Manchester United head into season’s second derby transformed by Ten Hag

In the time since October’s defeat at the Etihad, Erik ten Hag has shown he can fight fires while constructing a formidable team structure. Illustration: Mike Owen/Getty Images/Guardian Design

Manchester United’s turnaround between October’s derby with Manchester City and the return fixture on Saturday suggests Erik ten Hag can be the man who finally casts Sir Alex Ferguson’s gilded era in sepia.

At the Etihad Stadium United were blitzed 6-3 by the champions, going 4-0 down before half-time and 6-1 down after 64 minutes, on a dark afternoon for the club that featured hat-tricks from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden. Ten Hag’s men were fortunate not to suffer a double-digit defeat, and the Dutchman’s verdict was pithy: “We were not on the front foot and we were not brave in possession. [There] was a lack of belief.”