Focused Ten Hag winning the discipline war at United
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring before the goal is ruled out for handball during the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Picture David Davies/PA Wire.
In his post-match media conference at Molineux, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was brutal when asked to comment on Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. “I don't talk about the past,” Ten Hag said, “let's talk about the future.”
It was a short, sharp and necessary slapdown, and it suggests that the manager will not let up in his battle to impose his rule as a way of making United successful again. Ronaldo’s explosive television interview with Piers Morgan in November was a huge test of Ten Hag’s authority at Old Trafford; that the manager came through it on top is a sign that he has the strength of character needed for the job.
Just as crucially, Ten Hag knows when to forgive a transgressor. His decision to drop Marcus Rashford to the bench for the match at Wolves for being late to a team meeting was another clear signal that rules are for everyone, however big a name they are. But the decision to bring him on at half-time, with United’s attack struggling for inspiration, showed that Ten Hag will not let pride get in the way of the team’s needs. Knowing when to encourage, and when to criticise, is a crucial skill for any manager, in any field.
In Ten Hag, United have got someone better equipped in that area than some of his recent predecessors. And for Rashford, the value of being wide awake is now all too clear.
His alertness on the pitch was there for all to see at Molineux. Without him, United had lacked the necessary spark against opponents who look ready to scrap for every point in their fight for Premier League survival.
With 14 minutes left, and United still labouring, the England forward gave the manager exactly the response he had hoped for.
Out wide on the left, Rashford cut inside, exchanged passes with Bruno Fernandes, and then accelerated into space, leaving Wolves’ defenders trailing. Facing a goalkeeper, in Jose Sa, who had looked unbeatable to that point, the forward slotted coolly into the net. On the touchline, Ten Hag leapt into the air, and looked all over the proud teacher, thrilled that his star pupil had taken the lesson on board.
It didn’t all go Rashford’s way – a second goal was ruled out rightly for handball in the closing moments, and there was an unnecessary booking too for kicking the ball away. But the numbers suggest this is a player getting back to his best.
Rashford has 11 club goals for the season, and has now scored three times in three games since returning from the World Cup; United have won five matches in a row. If there were any doubts that a player who struggled under Ralf Rangnick’s management last season is thriving now, they have surely been dispelled.
With the Premier League gathering momentum again after the World Cup break, Rashford and Co are well placed in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. That, realistically, is the limit of United’s ambitions at the moment. Become top-four regulars again, and then maybe the build towards a serious title challenge can begin. For Rashford, winning games such as the one at Molineux is at least a step in the right direction.
“We’re striving to be the best we can be,” he said. “I think for a team that’s developing, you have to be able to win games in that fashion. I’m really pleased we managed to do it.”
For a long time on Saturday, victory looked as if it would elude United. Two good first-chances had come and gone, with Alejandro Garnacho denied by Sa in a one-on-one following Nelson Semedo’s woeful underhit back pass, and the goalkeeper then getting across to keep out Antony’s close-range stooping header.
It wasn’t entirely a defensive operation from Wolves either; United keeper David de Gea made two fine second-half saves, showing strong hands to push away Ruben Neves free-kick when the game was still goalless, and then making a brilliant reaction save as substitute Raul Jimenez powered a header goalwards from a corner. Had Wolves earned a point, few from Old Trafford would have been able to argue convincingly that it was undeserved.
That in itself gave encouragement for Wolves new manager Julen Lopetegui, who has also worked to improve discipline behind the scenes since his appointment and has already effected improvements in his players’ performances.
“I think we deserved a better result because the players have put in a big effort against a team as big as Manchester United,” Lopetegui said. “We had our chances, but they showed their quality.
“We had chances to do much more. We had a lot of situations where we had an overload of players and with better decision making we could have made more of that. I am sad for the players because they deserved more, but we have to continue believing and working very hard.”
For now, Wolves remain in the relegation zone, but it hard to see them remaining there for long if they keep playing as well as this. United will need to play better than this to maintain their own momentum, but the good news for Ten Hag is that, even when they don’t, they have a forward who can make all the difference.
Sa 8; Semedo 6 (Jonny 65, 6), Collins 7, Kilman 7, Bueno 7 (Gomes 73, 6); Nunes 7, Neves 7; Hwang 7, Moutinho 7 (Ait-Nouri 72, 6), Podence 7 (Jimenez 81, 6); Costa 6 (A Traore 46, 7).
Subs not used: Sarkic, B Traore, Guedes, Hodge.
De Gea 7; Wan-Bissaka 7, Varane 7, Shaw 7, Malacia 7; Eriksen 6 (Fred 61, 6), Casemiro 6; Antony 6 (Elanga 90+3, 6), Fernandes 7 (Maguire 90+3, 6), Garnacho 6 (Rashford 46, 9); Martial 6 (Van de Beek 81, 6).
Heaton, Lindelof, Williams, Mainoo.
Robert Jones
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