UNITED AGAIN
Ten Hag keen to protect progress MAN UTD v C PALACE
IT IS 250 days since Erik ten Hag took over at Manchester United.
In that time, Ten Hag has transformed them 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 the leading goalscorer.
Internal
This week, the dropping of charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mason Greenwood has provided Ten Hag with another big challenge.
While he was unable to comment specifically on Greenwood, with United having told the suspended striker to stay away while they conduct their own internal process, the 53-year-old boss 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 of 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.
“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 said it was a benefit for United fighting for glory on four fronts, with a game every three or four days, because it keeps his players focused.
Approach
“That’s the right approach — not to get distracted by anything and keep the momentum going,” said Ten Hag. “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 co-operates 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 win trophies again.” (below)