Erik ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford equipped with a few passing drills. The themes seem to involve passing the ball forward, finding teammates in close quarters and keeping the ball on the ground. None of which sounds radical. All of which appears necessary.
Manchester United’s new manager also came with a shortlist of targets who can pass the ball. Lisandro Martinez, with an average of 87 passes per 90 minutes, can build up from the back. Christian Eriksen’s capacity to unlock defences meant that only Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish averaged more shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in last season’s Premier League. Frenkie de Jong, the numbers show, will complete at least 89 per cent of his passes in a La Liga or Champions League campaign, which should bode well for the Premier League and the Europa League.
