Ten Hag says higher standards are firing Man United towards a title challenge

It is often the case that to understand the big things, you must look at the little things.

Such is Manchester United under Erik ten Hag. The big things speak for themselves: nine wins in a row, a run ended only by an otherworldly free-kick by Michael Olise against Crystal Palace, victory over their City rivals and the only side so far to beat Sunday's opponents Arsenal in the Premier League.

What underpins that, beyond the tactics, the formations, the more style of play, has been a change in culture, a shift in values. All set by the manager. That’s established by the little things.

Just take Marcus Rashford. A few weeks ago, Rashford overslept and missed a meeting. So, he was dropped to the bench for the game against Wolves on New Year’s Eve. It didn’t matter that he’d been in sensational form. Ten Hag told the media before kick-off it was for disciplinary reasons. Rashford came on at half-time and scored. After the game, Rashford confirmed he’d slept through his alarm, he’d accepted the punishment and that was the end of it.

All so simple, so straightforward. A small detail on the face of it but as telling as the nine-game winning run. Such indiscretions are often brushed aside, move along, nothing to see here, we’ll keep it in-house thank you very much. But not now at United, not under ten Hag.

‘What I want to bring in is a culture of high standards and values – and also, I think, accountability and transparency,’ said Ten Hag ahead of the trip to Arsenal this afternoon. ‘So, honestly, that's our values I want to set, I want to control.’

‘I think that is the way we have to cooperate, so internal but also external so, for instance, with the media and with the fans.’

Cameras at Selhurst Park spotted Bruno Fernandes raging at Brazilian team-mate Antony after a misplaced pass. Later, Fernandes told United’s club media that ‘the manager has said many times: if someone is not doing what they need to, we have to command each other ourselves and understand what is not going well because it can help to send a message from the bench onto the pitch.’ The pair high-fived less than five minutes later.

The players have bought into it. Those in the dressing room have spoken about how they appreciate Ten Hag’s directness. They know where they stand. They saw how ruthlessly Ten Hag dispatched of Cristiano Ronaldo once he’d wrung out his soggy washing to Piers Morgan. Ten Hag, too, reciprocates. Luke Shaw was trusted to start at centre-back against Erling Haaland having been dropped earlier in the season. ‘He’s so honest,’ said Ten Hag. ‘He’s a leader. He’s an example of how to win games.’

There was palpable frustration from Ten Hag, his players and the United supporters after failing to make it 10 wins in a row. That, too, is a sign of how far they have come.

It is why, for the first time in nearly a decade, the prospect of United taking on Arsenal in the Premier League weighs heavy, thick with anticipation. Ideas that permeate beyond who will pick up three points: what does this mean for the title race? What does it say about these two managers? Who has the greater leaders on the pitch? The narratives are grander again.

The dramatic reaction to Casemiro’s yellow card, which ruled the Brazilian out of the game, was as much because of how United will miss him but also for the disappointment of not seeing him joust with Thomas Partey.

Has it been like this since Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, since Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira? What moments will go down in rivalry folklore?

Vieira thinks both can win the title. ‘I think two teams who contend to play Champions League football or winning the title,’ he said after Palace’s draw with United. ‘I think both teams can win the league, because of the quality of players that they have. I will be like you, watching the game.’

They say football comes in cycles. Liverpool are a shadow of the Jurgen Klopp monsters of recent years. Pep Guardiola lambasted his players and supporters for a lack of hunger and desire and believes they will win nothing without it. Arsenal and United, building for the long-term under Arteta and Ten Hag, can sense an opportunity to plant their roots.

Ten Hag is sure he’s building United in the right way. They are still short of where he wants them to be, the dropped at points at Palace show that, but with improvement and further investment – and the interest of Jim Radcliffe to buy the club has made everyone shuffle a bit higher in their seats – Ten Hag believes this is, to use his own term, a ‘monster’ reawakening.

‘Yes, I'm quite convinced of that process, I think we are in the right direction,’ said Ten Hag. ‘But it also means we have to improve a lot if you want to compete in the future for the top positions because the competition will be really tough.

‘I think the Premier League in this moment develops (so) that you have six, seven teams who all finally can win the league because there are so many investments,’ said Ten Hag.

‘When you have the right philosophy, the right strategy, I think that many more clubs can compete for positions, for the top positions in the league.

‘That's a great challenge and if you want to be there you have to be really good. You need that consistency. You needed that good strategy, the consistency in the strategy and you need hard work to compete there. And if you want to be to win trophies, everything has to go in the right way.’