Ten Hag MUST DELIVER after lavish Man Utd spending
Tom Weber
- Updated: 3 Aug 2023 21:09 BST
- 3 min read
Erik ten Hag will be under increased scrutiny this season after another summer of lavish spending.
Manchester United are a big club and as such, they are expected to challenge for titles. With the 'banter years' firmly behind them now, there are no more excuses as to why the Red Devils couldn't mount a title challenge in Erik ten Hag's sophomore campaign at the helm.
After all, the Dutchman has spent €354.7 million since taking over last summer and that is even before we include the €70m that will be shelled out on 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund. While the Glazers are undoubtedly problematic owners and Ten Hag has every right to be upset about the drawn-out nature of the takeover process, you can't say that he hasn't been backed.
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Therefore, this upcoming campaign will be crucial for the 53-year-old and the club. A slow start isn't the end of the world, as we saw last season when United still ended up winning the Carabao Cup and qualifying for the Champions League, but the pressure will be turned up to eleven should United's poor pre-season form - three losses on the bounce - be carried over into competitive fixtures.
Ten Hag's spending
Ten Hag has overseen the signing of 8 players (excluding loans but including Hojlund who will be unveiled on Saturday) and has been able to bring in fresh faces in positions of need. Recent signings Andre Onana and Mason Mount - and perhaps even Hojlund - will likely start the opening game against Wolves and they will be expected to perform from the off.
Indeed, as the Manchester Evening News writes, "unlike last year, there won't be so much mitigation if these transfers don't immediately bring an improvement on the pitch. The core nucleus of the side is already established, and Ten Hag now has a side that he has moulded into his own vision, with specialist players in every area of the pitch.
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Manchester United fans have every reason to be optimistic about the upcoming campaign, but a title challenge must be the least that is expected of the Red Devils in 2023/24.
