Andrew Cole reveals he’s worried about ‘second season syndrome’ for Man United under Erik ten Hag

Manchester United legend Andrew Cole hopes Erik ten Hag can avoid suffering from ‘second season syndrome’ as he deals with added expectation following a positive debut campaign.

The Red Devils rebounded from a poor start to claim a spot in the top four and began their preparations for the upcoming campaign with a 2-0 friendly win against Leeds on Wednesday.

Cole, who is the Premier League’s fourth highest scorer, praised Ten Hag’s impact at Old Trafford but urged caution warn supporters predicting an imminent return to United glory days.

‘For the manager to come in and do what he did in his first season is a big positive,’ he told Mail Sport. ‘But it’s like when a player comes into the Premier League and has a fantastic season people then judge them by that the next year.

‘It’s that second season syndrome. And that could well be the case for the manager as well.

Andy Cole has warned ‘second season syndrome’ could befall Man United boss Erik ten Hag 

Manchester United got their pre-season underway with a 2-0 victory over Leeds in Oslo

Andrew Cole hailed Erik ten Hag’s impact at Old Trafford since joining from Ajax last summer

‘A lot is going to be expected of him and people will be predicting the same kind of things. Will he be able to do that? We’ll have to wait and see.

‘But it could be a little bit tougher than last season, some of the teams that were terrible can’t be any worse.

‘So Manchester United are going to be in a tough fight to finish in the top four. Champions League football is paramount.’

Chelsea under new manager Mauricio Pochettino and a rejuvenated Liverpool will fancy taking United’s spot next term, while the likes of Brighton and Aston Villa will harbour faint hopes of causing a major upset.

Cole spent six years at Old Trafford after arriving in a blockbuster transfer from Newcastle United in 1995 and was part of iconic squads under boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 51-year-old led a famed striking partnership alongside Dwight Yorke and helped the side seal English football’s first treble. A feat that has since been repeated by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City last season.

Such success demands unbelievable squad unity, Cole was keen to point out. Intimidating that a lot of the crucial bonds are forged during the hard graft of pre-season.

‘It’s not a part of the season that I really enjoyed, I’m not going to lie.’ he added. ‘By the time you got home you were back at training again.’

‘That’s the way it felt so I didn’t really enjoy it but you knew the benefits of it during the season. It’s the camaraderie, that’s what it is.

Erik ten Hag is putting his squad through its paces as they gear up for the league campaign 

Cole believes pre-season is vital for a squad to form the foundations required for success

‘The Manchester United teams that I played in, the dressing rooms we had were built on pre-season and the hard work that you put in.

‘I’ll never forget those days because it is enjoyable at times, tough at times but it does set you up for the season.’

Ten Hag’s side travel to Edinburgh to meet Ligue side Lyon at BT Murrayfield Stadium on July 19 as they gear up for the 2023-24 league campaign.

Their schedule then sees them travel to the USA for fixtures against Arsenal, Wrexham, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, before a tie against Lens at Old Trafford on August 5.

The Red Devils are then scheduled to play Athletic Bilbao at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin 24 hours later ahead of their opening Premier League against Wolves on August 14.

Cole said his Treble-winning era was built on the hard work put in during pre-season