Man United 2022/23: Erik ten Hag’s to-do list before the Premier League kicks off – data analysis

Having joined Man United on the 1^st of July, Erik Ten Hag has been focusing on getting his squad ready for next season. Theres a lot of preparation that needs to be done before the Premier League begins for every manager, let alone when it is with an entirely new squad. As ten Hag will have done before arriving, it is important to set out the jobs that need to be completed to bring life back to an underperforming post-Ralf Rangnick team, especially one with such a rich history of Champions Leagues and domestic trophies. There is a big rebuild on the Dutch managers hands and it is going to take a lot of work if he is to get it started in the summer transfer window.

This piece will be a data analysis using statistics and data to outline Erik Ten Hags to-do list, comparing his Ajax squad to the current players at Man United, highlighting the holes in the roster and places for recruitment.

Cleaning the squad

The first of Ten Hags jobs has been to weed out all the players in the squad that he doesn’t want or need. Man United have so many big-name players, not all of which have been living up to their massive price tags. Having come in for the entire duration of the summer transfer window the Dutch manager has had a great chance to thin out the squad, leaving his optimal team.

So far there have been six players sold, with Dean Henderson on loan at newly-promoted side Nottingham Forest, taking the current number of departures to seven. Already from the players ten Hag has sold, it is obvious this is going to be a total rebuild on his hands, with all signs pointing towards future success, much like the Ajax philosophy when it comes to squad building.

Confirmed Departures:

Dean Henderson  Nottingham Forest, loan

Paul Pogba  released

Juan Mata  released

Jesse Lingard  released

Nemanja Matic  Roma, free

Edinson Cavani  released

Lee Grant  retired

There are two common trends among all the players released/sold by Man United which are the number of games each of the players has played and the age of the players’. For the number of matches, each player has played, this may be due to them not being in Rangnicks plans or because they are not performing at the standard required for such a club. Both of these will lead players to want to move to a different club, which if they remained in the environment, can create a negative atmosphere, as we may see with Ronaldo and previously with Dimitri Payet at West Ham.

The age of the players must have also been a huge factor in United’s releasing of players, especially when the squads ages are compared to the peak age of players.

As highlighted above, ten Hag is hugely reducing the age of the squad as the Dutch mastermind targets major competitions in the medium to long term. This is a risky plan in such a volatile business, as previous clubs have not given managers the time to see out their plans if results do not show progression. The ex-Bayern Munich II coach does have plenty of experience in this type of managerial style as squad building is a major part of the Ajax organisation. The United board to have faith in the process if they want to see the results they expect.

At Ajax, ten Hag orchestrated a Champions League semi-final run using a group of academy prospects mixed with experienced leaders on the pitch. Most likely, this is what he is going to recreate without the Ajax academy supplying the players and, instead, buying the promising or already future stars in the transfer window. For this, Ten Hag will likely dip into the Ajax team and academy with this being a hunting ground he knows superbly and is world-recognized as one of the best teams for young star players. For every rebuild, the transfer market can make or break a season particularly when a new manager is trying to implement their playstyle.

Ten Hags playstyle

Ten Hag is flexible in th