Erik ten Hag has discovered Manchester United's most important partnership

To say that Erik ten Hag has had to overcome a series of challenges during his first season in charge at Manchester United would be something of an understatement.

The Dutchman, who watched his side battle back from 1-0 down to beat Fulham 3-1 and progress to the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday, has had to navigate his team through a series of obstacles. From losing his first two games at the helm to the whole Cristiano Ronaldo saga that developed just before the World Cup, Ten Hag has not had too many instances where things have been simple and straightforward.

Through all of those adversities, however, he has guided United to their first trophy in six years, the semi-finals of the FA Cup, the quarter-finals of the Europa League and a famous European victory over Barcelona. The positives have significantly outweighed the negatives, and when you reflect on all of the challenges that he has faced in a relatively short space of time, it makes the job he has done so far all the more admirable.

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And even with just over two months of the season to go, those problems are still showing no signs of stopping. Casemiro's second red card in his last three Premier League matches against Southampton just over a week ago was another blow for Ten Hag to have to deal with.

The Brazilian, who joined the Reds from Real Madrid last August, has, in the eyes of almost everyone, been United's best player this season, correcting their midfield woes of recent seasons and breathing a new lease of life into a squad that was short on winners and a winning mentality. He has been the glue that has held the Reds together, offering a defensive presence in the engine room that had been