DUTCH COURAGE
Emotional Erik Ten Hag declares Man Utd is ‘my club’ and does not regret whirlwind move despite being advised against it
The Dutchman has also issued an update on Marcus Rashford
ERIK TEN HAG has spoken emotionally about how he feels Manchester United is 'his club'.
He does not regret for a moment joining them as manager when others advised him to avoid the chaos that surrounded Old Trafford.
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You would have thought he was better off out of it, too, when, towards the end of last season, the hierarchy did not publicly support him, and they left him waiting to see if he would still be the manager as they spoke to other potential candidates.
Ten Hag always felt comfortable with the job he had done landing two trophies in two years as he began to build a team for the future.
But the thought of leaving will no doubt have torn him apart after he had made a bond with it and its fans, which he believes can take it back to special places.
Ten Hag said: “So many people advised negatively when I started in this club. And I could have gone into projects with much better conditions, with much better structures but I choose this: Man United.
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“I feel this is my club. And I want to go for this challenge although I knew this will be very tough, very hard.
“But you only know when you are in and there are some challenges here. But already, we overcame many obstacles and we have to beat even more but, and I said it also in the spring, I feel we are in the right direction. And even in the summer I think many positives happened that we can accelerate this process.”
It will have hit him how special United was when he guided them to FA Cup glory last May.
Despite having finished the season eighth, the manner of that victory over Champions Manchester City had the Red Devils fans purring.
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Ten Hag optimistic about Rashford
ERIK TEN HAG is hopeful Marcus Rashford will be ready for the new season and ready to get back to his very best, writes Neil Custis.
Rashford was running the show in the 3-2 win against Real Betis in San Diego when he hobbled off in pain after a heavy challenge on his ankle.
United already have Rasmus Hojlund sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring injury and new signing Leny Yoro out for three months with a metatarsal.
But Ten Hag is confident Rashford will recover from his injury quickly and will even asses whether he or Antony, who went off late against Betis with a knock, can play in Saturday’s night’s game against Liverpool in Columbia South Carolina which kicks off in the early hours of Sunday in UK.
Speaking about Rashford Ten Hag said: “I think not too bad. I think he will progress quickly from this knock."
He added: “Of course, we don’t take risks in the last game of the tour going into the season next week already. The final assessment we have to make and we will see if they are ready for the game against Liverpool on Saturday."
Rashford looked back to his best as he scored from the spot and provided an assist in the 3-2 win over Real Betis.
It comes after a season in which his off field partying and poor form on the pitch saw him fall foul of the Manchester United manager and fall out Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros.
But Ten Hag has faith in him and wants the 26-year-old to prove his doubters wrong.
He said: “Of course, but he has to prove his point. We will set the conditions and he is very capable of doing this.
“The season before last he scored 30 goals, so when he is in the right vibe, then he has such a high potential.
“And when he is really in that mood, then our model will provide him the conditions to score again 30 or even more goals. He should fight for it.”
But Ten Hag does not want a repeat of incidents off the field last season.
Like when he celebrated his birthday in a City centre venue after United had been hammered 3-0 at home by Manchester City last October.
Or when he was still out in Belfast in the early hours of a day he was supposed to be training ahead of an FA Cup tie against Newport.
Ten Hag said: “I think when you want to play in top football nowadays, you need discipline on and off the pitch.
“It was always important, but it gets more and more important now because it's the survival of the fittest.
“You are not a robot, you are not a machine. No one is. You can only deliver the levels of performance when you do the things right.
“When you don't do the things right on and off the pitch, then you can't perform.”
When he was urged by the team to raise the trophy towards the fans, they cheered as one, and there was a social media storm backing him to be kept on.
It is that sort of support which Ten Hag believes will be key going forward.
Marcus Rashford spotted after Manchester United star picks up injury against Real Betis in pre-season friendly
He said: “I feel that especially the fans who attended our home and away games that there is a very strong bond between the team and those fans and that we are really there together and they understand very well the position we are in.
“And if we fight together that is the way to achieve because those fans they can create an ambience, it's amazing and then amazing things can happen.
“For instance like the game against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final there was a vibe.
“Many of us have been long in football but it's not so often you feel that vibe and if you can create that more often that is absolutely helpful to get a team into high levels.
Much of the reason Ten Hag was cheered while his Dutch countryman Louis van Gaal was booed when he lifted the FA Cup for United in 2016 was the style of play.
When Ten Hag has his best players fit they play how United fans want them too with that FA Cup Final victory and the second goal in particular a great example.
He said: “I think absolutely, we want to play really proactive, aggressive football and I think attacking football and that is embraced by the fans and we share this emotionally with the fans.”
Ten Hag was speaking to the media who follow Manchester United around the globe at UCLA which has been their training base here in the US on a three-game tour.
Behind him in a small office in the incredible University sporting complex that has produced so many world renowned stars there was a sign saying ‘Champions Made Here’.
Champions? Well United have not been that since Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2013.
So what chance next season?
Ten Hag said: “So I came here two years ago and this group of players hadn't won for six years any trophy.
“I said we are on a mission and we are here to win and build but we knew that it would not come overnight.
“We would have to work very hard and we will have to deal with setbacks during that time.
“The first season I think was very successful, with two finals. We won one, we lost one - we should have won that one - and we were third. And we came far in Europe, we played over 60 matches.
“Then last season, there were a lot of setbacks, that was clear. But by the end we got rewarded, because we kept believing and we won an amazing trophy and so we have a foundation.
“I think in the summer, many positives are there, with the new leadership group who will help give us a better foundation, a structure, that will help our team.
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“We have some new coaches in which gives us a different dynamic, innovations, new ideas, new energy, and I think then we can make progress to get to the next level.”
It’s Erik’s club and it's a level he is determined to take it to.
Nine managers Man Utd considered before keeping Erik ten Hag
ERIK TEN HAG appears to be safe as Man Utd manager, but the Dutchman edged dangerously close to the sack.
Here are nine managers Red Devils chiefs are reported to have considered for the job and what allegedly happened with each.
Gareth Southgate
Enjoys plenty of support among Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos chiefs but made clear he wouldn't talk to any clubs until after Euro 2024. There is yet to be any suggestion that contact was made with the England boss.
Kieran McKenna
Talks were opened with McKenna's representatives before the FA Cup final, but the former Man Utd coach opted to sign a new deal with Ipswich after Ten Hag's Wembley win.
Roberto De Zerbi
Allegedly sounded out before the FA Cup final with salary expectations discussed. But Ineos chiefs concluded ex-Brighton boss was not the right fit for the project.
Thomas Frank
Brentford boss met Man Utd representatives the day before the FA Cup final. The Dane also dined with Ratcliffe, Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard at the launch of a new Ineos car in February.
Marco Silva
Fulham boss reportedly met Man Utd representatives face-to-face two days before the FA Cup final, around the same time as Ten Hag was conducting his press conference.
Mauricio Pochettino
Fell out of Man Utd's thinking in the first week of June, despite being a favourite of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Thomas Tuchel
Made a very strong impression and came across well during a Monaco meeting. Personal terms were discussed before the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss decided to step back from the process.
Ruben Amorim
Sporting boss was discussed by the Man Utd hierarchy but did not make the final reckoning.
Roberto Martinez
Portugal manager was considered in the early stages.
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