“We have higher targets” - Manchester United coach Erik Ten Hag opens up on the club owners' demands amidst sack rumours
Manager Erik ten Hag has admitted that the Manchester United hierarchy has set big targets and wants the side to be successful soon, once again. He added that the pressure was not just on him but everyone at the club to deliver.
Addressing the media, the Manchester United manager talked about the new owners and highlighted how a lot happened over the last 8-9 months. He said (via The Guardian):
"In football you have to win, you have to deliver, that's clear. It's good that the new leadership acknowledge this and says this. We are working together to be more successful and we have higher targets than we've already achieve.
"Transition period? It's not only to do with me. Nobody can deny in these last eight or nine months a lot has happened to this club. There's a new leadership team, a new structure and ownership structure, a new leadership team."
Manchester United have lost two of their first three matches in the Premier League this season. They finished eighth in the league last term, but managed to qualify for the UEFA Europa League by winning the FA Cup.
Manchester United leaders backing Erik ten Hag
Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada spoke about Erik ten Hag earlier this month and claimed that the club were fully backing him. He said (via ESPN):
"We're very happy with that decision [to give Ten Hag a new contract]. Erik has our full backing and we have worked very closely together in this transfer window. We're going to continue working very closely with him to help him get the best results out of the team. Do we still believe in Erik? Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us and we're fully backing him."
The Red Devils' sporting director Dan Ashworth also spoke about the manager and added (via ESPN):
"I've really enjoyed working with Erik for the last eight weeks. I see my job is to support him in every way I possibly can, and whether that's operationally, whether that's with recruitment, whether that's with medical, whether that's with psychology, whether that's training ground flow, it's just to take as much of that off him to allow him to fully focus on the training pitch and the match tactical plan to deliver success for Manchester United."
Erik ten Hag is under pressure this season, with reports of a potential sacking doing the rounds after United's dismal start to the season.