Right from the start, Erik ten Hag insisted he would need to utilise his full squad this season. “You cannot win with 11 players,” he said in the summer.
“We need a squad, especially this season with so many games. We have the Europa League, the Premier League and the World Cup, so we need a full squad with high-quality players, not quantity.”
He has brought in nine players overall in his first two windows, albeit Martin Dubravka has already left after ending his loan deal early. Most of the signings have made a telling impact on the side with some now key starters.
READ MORE: Erik ten Hag on Sancho's time away from squad
Meanwhile, one player who was already at Old Trafford prior to Ten Hag's arrival has almost felt like a new signing for the Dutchman. Jadon Sancho had been warmly welcomed back into the fold after time away from the squad over the festive period.
Ten Hag should be applauded for the way he has handled Sancho’s situation, showing the full range of his man-management skills and swatting off any pigeon-holing of him being a pure taskmaster only.
The United boss has also unfurled another string to his bow which has pleasantly surprised onlookers. Sancho was the latest to highlight it when he netted the equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Leeds on Wednesday.
Ten Hag has consistently changed the complexion of games with his substitutions, evidencing his witty in-match reading talent. Of course, he would rather his starting line-up get it right the first time, and on many occasions they have.
But the Dutchman has shown he has the ability to squeeze out points when the contest looks to be edging away from United. His triple change against Nottingham Forest in their League Cup semi-final second leg, the encounter in which Sancho made his comeback, saw the scoreline on the night quickly go from 0-0 to 2-0.
The introduction of Alejandro Garnacho led to the youngster teeing up Marcus Rashford for the winning goal in last month’s Manchester derby. The decision to put on Anthony Martial against Liverpool and Omonia earlier in the season ended with his assists and goals winning the matches.
He also wasn't afraid to double substitute Garnacho for the "good of the team" when United were holding onto a one-goal lead after Casemiro's red card in his side's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
United fans should be encouraged by Ten Hag’s fallback cushion should proceedings not go as intended. This skill will be put to the test against Leeds and Barcelona this week with several players unavailable.
The Reds are missing a number of midfielders including Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay while Casemiro serves the second game of his three-match suspension on Sunday.
He will be back for Thursday's Europa League trip to Barcelona but the injured Antony and Martial may not be. Sancho’s timely return and Facundo Pellistri’s introduction will help somewhat while Kobbie Mainoo’s promising breakthrough gives an extra option in midfield, but Ten Hag is far away from full strength.
Times like these vindicate his earlier cry for a sizeable squad and his substitution skills will be tested to their full capacity over the next seven days.
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