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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall & James Quinlan

Erik ten Hag's big decisions prove he's capable of further improving Manchester United

Peter Schmeichel feels Erik ten Hag should look back on his first season at Manchester United in a positive manner given what has been achieved this season.

Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford last summer from Dutch side Ajax. He joined the club on the back of a sixth place finish in the Premier League and ahead of a Europa League campaign with United having missed out on a place in the Champions League.

In his maiden campaign in charge of United, Ten Hag oversaw a return to Europe's elite competition following a third placed finish in the top flight. Despite the FA Cup final loss at the hands of Manchester City, the Dutchman claimed silverware and ended United's six-year trophy drought after the Reds won the Carabao Cup in February.

READ MORE: Mount responds to question about joining United as teammate pleads for him to stay

The Dutchman has also dealt with difficult situations over the past 12 months, such as the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from the club and dropping top scorer Marcus Rashford for being late to a team meeting after oversleeping.

And former United goalkeeper Schmeichel feels those are examples of Ten Hag setting the standard he wants at Old Trafford. The Dane, who won the Treble with United in 1999, feels United have exceeded expectations this season, despite ending the campaign on a disappointing note at Wembley.

He told Match of the Day: "He has to look back at this season with positive eyes. He changed a lot, he had opportunities that he took in order to set the rules, this is how he wants it.

"Whether it be Rashford arriving late or Ronaldo, he really showed everyone who is the boss. He set standards and told them precisely what he wants, and they got a result out of it.

"They got one trophy and of course finished in third in the Premier League. It’s better than what we expected so he’s going to be disappointed now."

A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here

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