Manchester United has “high targets,” according to Erik ten Hag, but his players “MUST stick together” and adhere to their “rules and principles.”
Erik ten Hag revealed that Manchester United has “high targets” to meet during his acceptance speech at the Football Writers’ Association awards dinner on Sunday night in an attempt to instill confidence in his underperforming players.
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After leading United to the Carabao Cup championship the previous season—a feat Ten Hag referred to as a “great success”—the 53-year-old was accepting an award.
Ten Hag’s only prize at Old Trafford thus far was awarded to him by the side that eliminated United from the league cup final last season, which he won over Newcastle.
Even though United is currently nine points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, Ten Hag has sent out a rallying cry for his faltering superstars to “stick together” during this trying time.
He told the Northern FWA, “I was very proud of my staff and my players and to, to get that done [winning the Carabao Cup] and to to start a project.”
We are working on a project, and like any endeavor, it has its ups and downs. Right now, we are experiencing a down, but as I mentioned before, football is a lot like life.
It’s not just about moving uphill all the time; it’s also about staying together during difficult times and carrying on with the project while adhering to your set of values and norms since, as you may know, that’s how you ultimately succeed.
Ten Hag continued, “And so I’m sure we are in the right direction.”
One step backward would be United’s failure to defeat Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday, which would have destroyed United’s hopes of qualifying for Europe.
Since defeating Chelsea more than ten years ago, the team has not triumphed in the competition, and United has had difficulty in their first group stage games.
Ten Hag, however, is certain that United will meet their “high targets” and is upbeat about the future despite the current problems.
“In football, winning trophies is everything. After what Sir Alex accomplished with Manchester United, it is extremely difficult to succeed with Manchester United.”
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“We are still really happy with it, but we need to go and reach our high targets with Manchester United,” he continued.