The Latino-Dutch defence
It feels a trick of the mind that Raphael Varane was, briefly, the fourth-choice centre-back at Manchester United in the summer when there are not three centre-backs on the planet who are superior.
Since Varane was recalled for the uplifting 2-1 win over Liverpool, United have conceded two goals in six hours of football. They have lost all three matches Varane has not started in.
Varane followed his own fitness programme during pre-season when he did not complete double sessions and while Erik ten Hag suggested he had eased him back into the team, the United manager outlined as early as mid-July that Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire would be the starting centre halves.
Also read: Van de Beek has to follow Ten Hag's advice
Ten Hag has changed the makeup of the back four, discarding the Anglo duo of Maguire and Luke Shaw in favour of continental nous in Martinez and Tyrell Malacia. In his analysis of the United squad, Ten Hag noticed a shortage of left-footers and the United defence is more balanced with two righties and two lefties.
Diogo Dalot hoped to improve under Ten Hag and has. The Portuguese communicates with Varane and Martinez in Spanish, English with Scott McTominay and Portuguese with Antony. He has transmitted that cleverness to his game and the United defenders are a more unified unit in the warm-ups, high-fiving ardently. They became more animated when Dalot won a goal kick at Leicester and celebrated by chest-bumping Martinez.
From midfield malaise to mirabilis
The best thing to happen to McTominay was he was dropped for the debacle at Brentford. It ensured a recall against Liverpool and he has since been a vigilant presence, his form improving gradually.
McTominay, an academy graduate, gets tightly wound as much in victory as in defeat. He has felt United’s plight more than most and is more sensitive to criticism but channels it constructively. McTominay used to search his name on Twitter to gauge negative feedback, blocking the odd user, and channeling it into performances.
Casemiro’s cumbersome debut should ensure McTominay starts against Leeds next Sunday, almost certainly alongside Christian Eriksen, a worthy contender for the player of the month award from United and the Premier League. Frenkie de Jong resisted extradition to Manchester and it has worked in United’s favour, with Eriksen providing creativity and a measure of control from deep, alleviating the burden on the rejuvenated Bruno Fernandes.
McTominay and Fred was a secure axis until the spiralling spring of last year but lacked creativity. With every performance, it is clear why the last three permanent United managers picked the phone up and made a pitch to Eriksen.
Wingman-cum-point-man
Any debate over Marcus Rashford’s role was moot years ago and his recent resurgence has reinforced that. All three of his goals have come from the left flank, lurking on the shoulder of the last defender and surging into the channel or into space vacated by the frontman.
Whether it was Anthony Martial or Cristiano Ronaldo at the tip of the arrow against Liverpool and Arsenal, Rashford sharpened the edges. He has lacked presence as the starting striker but Ten Hag’s in-game management has maximised Rashford’s skill set, adjusting the attack to unsettle opponents and elicit matchwinning moments from Rashford in two huge wins.
Individualism to collectivism
United are still a moments side, dependent on the counter-attack and yet to transition to the proactive, possession-based style Ten Hag’s two good Ajax teams mastered.
Getting points on the board took precedence after the Brighton and Brentford debacles and they have exceeded expectations in taking 12 from 12.
Fernandes, buoyed by the captaincy, had his best performance all year against Arsenal and has secured his place at a time when it could easily have been in jeopardy. His first-half performance at Southampton was so regressive the personnel ordered to warm up at the restart suggested the Portuguese was under consideration for removal. Fernandes, capable of creating something out of nothing, did just that with his classy volley.
Jadon Sancho has been among the goals three months earlier than last year but still has a tendency to meander through games. Rashford thrives more off the flank and while Anthony Elanga puts in a shift, he struggles to put the ball in the back of the net.
As individualistic as United still are, their approach is more collective and they are finally playing as a team under a coach who steps outside the manager’s office and onto the grass at Carrington. The work-rate is noticeably greater and the ruinous running session less than 24 hours after the Brentford thrashing was a turning point.
In-game management
For a super sub as a player, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was infamously errant with substitutions as a manager. Ten Hag had a mixed performance in the opening weekend defeat against Brighton, dropping Eriksen back into midfield to effect play but introducing three substitutes in the 89th minute, giving the illusion United were time-wasting when 2-1 down.
Ten Hag resisted an interval change with trailing by two goals at the pause and has since been more proactive. Three players emerged at the interval at Brentford, Martial for Elanga was a tactical masterstroke in the defeat of Liverpool, Casemiro was introduced before the hour at Leicester to halt the hosts’ momentum and Ronaldo enhanced the attack at the expense of Antony against Arsenal.
United players’ game-management is also wilier. Martinez advised the away-dayers not to return the ball so hastily at Southampton and they are cannily enforcing stoppages in the dying embers, with 'cramp' rifer than ever.
READ MORE:
- 'Treachery' - Martial blasts Mourinho and Solskjaer
- A smile and a seal of approval - what Ten Hag is like away from the cameras
- Murtough's Barca beef and shocking Rangnick - how United recovered in a frantic transfer window
- All the United news and views
- United have six contract decisions to make in coming months
