EYES on the PRIZE

Ten Hag has had to deal with lots of off-field issues in his 250-day reign but insists football will be his priority and says: We are human beings, not robots...but we must focus on the job

IT is 250 days since Erik ten Hag took over at Manchester United.

In that time, he has transformed the Reds from a club mired in crisis and self-recrimination, to one reborn, revitalised and fighting for glory on four fronts.

On the pitch, Ten Hag’s tactical acumen and proactive style have made United a force to be feared again, with wins over Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City underlining that fact.

Off the pitch, he has restored discipline and standards, ensuring players adhere to strict rules and punishing those who transgress, regardless of their profile or importance to the team.

Cristiano Ronaldo was ditched when he broke ranks in an interview and said he had no respect for Ten Hag, while Marcus Rashford was dropped for being late for a team meeting, despite being United’s leading goalscorer.

This week, the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to drop charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mason Greenwood has provided Ten Hag with another example of the challenge that comes with managing the world’s biggest club.

While the 53-year-old was unable to comment specifically on Greenwood – with United having told the suspended striker to stay away while they conduct their own internal process – he acknowledged the importance of not allowing external issues to affect morale and spirit within the squad.

“It’s really important, but sometimes you get issues, as a club and team, and you have to deal with it,” said Ten Hag, ahead of today’s visit by Crystal Palace to

Old Trafford. “We have standards and values, we have to live along those high standards and values, and that gives a base if you have a good culture and spirit.

“That’s our job, not to get distracted by anything. We’re human beings and sometimes there are issues. We’re not like robots, but we have to focus on our job.

“We have so many games, so we don’t have time to get distracted by anything. It’s not easy, but that is our job.”

Ten Hag (below) said it was a benefit for United to be fighting for glory on four fronts, with a game every three or four days, because it keeps his players focused and limits the potential for distractions.

The Dutchman added: “That’s the right approach – not to get distracted by anything and keep the momentum going.

“We have that in our hands and we can influence that – our team performance and individual performance – and that is our demand. What we want is for good to not be good enough. We want to bring that winning culture back to this club, which was previously the case for a long time in this club.

“That’s why this club won so many trophies in the last decades – and obviously not that much in the last few years.

“We have to get back to those days and that’s only when you have the right structure and strategy and if you work every day hard, you’re not satisfied with yourself too quickly, you demand high standards and improvement every day, and give every day the best of yourself and a better version of yourself.

“If everyone is doing that and cooperates well, then you can achieve a lot.

“That is the way and direction we want to go in.

“Finally, it has to come that we are winning trophies again.”

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