Erik ten Hag has enjoyed a promising start to life at Manchester United despite failing to clinch a domestic double after losing the FA Cup final to treble-chasing neighbours Manchester City.
The Dutch tactician led the Red Devils to Carabao Cup success, ending a six-year trophy drought while ensuring Champions League football returns to Old Trafford with a third-place finish.
It has not been all sunshine and rainbows in his debut campaign at the Theatre of Dreams, but for the first time in a long while, there is cause for optimism for what the future holds.
Here’s Manchester United’s 2022/23 season review.
Player of the Year: Marcus Rashford
After shaking off last season’s disappointment, Rashford notched 30 goals across all competition and set up a further 11, finishing as the club’s top scorer and by some distance.
The 25-year-old enjoyed the best goalscoring campaign of his career and became the first Man United player to score 30+ goals in a single season since Robin Van Persie in 2012/13 (also 30).
Performance of the season
After shrugging off their early season fiasco, Man United embarked on a four-game winning streak that saw them get the better of both Liverpool and Arsenal.
A narrow 2-1 victory over Man City in mid-January also stands out, but the 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in February that halted their trophyless spell was the cream of the crop.
Ten Hag’s side struggled against the Magpies in the Premier League (D1, L1), but goals from Casemiro and Rashford earned them a comfortable victory at Wembley.
Disappointment of the season
Between being handed a 6-3 thrashing by Man City at the start of October and their catastrophic 7-0 humbling against Liverpool in March, Man United were dealt some significant blows this season.
However, defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side in the FA Cup final will sting the Devils more, especially with the Cityzens now one win away from joining them in the Premier League’s treble-winning club.
Man City were not at their free-flowing best, yet Ten Hag’s side failed to muster a performance good enough to thwart their local rivals, with Ilkay Gundogan netting a brace to clinch the title.
The distance between both sides was conspicuous, and Man United need substantial reinforcements to close the gap and bolster their chances of competing for the biggest prizes next term.
What do the stats say?
There has been a significant improvement from last season’s disastrous campaign – not least with their league position as Man United finished third in the Premier League rankings.
They accumulated 75 points (W23, D6, L9) – their highest tally since finishing as runners-up to Man City in 2017/18 (81), which further typifies how much the club has improved under Ten Hag.
However, their goalscoring record shows why a lethal striker is Ten Hag’s priority, as Man United racked up 58 goals (1.5 per match) – the lowest of any side in the top six.
To be fair, they created 84 big chances (2.9 per match), and their attacking return could have been significantly higher if they did not hit the woodwork 20 times – the third-highest in the division.
Man United’s defensive record was fairly impressive compared to previous campaigns. They conceded 43 goals (1.1 per match) – their lowest since shipping in 36 in 2019/20, while their 17 clean sheets is the highest in the division.
Verdict
Man United’s campaign was far from perfect, but the supporters can be proud of how the season panned out despite the Wembley heartbreak.
Ten Hag has proven he has what it takes to bring the glory days back to the Theatre of Dreams, but he will need substantial backing this summer to pick up the pieces and go harder next season.
Returning to the Champions League was the primary target, and Ten Hag has checked that box, adding the league cup trophy as icing on the cake.
The Dutchman has shown strength in the face of adversity to navigate the club through a difficult period, so there are plenty of reasons for Mancunians to be hopeful of a bright future under his leadership.
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