ERIK FINALLY REDDY TO TURN IT ROUND
ERIK TEN Hag is convinced his Manchester United players can rescue their season by knocking arch rivals Liverpool out of the FA Cup.
The Red Devils have endured a tough campaign, finishing bottom of their Champions League group to exit Europe and failing to mount a title challenge in the Premier League.
Ten Hag’s side currently sit sixth in the table, eight points off fourth spot, with Champions League football at Old Trafford next season looking increasingly unlikely.
But Ten Hag (inset) believes his team can beat Jurgen Klopp’s side at home and give themselves every chance of ending a miserable season on a high.
Asked about the prospect of turning their campaign around with victory tomorrow, the Dutchman said: “Actually we never got the turnaround so far.
“We missed opportunities to do that.
“On Sunday we have another good opportunity to get the momentum and I think the players and the team showed lately, from January onwards, that we’re in a very good series of games.
“We’ve had a lot of wins and the players have to have the belief that we can do it.
“Now we have to take the momentum and that’s what I feel in training – the spirit, the confidence – so go out and play and get the turnaround.
“Some games are bigger than others and, definitely, United against Liverpool is big, especially when it’s the quarter-final of the FA Cup.
“We’re looking forward to it, because it’s a special game, absolutely.
“The fans see it as a very big game. They’re very eager for us to win this and I’m sure they’ll be right behind us.
“There will be more Liverpool fans [than for a league game] and so they have to be really loud, support us so we hear them and I’m convinced they will, absolutely.”
Ten Hag will be boosted by the return of leading scorer Rasmus Hojlund as well as defensive duo Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, while Mason Mount, injured for much of his debut season at United, is in contention for the match-day squad.
“We had a good week,” said Ten Hag yesterday. “The players you mention returned on the pitch, partly at the start of the week and today they had a session and are all training.
“Tomorrow we have one session. We have to see how they recover from this, but it looks good.
“Mason trained all week with us, he has had some full sessions with us, so it’s looking good.”
Asked if secondplaced Liverpool are favourites tomorrow, the ex-Ajax boss said: “It’s a difficult one, I never think about who’s favourites.
“We have to make sure we are ready and I don’t think about the opposition. It’s about making it our game.
“We know where their strengths are but we know that it’s about us.”