“Everyone’s seeing the benefits from that”

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has shared his thoughts on manager Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge of the Red Devils.

Ten Hag joined the club last summer after United compiled their worst tally in the Premier League (58) to finish sixth. However, he did well as Manchester United finished third in the table in the 2022-23 season.

The Dutchman also led the club to their first trophy since 2017, winning the Carabao Cup. The Red Devils also reached the final of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the European League.

Scholes recently took stock of Manchester United’s 2022-23 season in an interview with the club’s website. He hailed signings last summer, with the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro bringing their experience and leadership to the pack.

“I think for at least two or three years this team has been accused of lacking leaders,” Scholes said. “I think there are a few leaders in the team. When you think about Casemiro’s experience, Martínez is a great person and he has character and experience. And I think that’s all changed a bit.”

“They have faith in them too. I don’t think, you know, they don’t control games as much as they’d like to, but they’ve found a way to win and that’s the most important thing,” he added.

Scholes then praised Erik ten Hag’s “no-nonsense” attitude:

“It’s not just rubbish. I think, in the past, the players at this club might have played the way they wanted rather than the way the manager wanted. I think he turned that around completely. The players do what their manager wants, they stick to what he wants off the pitch, on the pitch, And I think everyone sees the benefits from that.”

Ten Hag has the most wins (42) for a newcomer Manchester United manager in the 2022-23 season.

Manchester United 2022-23 Campaign Assessment

After a dismal 2021-22 campaign, the Red Devils were expected to return. However, the new season started poorly as they lost 2-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion and 4-0 against Brentford. They then beat rivals Liverpool 2-1 at home to begin their transformation.

Manchester United lost 6-3 to Manchester City and 7-0 to Liverpool in the 2022-23 season. Despite these embarrassing results, they did well to finish third in the Premier League table.

They also beat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in the Europa League qualifiers, which was a huge boost to their confidence. However, they lost to eventual winners Sevilla in the quarter-finals.

Manchester United beat Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup Final to claim their first trophy since 2017. They also came close to winning the FA Cup but lost out to rivals Manchester City.

Marcus Rashford was the club’s top scorer with 30 goals across competitions, while Bruno Fernandes topped the assists list with 13. Meanwhile, David De Gea won the Premier League’s Golden Glove with 17 clean sheets.