Everything Ten Hag has done to transform Manchester United after Solskjaer and Rangnick misery

Erik ten Hag will take charge of his 50th Man Utd match when they host Sevilla in the Europa League tomorrow night.

It is going to be a special occasion for Erik ten Hag when he makes his way out of the Old Trafford tunnel tomorrow night.

The Manchester United manager will take charge of his 50th competitive match for the club when they face Sevilla in the Europa League, and it will be an opportunity to reflect on just how far they have come.

A year ago today, United had just lost away at Everton and were seventh in the Premier League. They were out of the FA Cup, hadn't won the League Cup and had also been knocked out of the Champions League.

The final few matches of the season were all but a formality as United looked to end their worst top-flight campaign of the modern era and turn over yet another new leaf.

Twelve months later, it is truly remarkable just how much has changed.

United have already won more league matches than they did last season, with another nine matches left to play, and are just two points off their total from a year ago.

It is true that they are still some way off the best teams in the league. Yet they are now only 17 points behind top-team Arsenal, having finished 35 points off the top a year ago.

You only have to look at the numbers to see how far Ten Hag has taken his side in such a short space of time, but the biggest transformation has been harder to quantify.

In basic terms, United are a far better team now. They work harder, play better, have a clear plan on the pitch, and are just a lot more likeable. There is a noticeable buzz around Carrington throughout the week and a real sense of restored pride at Old Trafford on match days.

United have always had great appeal and interest over the past decade, and under almost every manager there has been a sense of a new beginning, but none have been as consistent or convincing as Ten Hag's spell.

The most notable difference between Ten Hag and previous United managers has been his authoritative and disciplined approach from the sidelines, which has restored power to the club's managerial position.

His handling of the Cristiano Ronaldo situation only further strengthened his position of power at the club, and he has followed through by demanding the same high standards from every player in his squad.

He wasn't afraid to drop an in-form Marcus Rashford for arriving late to a team meeting, just as he had done to Alejandro Garnacho during pre-season, while he also made the call to send Jadon Sancho on an individual training program when it might have been easier to keep him involved.

"What I want to bring in is a culture of high standards, values, accountability and transparency," Ten Hag said back in January. "So honestly that is our values that I want to set and control, both internal and external with the media and the fans."

This approach has contributed to the noticeable change as well, and while United are still clearly a work in progress, there have been more positives than negative this season.

He has not only had to cope with the loss of his star man, Ronaldo, but he inherited a squad that lost six senior players on free transfers last summer.

In their place, he has spent a record amount across one window, though nearly every one of his permanent signings can be considered a success so far, with Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez already in the discussion as some of the best from the past decade.

Add into the mix the fact he has got Rashford playing the best football of his career and managed to bring out the best from a host of senior players, and it is clear he has the man-management ability to rival any manager in the game.

Ten Hag has won 35 of his 49 matches so far, a win rate of 71.42%, which makes him a 7 out of 10 at the very least.

However, factoring in the trophy win, the possibility of two more, a strong chance of a top-four finish, his signings, the football they have played, and the turbulence he has overcome, it is certainly an argument to rank him even higher.

There is still plenty of work to be done, but United fans can at least be confident they have the right manager to take them there.