Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag told he already has two undroppables but must find six more

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been informed how he can try to mimic Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola by having up to eight untouchables in his squad. After two defeats to start the Premier League season against Brighton and Brentford, the Dutchman has found a stable side that has won four league games in a row.

Ten Hag has been hesitant to change a winning team, which has meant that Cristiano Ronaldo and club captain Harry Maguire have had to sit out the previous four league games.

Former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot believes it is a positive indicator that the United manager is sticking with a successful team and has pushed Ten Hag to follow Guardiola’s lead and find his undroppable, with Antony and Jadon Sancho already identified.

“When you look at clubs now, [Man] City always plays eight or seven guys,” Melchiot told ESPN. “Man United clearly has to do the same thing if he has a good enough team like he brought his Antony so he can cover the right, and he has [Jadon] Sancho on the left.”

“Okay, he has to pick and chose Ronaldo as his striker, but the key thing is can he ensure that his team can continue to play the way he wants them to perform?” Because all he wants to do is play. He obviously wants to win, but he also wants to do so gracefully.”

Ten Hag’s sole alteration in the league since the win over Liverpool has been new acquisition Antony, who made his debut and scored in the 3-1 win over Arsenal. Raphael Varane has replaced Maguire in the heart of the defense, while Tyrell Malacia’s strong start to life as a Red Devil has seen him displace Luke Shaw, who started both of the first two games but has not played in the league since being hauled out at half-time against Brentford.

With solid performances in midfield alongside Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes ahead of them, Scott McTominay has kept new £70 million signing Casemiro out of the team for the time being. This season, Sancho has played on both sides, with Elanga and Antony on the other, and Marcus Rashford has been favored against Cristiano Ronaldo up front.

Despite staying with the team that is currently winning games, Ten Hag’s words at Ajax hint that he will be open to rotation in the future.

“But no one is [a sure starter] in my opinion,” Ten Hag told Dutch Soccer Site in 2019. “I told them this.” Yes, there is a hierarchy, but whether you’re 19 or 29, you play when you’re the greatest in your position.”