After initially looking as though they were staring down the barrel of yet another terrible season, Manchester United have quickly gone about turning things around.
Erik ten Hag deserves massive credit as it worryingly appeared as though his goose was already cooked following the opening weekend loss to Brighton and the following trouncing at the hands of Brentford. As he looked on, maligned, while his team fell apart from London it was easy to wonder how United could come back from this.
Yet, they have. United have won their four Premier League games since with the Dutchman taking a pragmatic approach to his instructions and making some decisive changes to the side. If anything, the losses might have actually done Ten Hag a favour as it showed those in power at the club that more signings simply had to be made.
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While Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez are all proving to be great additions, they wouldn't have been enough on their own. In the wake of Brentford, a defensive-midfielder was finally signed in Casemiro and Ajax's resolve was eventually broken to allow Antony to move. With Martin Dubravka as well, United signed six players to salvage their summer and have a great window.
But, there's still more improvement that can be made. It may seem a way away but the January transfer window will soon be upon us. Below MEN Sport writers have discussed what Ten Hag's priority should be in the winter.
Richard Fay
United's priority this summer was to sign a progressive ball-playing midfielder, they accidentally stumbled across one, despite missing out on Frenkie de Jong. Christian Eriksen has been repurposed for the role and now looks undroppable such is the impact he has made. The Danish playmaker could easily go down as one of the best transfers the club has made in the past decade, though there is a real concern about burnout.
The 30-year-old is arguably the most important player under Erik ten Hag, not just because of his exceptional ability, but because there is such a drop-off in quality when he is not on the pitch. Fred, Donny van de Beek and even youngster Zidane Iqbal might be viewed as potential stop-gaps whenever he is unavailable, the preference has to be to sign a better-suited understudy who can step in and take his place when required.
Yes, there is a lack of goals in attack, but unless the ball is being played into those dangerous areas in the first place, then they are not going to get the chances to put them away. Eriksen makes his entire team better, and United need to find a way to win without him too. Youri Tielemans is out of contract in the summer and would be another great short-term addition while there is also appeal in going for Houssem Aouar.
Daniel Murphy
There are several areas that need reinforcing at United but it seems clear that the most important is up front. United's only striker options at present are the only-just-returning-to-form Marcus Rashford, the injured Anthony Martial and the ageing, wantaway Cristiano Ronaldo. If any more injuries are picked up, which is even more likely due to the World Cup, it could be very costly.
With such little depth, United should move to bring at least one new striker in during January. Value is of course hard to find in the winter so they maybe shouldn't be looking for the No.1 target they would want to go for in the summer but instead find a decent option on the cheaper side that can offer quality cover.
To that end, Moussa Dembele makes so much sense. Despite scoring 22 goals last season, the Frenchman has lost his place in the Lyon starting XI to Alexandre Lacazette and with his contract expiring in the summer he may be looking to leave while his club might want to cash in anyway before losing him for nothing. With only a few months left on his deal, Dembele wouldn't command a massive transfer fee, especially for the number of goals he consistently scores. A no-brainer.
Liam Wood
January is a notoriously difficult window in which to strike up quality business and United must be careful to scout the market before making any rash decisions. You often see teams fighting for their lives making purchases to try and preserve their Premier League status, but signing players to bolster a top-four chasing squad and to improve it remains a completely different challenge altogether.
An upgrade in central midfield is one priority for Ten Hag moving forward, as is a new central striker with lingering question marks over Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial for different reasons. Perhaps there would be scope to take advantage of the 'contractual dispute' between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to lure someone like Antoine Griezmann to the Premier League. It's also worth keeping an eye on Jorginho and N'Golo Kante at Chelsea as the duo are yet to be tied down to fresh terms beyond next summer.
However, should Ten Hag view them as secondary options to what he could sign at the end of the season, then he would be best-served playing it patiently and, perhaps, focusing on outgoings during the winter. There is still plenty of deadwood to shift.
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