Erik ten Hag: The architect of Manchester United's resurgence 

Two games into the new Premier League season, Erik ten Hag's Manchester United were at their lowest ebb. The two demoralizing defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion at home and Brentford away crushed any optimism the fans had after his appointment. The second loss in particular, a 4-0 thrashing comprising a few individual errors, showed the fickle confidence the players had in themselves.

Ben Mee scoring Brentford's third goal v Manchester United - Premier League 2022/23

A fortnight into the new year, though, the optimism in the stands at Old Trafford seems to be going through the roof. Ten Hag and his Red Devils are on a 10-game winning run at home. Their incredible 2-1 comeback victory over rivals Manchester City has left them just one point below them in the table and are now fully in the race for the Premier League title.

Ten Hag, though, continues to be calm and composed. He's not getting carried away by the fervent fanaticism flowing through the red half of the city and into millions of homes across the world. His aura and presence on the touchline, with seemingly unbreakable levels of concentration throughout every game, instills even greater confidence in the supporters.

Ten Hag - The Tactics

Ten Hag has traditionally gone with a 4-2-3-1, with a midfield double-pivot of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen giving the team solidity as well as passing range. In the absence of the traditional no. 9 after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ten Hag has used Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford as the main striking options.

Martial generally drops into the space between midfield and defense to receive the ball and continue the build-up play. Rashford, on the other hand, has been a willing runner behind the line of defense and has found a new lease of life under this system. 16 goals and six assists in 26 appearances and has put him up there with the best in Europe.

The signing of Casemiro in particular has completely transformed the form of the club. Since his first start in October, United have conceded only six goals in 10 games, three of them in the solitary loss coming against Aston Villa. His tough tackling style, winning possession in the middle of the pitch, and his eye for a line-breaking pass have been essential to United's successes this season.

Casemiro - Manchester United v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League

The back-four that looked settled before the World Cup break has seen quite a few changes since. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has done exceedingly well at right-back during the absence of Diogo Dalot, who has established himself as the first-choice. But the most surprising change has been the use of Luke Shaw as a left-footed centre-back, a role in which he has thrived.

Ten Hag - The Man-Manager

"People talk about tactics but one of the most important things a manager changes is mentality and resilience... one moment can change a game and we are much better dealing with that than a few months ago, setbacks, suffering," said Ten Hag, while speaking to Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer at The Independent.

Ten Hag's image as a no-nonsense taskmaster has been what this Manchester United team desperately needed, after a below par season last time out. Ten Hag seems to be the one calling the shots at the club, which didn't seem to be the case under the previous two managers.

The Cristiano Ronaldo saga in particular gave an account of Ten Hag's ruthlessness. His decision not to start him in every game just because of his name or brand showed his authority over the entire dressing room. His decision was vindicated when the majority of the fan base stood behind him and Ronaldo was allowed to terminate his contract and leave.

The decision to drop Marcus Rashford from the starting XI for being late to training, despite his purple patch, was also well received among the fans. Jadon Sancho, who was an expensive signing the previous summer, was put through an individual training program and kept out of the matchday squad until he was fully ready to play according to the manager's needs.

The conviction to pull this off at an image-conscious club of this magnitude and only three to four months into his managerial reign is very laudable. For the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, the manager of Manchester United seems to have full control over the day-to-day functioning of the club.

With Ten Hag overseeing the U-23 team as well, the future looks bright for Manchester United. They may come up short in the title race and might also fail at the final hurdle in the cup competitions. But the newly-inculcated style of play and clearly defined playing roles reflects a champion side in the making. The renewed optimism among the supporters might finally bear fruit this time round.