Manchester United: Erik ten Hag says team need to 'raise the bar'

1 year ago 19

Manchester United manager Erik 10 Hag has challenged his broadside to "raise the bar" and find "consistency" to execute the targets helium has acceptable them.

Ten Hag called his debut run successful English shot 1 of advancement astatine Old Trafford.

United ended their six-year hold for a trophy and secured a instrumentality to the Champions League with a third-place decorativeness that has lone been exceeded doubly successful the decennary since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

But on the mode determination were immoderate bitter disappointments, including a 4-0 decision astatine Brentford, a grounds 7-0 humiliation astatine Liverpool, a 3-0 nonaccomplishment to Sevilla and, finally, being beaten by Manchester City successful the FA Cup final.

They person strengthened this summertime with the arrivals of midfielder Mason Mount and goalkeeper Andre Onana, portion a woody for Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund has besides been agreed that volition instrumentality their summertime spending to a minimum £166m.

Negotiations astir the merchantability of the nine are inactive taking spot truthful the Glazer household is apt to inactive beryllium successful complaint erstwhile they commencement their caller play against Wolves connected 14 August.

In an extended interrogation successful San Diego earlier his side's last US circuit crippled against Borussia Dortmund successful Las Vegas connected Monday, Ten Hag addressed a fig of topics arsenic helium prepares for his 2nd season.

Reflections connected his archetypal twelvemonth successful charge

"There are ever surprises, immoderate positive, immoderate negative. As a manager, you person to woody with them, negociate the concern and act. You larn always.

"All levels accrued immensely and that was necessary. We were much ascendant and created galore chances.

"But still, we are not wherever we privation to be. We person to rise the barroom and spell to the adjacent levels."

How acold helium thinks the squad has to progress

"Last play proved we tin bushed immoderate hostile and don't person to fearfulness anyone. But it besides proved we can't bash it connected a accordant basis. That is the measurement we person to make."

Whether an excessive magnitude of clip is being taken up talking astir Harry Maguire losing the captaincy, arsenic it did with Cristiano Ronaldo's aboriginal past season?

"You tin person that content but I don't spot it similar that, not past year, not this year.

"We are gathering a project. We privation to triumph trophies truthful we person to put successful the mode we play, we person to put successful the team. And our absorption is not connected 1 player."

The impending accomplishment of Rasmus Hojlund

"I'm a agelong clip successful football. First we person to decorativeness something, past we tin talk. You person to support calm and fto the professionals bash their work."

Replacing David de Gea with Andre Onana

"He's a large goalkeeper and has a antithetic profile. That's wherefore we wanted to motion him. With him, thing volition alteration successful our game."

On whether this is 'his' squad now

"I wouldn't telephone it an Erik 10 Hag squad. It's the demands of apical football. We either person to find players oregon summation the levels from those who are already there.

"Tours are bully for squad building, for caller players to get the cognition astir the values and standards, connected and disconnected the field. It's adjuvant that the players we person signed are already here, integrating successful the squad and getting the societal connections. Football is simply a squad athletics and you request partnerships."

The Saudi Pro League affecting English clubs implicit subordinate talks

"There is immoderate wealth implicit determination and it attracts players. In Europe, it has an effect.

"But I don't spot it successful this infinitesimal arsenic a occupation for the Premier League due to the fact that this is wherever the large players privation to play. And that does not enactment it successful contention with leagues similar America oregon Saudi Arabia."

Working with the Glazer family

"My occupation is to amended the team, truthful I bash my enactment to motion players and enactment connected the mode of play.

"That is my absorption country and that's what I person done, truthful I don't get distracted from immoderate strategical review.

"But we person a bully accusation line. Most of the clip it is done (chief executive) Richard Arnold oregon (football director) John Murtough. But sometimes we person nonstop contact."

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