LONDON
\nErik ten Hag urged Manchester United\u2019s hierarchy to keep faith with him on Tuesday as his track record proves he is the right man to rebuild the troubled club.
\nTen Hag is under fire following a turbulent start to a season that began with high hopes after the Dutch boss led United to their first trophy in six years last term.
\nHaving won the League Cup, reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the Premier League, Ten Hag was expected to mastermind a title challenge.
\nBut instead, Saturday\u2019s limp 1-0 loss at Newcastle was United\u2019s 10th defeat in 21 matches in all competitions, leaving them five points adrift of the Premier League\u2019s top four.<\/p>\n
United are also in grave danger of being eliminated from the Champions League when they face Bayern Munich in their last group match next week.<\/p>\n
Adding to Ten Hag\u2019s problems, reports have emerged that a section of United\u2019s squad have become disillusioned with his intense training sessions and hard-line discipline.<\/p>\n
United were furious not to have been given a right to reply to the reports.<\/p>\n
And Ten Hag came out fighting when he faced the media on Tuesday, insisting he would eventually show that United\u2019s owners, the Glazer family, were right to hire him last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be always tough times in every journey. We are in the right direction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know we will get there where we want to be. Because…see my record.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverywhere where I was, every season, I got my targets, so if we stick together, stick to the plan and the strategy, we will get where we want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ten Hag managed Go Ahead Eagles and Utrecht before flourishing at Ajax and earning his move to Old Trafford.<\/p>\n
The 53-year-old won three league titles during his time in charge of the Dutch giants, who he led to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.<\/p>\n
Asked what the realistic timeframe is for getting United back to similar heights, Ten Hag said: \u201cFirst of all, I can\u2019t say in this club we are waiting for two, three years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis club the aim is, the demand is and the standards should be that you win every game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI demand of my team, my players to win every game. Doesn\u2019t matter who the opponent is, and I will stick to that. That brought us last year very far.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat mentality I don\u2019t want to change this because that will be a drop-off in culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the reports, Ten Hag believes he has the players\u2019 full backing heading into another crucial week.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh yeah, I never had the idea they don\u2019t (back me) because I know they would have dropped me against Fulham or Burnley if it was the other situation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course negativity is never good. You have to take care it never kills the energy.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t care because I know, and all the players know, we are the biggest club in the world, or one of the biggest clubs, then you know you get a lot of attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are together in that. There\u2019s no way that you are alone there. You are together in that boat.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Erik ten Hag urged Manchester United\u2019s hierarchy to keep faith with him on Tuesday as his track record proves he is the right man to rebuild the troubled club. Ten Hag is under fire following a turbulent start to a season that began with high hopes after the Dutch boss led United to their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-372825","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n