ERIK: OUR GAMES ARE ALL FINALS

DAVID ANDERSON

ERIK TEN HAG has told his Manchester United players ahead of tomorrow’s showdown with Aston Villa: “Every game is a final.”

Ten Hag knows he must deliver Champions League football if he is to hang on to his job beyond the summer. Not even winning the FA Cup in 2016 could save Louis van Gaal after he missed out on the top four.

Minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe (with the United boss, above) is putting the building blocks in place to reshape United after years in the wilderness and Ten Hag must prove over the remainder of the campaign that he can be part of that future.

United jumped above West Ham into sixth when they beat the Hammers at Old Trafford on Sunday and they can close to within five points of fourthplaced Villa if they win at Villa

Park tomorrow. “I’ve said to the team from the start of January that every game is now a final,” said Ten Hag. “That was also our approach to West Ham United.

“We have to see this as a final. That will be every game from now on. We’re in that mood.”

United’s five-match unbeaten run is their best of a testing season and they have banged in 11 goals in winning their last three matches.

But Villa Park will be the acid test of United’s mini-revival with Unai Emery’s side having lost just one league game at home all season. “I think the players know exactly what they have to do and how they have to contribute with each other,” Ten Hag said.

“Villa are a really good team and they have weapons in their team. We have to play our maximum levels to get a result.”

United came from 2-0 down to beat Villa 3-2 on Boxing Day.