Erik ten Hag has suffered like previous Manchester United managers from not having a recruitment team fit for purpose.
It’s fair to say most of the managers United have appointed since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 have revealed shocking stories about missed transfer targets down the years. Ten Hag is no different, but now it’s up to INEOS to rebuild the structure around the club.
Gary Neville has done an exclusive interview with Ten Hag about his second season at Old Trafford. It’s been a disappointment yet there’s still an FA Cup final to play at Wembley.
The former right-back asked the boss an array of questions, including one on missing out on transfer targets such as Frenkie de Jong and Harry Kane.
Ten Hag confirmed he unsuccessfully tried to sign Kane from Tottenham last summer, stating that United’s inability to attract their top targets will delay title ambitions. That isn’t rocket science but it doesn’t help that the structure at United has not been right for years.
United decided to go for Rasmus Hojlund when they realised Kane wasn’t a possibility. The 21-year-old signed from Atalanta for £72 million and has been a positive work in progress in his debut season, showing promise as well as an eye for goal.
With United’s recruitment team questioned for years, a lot of money has been spent on poor signings. The club has spent more than £400m on players since Ten Hag’s arrival from Ajax. Now, spending must be done more wisely, with sustainability and profitability rules.
“This club can only have outstanding players because the expectations are so high,” he told Sky Sports. “Everyone has an opinion about Manchester United and it can only be outstanding players.
“There’s an expectation around every game from us so you can only fulfil that expectation when you have those outstanding players. But in the last decade and in this period, we couldn’t always get the players we wanted.
“But then you have to build and you have to accept that you get talent in instead of players who already proved it in the past. We have had some choices made with talents like Rasmus Hojlund.
“I can see a striker who already proved it, who we want to sign and we couldn’t get him. And then we went to Rasmus because he’s a talent.”
Neville then pushed Ten Hag on whether he was referring to Kane. The manager said: “Yes, and you know Harry Kane will get you 30 goals. I think Rasmus will get there, but he needs time. It’s not fair to assess him the same as Harry Kane. I would never compare two players because they are very different.
“But with Hojlund, I think we had the biggest potential in the striker position last summer and we are very happy with him. But he also needs time to adapt and we are very pleased he showed his assets in scoring goals.
“He had a very good period where he scored many games after he showed it, but before and after, he had some physical issues, which is normal for a young player coming up. But it has a negative impact on the team result and that’s what you have to accept.
“Then you go back to the fans and the opinion makers, and they don’t understand or they don’t want to understand this. It is how Man United gets judged, they only see the result, but we need time.
“You have to accept the process is going slower and you can’t then expect to straight [away] compete for titles in the Champions League and Premier League.”
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