When the former Ajax manager took over at Old Trafford last season with the English giants in a slump, he oversaw a remarkable turnaround in the team’s performance.
In the League Cup final last month, Manchester United defeated Newcastle, their Premier League rivals, to break a six-year trophy drought under the Dutch manager. They are currently third in the Premier League, three points ahead of their competitors for a top-four spot, and they go to St. James’ Park on Sunday.
“Let’s be clear about one thing: We must play Champions League football. To avoid confusion, a team like Manchester United must participate in the Champions League” stated Ten Hag.
When asked if competing in the Champions League made three-time champions United more alluring to prospective recruits, he responded: “Of course, when we are in the Champions League, we are more fascinating. Our options are two. The two options are to win the Europa League or finish in the top four in the Premier League.”
Nonetheless, Ten Hag emphasized that United continued to draw players from all across the world: “I believe Casemiro is a prime illustration.
Even though he won the Champions League, he was still open to joining Manchester United “The United boss commented.
The most prominent acquisition of the preseason, which also saw the arrival at Old Trafford of Antony, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, and Tyrell Malacia, was Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.
“I believe we are moving in the correct path based on my analysis. I believe we’re establishing a foundation this year, but moving forward, we obviously need to grow and advance” said Ten Hag.
“You can achieve that by strengthening the team, which entails performing better in each game. As a result, we are improving our playing style with each training session. We also continually place higher expectations and standards on our players, and we’ll see how they perform for the remainder of the summer.”
