Manchester United have put their faith in manager Erik ten Hag for the upcoming season and the former Ajax boss has already made his first big-money summer signing
Erik ten Hag has told his Manchester United players the new season will be “the survival of the fittest” and told them to get in shape or risk falling short again.
And the United boss, backed by a contract extension until 2026, was also quick to warn the club’s new power brokers that he will need reinforcements this summer if they are to stay the course in the fight for the title.
United ended last season in eighth place, their worst-ever Premier League finish, only salvaging a miserable campaign with victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final. The revamped Europa League format means United will have an extra two group stage games, with Ten Hag determined his squad are fit enough to meet that new challenge.
Speaking after United opened their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Norwegian side Rosenborg in Trondheim, Ten Hag outlined his concerns over the increased demands on his squad, before appealing for more new faces following the capture of Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee.
“I think we showed we can beat the best team in the world on the last occasion of the season,” said Ten Hag, reflecting on United’s epic FA Cup triumph over City. “So when everyone is fit, we already have a good team and can achieve a high level. But also, we know in terms of the depth, we need more players.
“Especially this season – again, more games, the new model, the new format of Europe – you’ll have more games in a season, more intense games. No winter break and a January that’s very condensed. So you need squad depth. Then it’s more and more about the survival of the fittest.”
Ten Hag was given the green light to continue at United, despite being left in limbo for two-and-a-half weeks after the FA Cup win while Ineos billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team considered replacing him and talked to prospective candidates. But with a new football executive team now in place, comprising of CEO Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth, technical director Jason Wilcox and interim director of recruitment Christopher Vivell, and Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Braisford still involved, Ten Hag is confident there will be no repeat of last season’s turmoil.
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As well as a new football executive structure, Ten Hag has also added two new faces to his coaching staff – former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake, with Mitchell van der Gaag having left the club.
Despite the overhaul, Ten Hag warned United fans there will be no ‘quick-fix’ to the club’s problems and called for patience while he and the new football operations team – and the new additions to his coaching staff – start working together.
“It was a very complicated season,” said Ten Hag. “You can’t expect that all of the problems will be sorted out in such a short slot with the new structure coming in.
“With Sir Dave Brailsford, with Dan (Ashworth), with Jason (Wilcox) and Christopher (Vivell)… You can’t sort it out in such a short slot. But I think it can really accelerate our process. Since last Saturday, Dan has been in and it feels very good. First impressions and the collaboration from the first moment – it’s very good.
“But of course, we have to build our relationship. We are in the transfer window, we are in a reconstructed model now, so we have a lot of work to do.
“We are close together, but it’s only one week, so I can’t make an assessment of how that will work out, but it feels very positive. A good move, good vibe, good spirit. You need this, you see it, this club needs this, this new structure. So I think it will work out very positively.”
Despite the problems of last season, when Ten Hag’s squad was sabotaged by injuries, particularly in defence, the 54-year-old defended his two years in charge of United. “We won two trophies in two seasons,” said Ten Hag. “Apart from City, that’s more than any other club in English football.
“What we achieved in the structure we had, with the staff we had, it’s a big achievement, but I think we have higher ambitions. We set ourselves higher targets.
“So then, all the time, you have to improve. People felt it was the right moment to step away and go for new challenges, because they wanted to go in for different roles.
“But what we need – and I feel we have this in – is fresh energy, a new dynamic and innovation. I have the feeling we’ve got this.”
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