Featured Image Credit: Alamy & BT Sport
Topics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag
Daniel Marland
Manchester United fans are finally seeing the benefits of 'Erik ten Hag ball' with eye-opening stats showing how much they've improved.
Ten Hag took over United in the summer after a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League, alongside a record-low points tally.
The 52-year-old had the difficult task of overhauling United's style of play. Last season United players were poor, rarely getting the Old Trafford crowd up with attacking football. They also showcased a lack of effort, which saw them booed off on a number of occasions. It's all changed under ten Hag.
Defeats to Brighton and Brentford in their opening two Premier League games saw United buy Casemiro from Real Madrid and Antony from Ajax. United were passive in those first two games, allowing weaker sides to bully them on the ball.
BT Sport broke down what the Red Devils have been doing differently over the last month to great effect.
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United are now the joint-fourth best team in possession in the division, compared to being ranked 12 after their game against Arsenal.
They were in the bottom three for possession gained in the final third but have shot straight up to second. Ten Hag's philosophy involves pressing from the front with intense attackers.
United are second in passes making it to the final third as well, a clear emphasis on attacking more during games. That's evident in the raw number of shots they're taking too. United sit second in the league for shots taken as well as shots on target.
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It's a clear improvement just a few months into ten Hag's tenure as manager.
United ran out 3-0 winners over Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
Goals from Diogo Dalot, Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo ensure it'll go down to the last game in Group E to see who claims top spot.
United need to defeat Real Sociedad by two clear goals in Spain next Thursday to progress as group winners.
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Ten hag told United's official website: "So we know what we have to do in Real Sociedad: we have to win there with two goals difference. We have to score two goals, minimum, and don't concede one.
"The first game, we lost, crazy penalty. So we have to deal with that crazy penalty, so we have to turn [it] around, so that demands a big performance there, demands a winning attitude, but, first, we have Sunday.
"That’s more important, always go from game to game and we have now focus on Sunday, and West Ham United."