Erik ten Hag is brimming with confidence heading into today’s highly-anticipated clash with Liverpool.
The Manchester United boss is sure to be mocked for his comments by rival fans, but the Old Trafford faithful would be worrying if he was putting himself and the squad down before such a high-stakes fixture.
In last night’s embargoed press conference quotes, the Dutchman modestly told the press that United have been the highest-performing team in England after Manchester City over the past two seasons.
On paper, he’s not wrong. His reasoning is that United have claimed two trophies in two successive seasons: the Carabao Cup in 2022/2023 and the FA Cup in 2023/2024. In that time, only City have claimed more silverware.
Yet, his claims regarding the team’s performances as a whole wouldn’t be disputed had he not led the side to an eighth-placed finish last term – United’s lowest ever in the Premier League era. It was simultaneously the first time in the competition’s history that they recorded a negative goal difference.
The Reds’ 14 league defeats across the nine months also marked their highest since the 16 tallied under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1989/1990.
Ten Hag full of faith for the campaign ahead
Nonetheless, Ten Hag has affirmed his belief that he’ll add another trophy to the cabinet in the third year of his tenure.
“Behind Man City, we have won the most trophies over the last two years, so we performed better than anyone else,” he claimed.
“That’s the reality. Those are the facts. This year, we want to win trophies, and I’m quite confident about it.”
