Erik ten Hag has made clear his desire for control at Manchester United. Not only does the Dutchman want to re-establish managerial authority over player power, but he also wants control to be shown on the pitch.
United have been known as a 'moments' team in recent years. Rather than beating opponents by smothering them into submission as a result of pure dominance, they often relied on moments of magic, individual artistry, and overloading on the counter-attack to get things done.
It has often been consequentialism. The end has justified the means and as long as United won the three points then their approach was vindicated, even if there was clear room for improvement.
READ NEXT: How the United players rated vs West Ham
We saw both sides of that in the win over West Ham at the weekend. Everything good United did came when they were on top of the midfield battle and in control of the game. Everything bad came when they lost that calming presence in midfield and were quickly overrun by their opponents.
A key part of that was down to Christian Eriksen's role again. Indeed, it was his cross that set-up Marcus Rashford for the only goal of the game, and just as important was the way in which the pendulum swung in West Ham's favour once he had been taken off the pitch.
Eriksen is arguably the most important player in United's philosophy under Ten Hag, with his calmness, composure, and creativity on the ball integral to the measured approach they are looking to implement.
The downside is obviously his limitations. The 30-year-old was initially signed to be a squad player but has since become undroppable, such is his impact and authority on the pitch. United are a far better side when Eriksen is playing, and they need to find a way to protect him at all costs.
At the weekend, that took the form of replacing him with just over 10 minutes left to play. In his place came Fred. The Brazilian offered plenty of energy and enterprise in the heart of the midfield, but it came at the cost of composure on the ball as United's style switched from possessive to passive.
This was amplified by West Ham's own desperate desire to attack, a threat that was amplified by the fragility of the United midfield without Eriksen. United still managed to just about hold on even without Eriksen on the pitch, but it was alarming just how many chances they conceded once the Dane had left the field.
Last season, United so often looked to adopt a more conservative approach in the final moments of the match and often brought defensive specialist Nemanja Matic on to break up play and keep things simple.
This season they don't have such a luxury. Fred is an excellent squad asset to have, but in tense situations like we saw on Sunday evening, he can often be erratic and is not blessed with the same passing range as the likes of Eriksen or Matic.
In an ideal world, United would be in a far more comfortable position when they enter the final stages of a match and not have to rely on defending so heavily to the death, but the reality is that there will always be occasions when this is the case.
It only further highlights United's long-term need for a gradual squad overhaul under Ten Hag, and although it is not a pressing priority right now, there is clearly still a need for another midfielder who is as comfortable in possession as Eriksen and Casemiro.
Right now, there is an obvious drop-off in quality whenever either of the veterans is missing, and if United want to compete toe-to-toe with the very best sides in Europe, then they need another midfielder who can interchange similar passing qualities from the bench.
United somehow found a way to hold on against West Ham; they won't be able to do it all of the time.
RELATED STORIES:
