. And he is clearly pleased to have signed Onana, who he has described as the best goalkeeper in the world when playing out.
"I think he proved it over the last seasons, but now he's coming to a new club and he has to prove it here,” the Dutchman said. “He has the potential and the skills in that aspect to improve our game and that will definitely help our team.”