Erik ten Hag is feeling the heat as he enters his third season at Manchester United, eager to secure another trophy and prove his worth once again. After a comeback victory over Brentford last Saturday, Ten Hag expressed optimism that the team is headed in the right direction.
This Thursday, United will face off against their former manager, José Mourinho, in a Europa League match against Fenerbahce. Yet, the team hasn’t secured a win in their first two rounds of this competition, and they’ve struggled in recent European matches, conceding 17 goals in their last five away games. This streak goes back to Ten Hag’s inaugural season in charge, which ended with a quarter-final exit in the Europa League.
Mourinho, who previously led United to success in this same tournament during his tenure, and Ten Hag are both aware that past achievements won’t shield them from scrutiny now. “Both Mourinho and I have won a lot of trophies in recent years,” Ten Hag remarked. “But you have to prove yourself every year, and if you don’t, criticism is inevitable. We know that when you don’t win games, the criticism follows. We’re on the right path and are convinced we will reach our goals.”
When asked if his team could contend for this season’s title, Ten Hag noted, “United has won domestic cups since Mourinho left, but Europe has been a different story. Right now, we have two points and we understand what we need to do — we must win games.”
However, Ten Hag faces significant challenges, as ten senior players will miss the trip to Turkey. Bruno Fernandes, the captain, will be absent due to suspension after receiving a red card during the recent 3-3 draw with Porto. While Ten Hag mentioned that Mason Mount may soon return from injury, he remains confident that the players available can deliver a positive result.
“It’s complicated, but it’s never easy,” Ten Hag acknowledged. “We have to address this as a collective. With a packed schedule ahead, we will handle it as best as we can. We have made progress, and I felt we took a good step forward [against Brentford]. But we need to follow that up against Fenerbahce and again on Sunday against West Ham. The players prefer playing matches to training, and with so many upcoming games, we’re managing the situation well, provided we have enough players available.”
