Erik ten Hag must break Manchester United golden rule after complaint from David de Gea

Manchester United played 49 matches across all competitions last season and that was the lowest amount of fixtures the club has played across an entire campaign for a long time, yet supporters wouldn't have complained if it had been cut even shorter.

It was the worst season at the club since 1973–74 when Tommy Docherty oversaw relegation to the second division and the end couldn't have come quickly enough. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick and Ralf Rangnick were in charge for three different spells and when United were defeated 1-0 by Crystal Palace on the final day, fans were just relieved it was finally over.

United finished sixth in the Premier League, but it was their performance in the cup competitions which meant the fixture list was notably quieter than usual, as it was - rather embarrassingly - confirmed in March that a trophy could not be won.

ALSO READ: Varane explains how Manchester United will cope without Casemiro

Erik ten Hag has been in charge for just eight months at Old Trafford and the difference he's made has been genuinely remarkable.

The fabric of the club is made of winning trophies and Ten Hag understands that. He is responsible for ending the worst trophy drought at the club for over 40 years and the Carabao Cup triumph in February felt like a significant moment.

Not only did it end the barren run, but it was a trophy in his first season in charge and it was silverware at the first possible opportunity. The Carabao Cup is the least desired trophy in England but it's a trophy nonetheless.

Although supporters won't want to be reminded, at this stage of the season last year, United had been knocked out of the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the Champions League, whilst they had just been defeated