Erik ten Hag has seven players fighting for two positions at Manchester United next season

One of Manchester United's biggest consistencies during their first season under Erik ten Hag was the strength of their starting line-ups.

Regardless of the competition or the opposition, the United manager always named a star-studded XI packed to the rafters with household names. It highlighted the Dutchman's obsession with winning and the mission to inject a winning mentality back into the club.

However, there were a handful of instances where it was widely felt Ten Hag could have rotated his pack, the 3-1 FA Cup fourth round win over Reading being one example. The United team that day featured the likes of Casemiro, who scored twice, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Antony.

Many thought Ten Hag should have given some of his most senior stars the night off and turned to some of his fringe players instead. But that isn't the Dutchman's style, though he has since suggested a lack of quality in reserve contributed to his refusal to name a 'weakened team' at any point during the season. He can also point to injuries with Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial and Eriksen all out at one stage or another.

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"We have to acknowledge that, especially in the frontline, we had problems during the whole season because we just didn’t have the numbers there," said Ten Hag, speaking in April. "If the squad is so strong that you have in every position double the same quality, then it's good."

If that was a call for fresh investment to beef up United's squad depth and the quality within it, Ten Hag will be hoping it is adhered to by the club's hierarchy. But while he needs financial backing to strengthen the overall