THE THEATRE Ten Hag feeling the love while OF DREAMS! Arteta desires a vital victory
ERIKTEN HAG insists he has NOT lost the dressing room at Manchester United and has the backing of the fans as co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe agonises over whether to stick or twist with the Dutchman.
United’s dismal Premier League season reached its nadir with the 4-0 thrashing at Crystal Palace on Monday, when their supporters showed more commitment than Ten Hag’s players.
Ten Hag has guided United to the FA Cup Final and says suggestions his squad have already given up on him are wide of the mark.
He said: “If I look at the problems we have faced and all the injuries we have had, in almost every game the players have still fought.
“There has been great team spirit but not on Monday night. I was really disappointed and the players were disappointed with
ERIK’S ‘CLUELESS’ JIBE AT HIS CRITICS
Hag has also been heavily criticised by United legends like Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand.
But the Dutchman insists that his task has been made impossible by a crippling injury list.
And he has ridiculed his detractors by saying they don’t know anything about the game – or his job as manager.
Ten Hag said: “I see some comments – but either they don’t have any knowledge of football or they don’t have any knowledge about managing a football team or they just aren’t up to it.
“I think there are many people who see the problems – and they are patient.
“I think the fans have the patience. You’ve seen it many times.”
Ten Hag appears doomed after his team’s 13th defeat of the Premier League campaign saw them hammered 4-0 at themselves. There was a collective failure.
“But in all the other games, we have fought for each other and there is a good team spirit. I think the fans have seen this.
“They saw against Brentford how we fought.we did not play well but we fought and stayed in the game.at Chelsea, we played very good and we fought.against Liverpool, we had to adapt the backline but we fought and got a very good result.
“They have always fought. Against Coventry, until 70 minutes, then Sheffield United. Against Burnley, our third game in six days... how deep the players went in their physical outputs in these games was incredible.”
Ratcliffe’s mind may already be made up but Ten Hag feels he may
Crystal Palace on Monday night. The Red Devils face an Arsenal team looking to prevent City from winning a record fourth successive title today.
And they then entertain Newcastle on Wednesday before a final-day trip to Brighton on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Scott Mctominay are back in full training but Ten
Hag’s hand has again been weakened by another injury to
Mason
Mount.
be paying the price for a successful first season at Old Trafford, when he lifted the Carabao Cup and guided the
Reds Devils back into the Champions League with a third-placed finish.
The Dutchman insists he has no regrets about leaving his comfort zone at Ajax in the summer of 2022.Ten Hag said: “I am really happy to be here and have never for a single second regretted coming. I wanted to take on this challenge.
“I haven’t changed at all. Of course there have been different experiences and I really like the ones I have had. I love the English football culture.
“I did my job and in the first year I would say it was a good formation.we played to our levels, maybe we over-performed.
“In this one we haven’t and I know why, but we are still in an FA Cup Final and that’s a great achievement.”
MIKEL ARTETA has challenged Arsenal to break their Old Trafford curse, insisting big teams win in big places. Arteta’s Gunners have taken three points at Manchester United before, back in November 2020, but that 1-0 victory was their only success in their last 15 league visits and came at an empty stadium during a Covid-savaged campaign.
To win there without a hostile home crowd baying for your blood is simply not the same.
Hence,arteta’s message to his players is to end any doubts they have the character and fortitude to win in front of a packed house at Old Trafford.
Arsenal’s title dreams are very much on the line today and the Spaniard said: “If you want to win the Premier League and the big trophies, you have to go to these grounds and impose yourself – and beat them!”
A positive result in the United cauldron would be a fitting way to mark the sixth anniversary of Arsenewenger’s final weekend at the helm. Succeeding a legend such as Wenger (right), following Unai Emery’s botched attempt, was far from simple for
Arteta, who can empathise with United counterpart
Erik ten Hag as he faces mounting criticism.
Comparisons between past and present eras are inevitable, says Arteta.
However, dealing with the pressure of former-players-turnedpundits putting the boot in definitely compounds problems.arteta had to confront “poisonous” ex-gunners, as he labelled them a couple of seasons ago, quick to snipe about his squad’s shortcomings.
That is no longer an issue, though.arteta, whose team have won 14 of their last 16 league games to stay in the title race with Manchester City, explained: “They’re a huge part of the great history of this football club.
“Anything that they can add to the team, whether it’s stability, inspiration, experiences, is more than welcome.
“They are getting closer and closer.they have been in the training ground many, many times. It’s something very important and powerful for our club.”
And there has been a significant shift in power within the Arsenal dressing room in terms of physical stature.
The sizeable difference, between the current players and those United regularly battered at the back end of Wenger’s 22 years in charge, is glaring.
So was acquiring more imposing individuals a deliberate policy? It seems so.
Arteta added: “A winning team that wants to be sustainable needs to have certain ingredients and that is one, in my opinion.
“It’s great to have a presence, it’s very important.we are building that.”