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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Tyrone Marshall

Manchester United might be at the start of a new era after Erik ten Hag statement vs Tottenham

It was a roar that rolled down from the highest points at Old Trafford and echoed around the stadium, the kind of noise befitting a top-six shootout in the Premier League under the floodlights.

It was the kind of sound that hasn't been heard enough in recent seasons, with fans disillusioned by the team in front of them, but this felt like the seal of approval for what Erik ten Hag wants to do with Manchester United. Even the sight of Cristiano Ronaldo taking his leave early couldn't overshadow a team performance that came without their biggest individual.

After 13 games when conclusions have been hard to draw, this felt the kind of night that can give lift-off to a new era. United's destruction of Tottenham was total in every aspect, maybe apart from the scoreline, which undoubtedly flattered Antonio Conte's team.

READ MORE: Ten Hag got the best from Fred with new role vs Spurs

This was the best performance under Ten Hag by some distance, far eclipsing the Old Trafford wins against Liverpool and Arsenal that required plenty of grit and backs-to-the-wall defending.

There was hardly any of that on this occasion. Lisandro Martinez was magnificent against Harry Kane, but United were simply better than Spurs in every single department. And better by a long, long way.

United were dominant from the first whistle, Antony alone taking three shots in the first 10 minutes, but as the first half wore on their control became more complete.

Aside from the occasional Tottenham counter, United had the opposition pinned in. Some of their football was excellent, with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw both contributing superbly from full-back.

But it was the intensity that most caught the eye. United won the ball back high up the pitch time and time again. Tottenham just couldn't get their heads up for a breath.

The nature of that performance is what got Old Trafford on side. They admired some of the football, the dazzling skill from Antony that left Ivan Perisic and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg grasping at air, the switches of play from the full-backs, the creative passing from Fred and Bruno Fernandes, but what they really liked was the aggression.

The appreciation had been growing to a point when it felt like it overflowed, perhaps the ultimate moment of commitment to Ten Hag's style from supporters. Martinez bullied Son Heung-Min to reclaim possession, Dalot skipped aside a couple of challenges to start another attack and Old Trafford roared, the kind of guttural crowd that comes when you are loving what you're seeing.

It was a transformation from Sunday and the relatively dour draw with Newcastle. Ten Hag had talked that performance up, but this was in another stratosphere.

Old Trafford was vibrant in the second half, the cheers that emanated from the Stretford End every time they reclaimed possession in the Tottenham half a sign of their total domination.

They deserved the moment of luck that came with Fred's opening goal and once Fernandes had added a classy second, with United making the most of Simon Hooper's advantage in their own defensive third to build another fine attack, the game was over. "Fred, Fred will tear you apart" was a sign of the giddiness inside Old Trafford, but nights like this have been few and far between in recent memory.

The sustained applause from Ten Hag to the Stretford End as he walked towards the tunnel and the fist-bumps of Martinez, Raphael Varane and David de Gea to the United fans in that corner told a story of a night that brought players and fans together.

There is more to be done for Ten Hag. The attack still needs to produce more consistent returns and the playing out from the back has to be better at times. And they're still fifth. But this was the most 'Ten Hag' 90 minutes of his reign in terms of what he wants and what you would expect his teams to look like.

It felt like the start of something, when too often games at Old Trafford have been feeling like the end of something recently.

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