Thomas Hein
It was clear for all to see last season, Manchester United couldn’t create goals if their life depended on it. They scored 57 goals all season, averaging a paltry 1.5 goals per game. The tally was some 16 shy of the amount they bagged under Ole Gunnar Solskjær the season before.
In fact, it was the lowest they had scored in six years and even the heroics of the great Cristiano Ronaldo — scorer of 18 of those goals — couldn’t stop The Red Devils’ plight into the Europa League. And their goal difference of exactly zero is their worst ever total in the history of the Premier League.
But with a new season comes new horizons. The tumultuous reign of Ralf Rangick is now thankfully over, and Erik Ten Hag is bringing a wealth of new ideas to reshape the squad to his liking.
Admittedly, new arrivals have proven hard to come by so far this summer, but there is one man who looks set to be heading to Old Trafford. If The Athletic’s David Ornstein is to be believed, Denmark’s resident miracle man looks to be heading to Manchester on a three-year deal. And could he be the answer to Manchester United’s issues at the top end of the pitch?
A problem solved?
There can be no denying that the former Tottenham Hotspur man transformed Brentford’s campaign last season. The club looked to be heading into a relegation dogfight when his deadline day transfer to the club was announced.
The Bees had won just six games all season but his arrival prompted a change in fortunes, winning seven of his first ten in Brentford colours. In the end, the West London club comfortably avoided the drop zone by some 11 points.
The Danish playmaker chipped in with a goal and four assists for good measure, but his general creativity and indirect goal contributions took the team to the next level.
During the first half of the season, without Eriksen, Thomas Frank’s side managed just 29 goals in their first 26 games, at a rate of just over a goal per game.
After Eriksen’s debut, a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle on February 26th, the goals started flowing freely. They amassed 21 goals in their final 12 games of the season, a rate of almost two per game, and it was clear to see what the attacking midfielder brought to the Brentford Community Stadium.
The Ajax Way
Another positive to the imminent addition is that the Dane is familiar with the Ajax way. The Amsterdam club has an ideology that the late Johan Cruyff initially implemented, and most successful managers of the Dutch champions tend to follow suit.
Ten Hag is no different, and Eriksen is already familiar with the mindset. He finished his youth career in the Dutch capital before racking up 162 senior appearances for the club. He moved on to Spurs in 2013 and as always, came back to haunt his former club.
In one of football’s most shocking moments, Eriksen and his Spurs teammates came back from three goals down in Amsterdam to win on away goals in the 2019 Champions League final and the Stretford End faithful will be hoping that he can bring similar evenings to Old Trafford.
Another positive is the fact that the 115-time Denmark international will arrive on a free transfer. He only signed a six-month deal at Brentford in the winter, taking him through to the end of the season.
As of June 30th, he is a free agent, and it appears that Manchester United are in pole position to land their man.
This signing isn’t going to transform the club overnight, but it is a step in the right direction. The incoming manager still has a plethora of issues to sort out. The future of Cristiano Ronaldo is up in the air, with numerous reports stating that he wishes to leave in search of Champions League football.
That will now be Ten Hag’s number one priority, but the thought of Eriksen serving up opportunities on a platter for CR7 may be enough to convince the Portugal captain that his future lies in the North-West.
