Coach Erik ten Hag has helped Man United’s midfield change drastically over the past year.

On this day a year ago, Man United announced the second signing of the summer transfer window, Christian Eriksen. The Dane arrived at Old Trafford on a free transfer after turning down offers to sign a new contract at Brentford, with a reputation as one of Europe’s best attacking midfielders.

Eriksen regularly starts at number 10 at Tottenham Hotspur, scoring and assisting consistently. Accordingly, most people expect him to compete and support Bruno Fernandes in the 10th position. But after being tried by Ten Hag in the virtual 9 position and then defensive midfielder, Eriksen has found it. 8. The former Inter star proved to be excellent as a player playing deep, deploying the ball, leading the game.

After Eriksen, United announced the signing of their second midfielder of the summer, Casemiro from Real Madrid for £60m. The Brazilian has never been a priority for United, with the club spending more than 100 days chasing the signature of Frenkie de Jong. But Casemiro showed him to be the perfect addition at Old Trafford. He brought in the presence of a world-class defensive midfielder and a winning mentality that had been lacking at United for many years.

With the combination of Casemiro, Eriksen, and Fernandes, Man United finally has a top-tier midfield after relying for a while on Scott McTominay and Fred. The standards started to decline toward the conclusion of the season, though, when Casemiro and Eriksen were fatigued and missing for various reasons. Even in cup games, Ten Hag was unable to change the lineup, most likely due to the inferior quality of the reserve.

That is why Man United began pursuing Mason Mount from Chelsea at the start of the summer. In Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Leeds United in Oslo, the England star made his professional debut and left a lasting impression. When he had the ball, was pressing hard, and appeared between the two penalty areas, he displayed class. The energy Eriksen has struggled to provide is now delivered by Mount. He satisfies many of Ten Hag’s requirements.

With Casemiro, Eriksen and Mount, plus the arrival of young player Kobbie Mainoo, Man United’s midfield is truly quality. It is the combination of a world-class defensive midfielder, a creative player, an energetic midfielder, and a name full of potential.

More than 12 months ago, Man United’s midfield was chaotic and incompetent. Now, Ten Hag will have to wonder to choose his optimal trio.