Erik ten Hag has changed expectations at Manchester United this season

What would have constituted a successful season for Manchester United before a ball was kicked this season? What would have been considered an acceptable campaign after the 4-0 defeat to Brentford in mid-August?

The answers to those two questions will be different but the targets will have already been surpassed. A return to the Champions League was the priority and although is yet to be confirmed, it's already hard to see how United don't finish at least fourth this season.

After that, a trophy and an end to the six-year silverware drought would have been a bonus. But now, with March almost upon us, what would be considered a successful 2022/23?

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Things have gone brilliantly for Erik ten Hag, but so quick has the turnaround been that there is an expectation of at least one more cup final and maybe another trophy. The Premier League is probably going to be out of reach, but the FA Cup and Europa League are winnable.

Victory over West Ham at Old Trafford would secure an FA Cup quarter-final and success against Real Betis over two legs will book the same round in Europe. In the first competition, Manchester City and Tottenham are the obvious dangers, although both have been beaten at home this season.

In Europe, how many of the remaining 16 teams are capable of beating United over two legs? Arsenal, certainly. Maybe Juventus. Perhaps Roma, but that feels like a stretch. It's hard to make a case for any of the others.

This is what can happen when success comes to you quickly. Quicker than anyone ever expected, certainly. Ten Hag has shifted expectations in the space of six months and now there is the pressure to live up to them, not that the