Erik ten Hag doubles down on Man Utd future with bold trophy prediction
Erik ten Hag has dismissed the pressure surrounding his position as Manchester United manager and insists the club can still win trophies despite their poor start to the season.
The Dutchman is under increased scrutiny following of three matches without a win, with Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur resulting in criticism from all corners, including former United defenders Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand.
Ten Hag, however, says he is not worried about getting sacked and believes silverware is still attainable in spite of their bad performances in recent weeks.
He told Sky Sports: „I’m not anxious [about losing my job]. We’re in here together. We made an agreement this summer, the ownership, the leadership, and we are all behind it.
„We know the strategy, with young players in a transition period and we know in this process this can happen. But in the end, in May, in all of my last six seasons there were trophies and this is what we are all aiming for.“
United have spent just shy of £617m on new players since Ten Hag arrived, though their big-money additions are yet to gel. The jury is still out on new arrivals like Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, but the likes of Antony, Casemiro and Mason Mount are yet to justify the huge fees paid for them in recent years.
Ten Hag added: „We’ve been in transition for a long time at Man Utd. From the moment I came in we knew we had to change, we had to replace some older players, bring some new players in.
„Our choice was to bring young players in, that takes time to get them used to the game model and [get the] message on board.
„Our fans are impatient, and they are entitled to be impatient, but we are impatient too. When we lose, everyone is disappointed and frustrated, but it is fuel to get better.
„To introduce a new culture, in the meantime we have to win. We have proven that in last two years that we win and I have proven in my career that I always win.“