Erik ten Hag wanted to formulate a squad at Manchester United and he has got one.
For the first time in a number of years, the Reds have the luxury of having a strong bench. Against Manchester City on Sunday, he had five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, five-time Champions League winner Casemiro and the revitalised Anthony Martial all in the dugout.
They may not have been in peak form but Sweden captain Victor Lindelof and England starter Luke Shaw were warming the seats too - both of whom have been handed unexpected game time over the past week.
READ MORE: Manchester United player ratings vs Omonia
But with a bigger squad comes a greater requirement for players to be man managed, and perhaps disappointed. Ten Hag has been given interesting insight about who he can trust in the matches following the international break.
After the 6-3 loss to City, United found themselves 1-0 down to Omonia at half-time on Thursday. Goals from Martial and Marcus Rashford dug them out of the mire.
Both players put in performances that surely warrant their selection for Sunday’s game against Everton. Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho has been tame at best in United’s last two fixtures.
Rashford showed him how it’s done on the left wing in Cyprus meaning the ex-Borussia Dortmund attacker might be dropped against the Toffees. A nailed down starter at the start of the season, Sancho might be about to be handed a wake up call.
Meanwhile, Martial is expected to replace Ronaldo as the main striker if fit enough. The Portugal captain failed to fire home his 700th career goal on Thursday despite being presented with numerous chances to do so.
So many times in his career, Ronaldo has been able to prove people wrong when they doubt him. His inability to convert against Omonia will gnaw at him but he may be relegated to the bench once more.
Ten Hag also has a decision on his hands at left-back. Tyrell Malacia was very underwhelming against City and Omonia, being at fault for a number of goals.
He is Ten Hag’s first signing as United boss but Shaw looked lean and ready to go in his two second-half outings this week. Shaw may feel slightly aggrieved if Malacia still retains his place at Goodison Park, so it comes down to whether Ten Hag will opt to save face or be ruthless.
Elsewhere on the pitch, Casemiro is taking longer than expected to bed into life at United. He has been largely fruitless in his outings so far, even if his performances are getting incrementally better.
Scott McTominay was hooked against City before the end of the game but he has a case to argue that his Brazilian replacement hasn’t performed any better. United will ultimately shell out £70m for 30-year-old Casemiro and fans will expect him to perform soon.
So will Ten Hag, and the only way that can happen is by playing more with his teammates. The player himself may feel like it would be a step backwards to be benched against Everton. One of them will inevitably feel disappointed with whichever decision their boss makes.
READ NEXT:
