There can be no denying that Erik ten Hag has transformed Manchester United since his arrival from Ajax in the summer – but just how good has he been?
So much had been expected of the Dutchman upon arrival from Holland and, despite a difficult start, he’s not only lived up to those expectations but also exceeded them.
Compared to his United predecessors, Ten Hag looks a successful appointment but it’s only when drawing comparisons with current Premier League managers that the true promise of his tenure is revealed.
Here, Sportsmail provides all the statistics behind his impressive start to life at Old Trafford and how it compares with rival bosses.
Erik ten Hag has helped transform Manchester United since arriving at the club in summer
The Red Devils are the only English team who remain in all four competitions this season
THE STORY SO FAR
Just from attending a match at Old Trafford and sensing the improved atmosphere in the stadium, it is easy to tell that Ten Hag has been a success so far.
Spirits have been lifted significantly in his brief time at the club following last year’s dismal campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
The ex-Ajax coach oversaw a huge overhaul in United’s squad, which saw the likes of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Jesse Lingard all depart.
In response, Ten Hag orchestrated the signings of Casemiro, Antony and Christian Eriksen – who have so far been resounding successes at the club, particularly the former.
The new trio have helped ensure United are the only English team left in four competitions this season – with their FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Europa League campaigns intact.
Ten Hag’s work with midfielder Casemiro has been a catalyst to his side’s success this year
HOW HE COMPARES TO UNITED PREDECESSORS
The Red Devils currently sit fourth in the Premier League after an impressive run of form, but it was their recent Carabao Cup win that made history for Ten Hag.
As they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Charlton on Wednesday, the 52-year-old reached 20 wins in charge of the club faster than any manager previously.
To put that into perspective, United only won 20 of their 49 matches in all competitions last season – compared to Ten Hag’s 27 outings so far.
The Dutch boss boasts the best win percentage of any manager in their history: 74 per cent – which is close to double Ralf Rangnick’s record despite the two coaches playing a similar amount of games.
For comparison, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a 54 per cent win rate, Jose Mourinho 58 per cent and Louis van Gaal 52 per cent.
And by getting the better of Man City this weekend, Ten Hag can become the first United manager to win nine games in a row since Mourinho in January 2017.
Ten Hag’s win rate is better than his predecessors Ralf Rangnick (L) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The Dutch manager became the quickest manager in United history to reach 20 wins
HOW HE COMPARES TO PREMIER LEAGUE RIVALS
But comparing Ten Hag to his failed predecessors at United is somewhat of a futile assessment, given the torrid experiences they suffered at Old Trafford.
A better judgement would be to compare him with his Premier League rivals – namely Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp.
From his first 25 games in charge in England, Ten Hag has a 72 per cent win rate which puts him far above the aforementioned trio.
After the same number of games in their debut season, Guardiola and Arteta both managed to sustain a 56 per cent win rate while Klopp had a 48 per cent win record.
Even Mikel Arteta (L) and Jurgen Klopp (R) did not come close to Ten Hag’s opening win rate
United’s boss has had a better start to life in Manchester than Pep Guardiola did, statistically
For context, Guardiola went on to guide City to a third-place league finish as Klopp and Arteta both secured eighth-place finishes in their debut seasons in England.
It seems to suggest that United – should they maintain this level of form all season – can expect a strong finish in the league table.
On top of that, since their win over Liverpool in August, no team has won more points in the Premier League than Manchester United (35).
During this impressive run, United have managed to carve out an eight-match winning streak – their best form since the start of Solskjaer’s reign.
Since United’s win over Liverpool in August, no team has taken more points from league games
WHAT DO THE STATS SUGGEST?
Without meaning to put added pressure on the United coach, the stats suggest that Ten Hag should clinch a top four spot and, potentially, end their wait for a trophy.
The Red Devils have been without an honour since Jose Mourinho’s Europa League and Carabao Cup double in 2016-17, but their new head coach could soon bring that to an end.
United find themselves in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, with a clash against Nottingham Forest awaiting them.
Ten Hag will be hoping to end Man United’s six-year wait for a major trophy this season
Should they win that, they’ll face either Southampton or Newcastle in the final at Wembley.
And, according to Opta statistics, United stand a 35 per cent chance of securing a third-place finish in the league, which would be their best ranking since 2021.
Whatever the end result is this season, there can be no doubts over the progress Ten Hag has made at Old Trafford so far. The only question is, how far can he take them?
Ten Hag will face a massive challenge for their next game – a home clash against Man City
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