Erik ten Hag on period of uncertainty before signing new Man Utd deal
Manchester United considered Erik ten Hag's future before opting to keep the Dutchman as manager with the former Ajax boss reflecting on his time at Old Trafford
Erik ten Hag insisted he "can't do this on his own" as he attempts to make his time at Manchester United a success.
The Dutchman faced an uncertain future after his second campaign ended following the Red Devils' lowest ever Premier League finish. Victory in the FA Cup final arguably saved him amid suggestions he could be about to receive his marching orders.
Ten Hag remained defiant - claiming he would go and win elsewhere if the club didn't want him - before he ended up staying. The Dutchman pointed to United's lack of success prior to his arrival and maintained that he needs the players and those above him to be aligned if they want to challenge consistently for honours.
He said: “We are now in a new season, we left everything behind and we are looking forward. It's a great project, the process is nice, we go with ups and downs, but now we are very energised, good dynamic, good spirit, looking forward, we want to work and we want to win.
“I never think if I'm in a strong position or weak position, but when you take over a dressing room that didn't win one trophy in six years, you have to prove [yourself]. But I don't think I am strong or weak. I want to collaborate and I can't do this on my own - players, staff, leadership, everyone - I'm sure we will have even more success.
“We proved we can beat the best team [ Manchester City ] not only one time, but we did it twice. A lot of other games were very close to them, but our challenge is to be more consistent.”
Ten Hag has been able to deliver trophies in both seasons he's been at the helm, but that has somewhat covered up cracks in their league and European campaigns. With INEOS now at the helm Sir Jim Ratcliffe has surrounded Ten Hag with quality operators, which should aid their ambitions.
Some pointed to the lack of obvious candidates to replace Ten Hag as a reason behind United retaining him. Several of Europe's top clubs were looking for new managers with few getting their top choice.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth said after United triggered Ten Hag's one-year extension: "This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing and winning at the top level; now we need to do it more consistently. With our strengthened football leadership team now in place, we are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Erik to achieve our shared ambitions for this football club.”
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