The speculation around Erik ten Hag’s future affected Manchester United last season.
United finished eighth in the Premier League before ending a challenging campaign, almost derailed by injuries, by beating rivals Man City in the FA Cup final.
That win saw Ten Hag lift his second trophy in as many years as United manager. It kept him in a job, and he will now aim to vastly improve his side’s league form in the upcoming season.
During his first press conference of the US tour, in Los Angeles, Ten Hag briefly touched upon Ineos’ decision to keep him in the hotseat following an end of season review which took 17-days to complete.
“We are now in new season, we left everything behind, we are looking forward, it’s a great project, the process is nice, it will go with ups and downs and now we are very energised. A good dynamic, good spirit, looking forward, we want to work and we want to win,” Manchester Evening NewsTen Hag told reporters, as quoted by the .
“I never think if I’m in a strong position or a weak position. Probably you are right but when you take over the dressing room that didn’t win in six years one trophy, then you have to prove yourself. But I don’t think I am strong or I am weak.
“I want to collaborate, I want to work together, I can’t do this alone. With the players, the staff, the leadership, everyone, and I’m sure with the right vision we will have even more success.”
It didn’t help that a report in the build-up to the FA Cup final suggested Ten Hag would be sacked regardless of the result against City. That proved to be false information and the journalist in question received a mighty backlash from United fans.
If United can start the season positively, we should be able to focus on matches without doubts over Ten Hag’s job thrown into the mix. However, I do not doubt that some of the fan channels will still find something to be negative about since they feed on drama.
Bald is best.
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