Manchester United are already in danger of missing Erik ten Hag's target this season

Following a successful first season at Manchester United, featuring a trophy and Champions League qualification, Erik ten Hag would have been within his rights to aim big for his second campaign at the helm.

The Dutchman inherited a sinking ship and a fractured squad at the time of his arrival at Old Trafford in May 2022, meaning he faced an immediate uphill struggle. Through smart recruitment and elite-level coaching, however, he started to transform the club's fortunes.

Though he experienced several bumps in the road, such as the Cristiano Ronaldo saga and the horror shows at the hands of Brentford, Liverpool and Manchester City, he oversaw an excellent job in his first season in charge. He restored standards, ended the player-power era, rebuilt the connection between players and fans and gave United a recognisable playing style that had been missing for years.

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Following those successes, Ten Hag, who has had his management credentials tested again already this season as a result of Jadon Sancho's social media post earlier this month, would have got away with setting an ambitious target for the 2023/24 campaign, such as rivalling the likes of Arsenal and City in pursuit of the title. Instead, he selected a more realistic and measured approach.

Speaking at the club's end-of-season awards ceremony in May, Ten Hag said: "My hope is that we have to do better. We always have to do better.

"We have a foundation, we have a good base and we have to do better. We still have one game to go this season and it is a great opportunity to make a next step.

"After that we then have