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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Tom Doyle

Picking Erik ten Hag's most important Manchester United player just got more difficult

Erik ten Hag has ended Manchester United's trophy drought at the first time of asking - not bad for a manager dubbed 'Erik Ten Months' after a slow start to life at Old Trafford.

United's 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle ended the club's six-year wait for silverware. The Dutch coach has ruled with blend of firmness and fairness, cancelling the squad's day off following a 4-0 defeat at Brentford and doling out a 13.8km run as punishment - but also joining the run himself for his part in the debacle.

Cristiano Ronaldo was shown the exit door following an extraordinary interview with Piers Morgan; even Marcus Rashford was dropped for oversleeping for a team meeting. Such decisions have left the squad in no doubt as to what happens when they cross the line set by Ten Hag. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Ten Hag's short tenure so far is the mentality he has built within the squad. The players all know the standards they must live up to in terms of mentality, tactics and ability, and there is no room for sentiment - just ask Harry Maguire.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Join the debate about who Ten Hag's most important player is right here.

Bigger challenges await, but Ten Hag has already built a squad capable of delivering trophies - now what we want to know is who you think his most important player is. Marcus Rashford is in the form of his life, ripping defences apart and replacing the goal burden of Ronaldo. Bruno Fernandes is now the de-facto captain, creating chances and leading from the front.

Casemiro has proved the doubters wrong, dominating midfield battles and still looking every inch the player who helped Real Madrid to multiple Champions League triumphs. Raphael Varane has appeared to tame his injury problems, exuding the calm authority of the world-class centre-back he always has been, while Lisandro Martinez has proved size isn't everything, adding bite along with an underrated reading of the game.

We also want you to tell us where Ten Hag ranks among the club's managers in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Does his great reset and a trophy immediately make him the number one boss post-Fergie, or does he need more to unseat the likes of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Louis van Gaal?

Once you have voted for United's most important player and where Ten Hag ranks among the post-Ferguson managers, join the debate in the comments section here.

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