Following defeat in the first ever Manchester Derby FA Cup final yesterday, manager Erik ten Hag is facing a critical summer transfer window. The transfer window plans have certainly not been helped by all the questions hanging over the club ownership situation.
We’ll see if the Glazers stay on, or British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe achieves a partial takeover, or even Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim succeeds in his attempt for full take over.
Ten Hag says that he has already articulated his transfer window plans and ideas to the club brass.
“I have only one plan, that is to improve this club and to improve this team,” the Dutchman said in the FA Cup post match presser.
“I have my ideas and I already told the club what we have to do for that but I have to work with my staff, with my players to be better next season. It’s not about getting players in and they do well. It’s about we work all season and day by day to develop the team, progress the team. I’m very proud where we came from in the start of the season.”
That last point he made, in those series of comments, is key. United lost to Brighton, badly, in the season opener, and then week two saw a blowout at the hands of Brentford.
At that time, you actually saw lots of social media users posting that MUFC could be relegated this season. Jokingly, half-jokingly, whatever the case may be.
However, United rebounded, saw a week or two in mid-season where the idea of their being league title contenders wasn’t far-fetched, and their finish in the table was actually third; three places higher than last season.
They also went extremely deep in both the UEL and FA Cup tournaments, while finally ending the club’s half-decade trophy drought- beating Newcastle on Feb 26 in the League Cup Final.
Indeed Ten Hag is right- progress was certainly made in 2022-23.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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