'Made in Carrington' - Ten Hag's ONLY positive Man Utd legacy

Tom Weber

• Updated: 25 May 2024 16:28 BST
• 4 min read

Erik ten Hag's time at Manchester United will most likely be swiftly forgotten.

After a solid first season, Ten Hag's Red Devils fell apart and plummeted to eighth in the Premier League table. The FA Cup final against Man City is will, according to reports, be the Dutchman's final game in charge.

So, then, it begs the question: what is Ten Hag's legacy at Old Trafford? Well, there aren't many positive things you can say about the 54-year-old's stint in Manchester. He was brought in to change the culture at the club and implement an attacking, exciting brand of football. He managed to achieve neither.

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In 2023/24, he led Man Utd to their worst finish in the Premier League since 1990 and also crashed out of the Champions League group stage in embarrassing fashion. However, there is one thing he will always be remembered for: giving Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho the chance to shine.

Ten Hag's only positive legacy

Mainoo and Garnacho were Man Utd's rare bright spots in what was otherwise a dreadful season and Ten Hag can deservedly take a bit of credit for their stunning emergence. Of course, the fact that they were given regular first-team opportunities was down to Man Utd's injury crisis and the unimpressive form of more senior players.

That, however, is football and Ten Hag still deserves credit for giving these two the platform to show off their talents, allowing them to make mistakes and develop. The FA Cup final was a nice illustration of this.

The Red Devils surprisingly stormed into a 2-0 first-half lead, with Garnacho opening the scoring after pouncing on poor communication between Josko Gvardiol and Stefan Ortega. The second goal, scored by Mainoo, was set up by homegrown star Marcus Rashford and Garnacho before Bruno Fernandes ultimately recorded the assist.

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DAZN Germany's play-by-play commentator described the goal as having been 'made in Carrington' and this, then, will ultimately be Ten Hag's only positive Man Utd legacy. He is the man who unlocked Garnacho and unearthed Mainoo, two players who have the potential to go on to become some truly key players for Man Utd for years to come.

It is also somewhat ironic that both starred in the FA Cup final. Prior to the game, Ten Hag spoke at length about his and the club's future in an explosive interview with Voetbal International. During the conversation, he mentioned that new co-owners INEOS are planning to completely tear down Carrington and build an entirely new training ground for Man Utd.

The last goal of Ten Hag's reign at Man Utd was made in Carrington and just like the training ground, the Dutchman will have to make way in the summer.