Ten Hag: 'Man Utd need to win the FA Cup not to stop Man City from winning the treble'

In an interview with the British newspaper The Times, coach Erik Ten Hag talked about his obsession with work, the challenges at Man Utd, and his desire to create a legacy with the "Red Devils".

Ten Hag admitted to being obsessed with work and results, so he was furious when Man Utd conceded four goals in the first half of their 4-0 defeat to Brentford earlier this season. The next day, he took away the entire squad’s leave and ordered them to run nearly 14.5km, the same distance Brentford ran more than them in their heavy defeat.

Ten Hag also put on his boots and ran with the team that day, because he believes that a manager needs to be there for his players, in both victory and defeat. He said: "I hate managers who tell the players that they have won and then blame the team when they lose. For me, winning and losing go hand in hand. When you have self-respect, you cannot lose like Man Utd lost to Brentford. I accept losing, especially when I first took over the team, but not in such a cowardly way. We were paid well and expected more, so that defeat is not an excuse."

Ten Hag always demands the highest of himself and his players when working at Man Utd. Photo: Reuters — Ten Hag always demands the highest of himself and his players when working at Man Utd. Photo: *Reuters*

The next game, Man Utd players ran 10 miles more than when they lost to Brentford, and were rewarded with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool. Since then, the season has had its ups and downs for the "Red Devils", but in the end, they have still achieved their goals. Man Utd finished third in the Premier League, have a ticket back to the Champions League, have already pocketed the League Cup and still have a chance to win the FA Cup when they play Man City in the final today.

For Ten Hag, football is not just a sport , it is a game of survival . He used Bayern winning the Bundesliga in the last few minutes of the season as an example. "Why do they always win? Because Bayern believe in winning. They are a stubborn team, facing challenges and fighting to the end," said Ten Hag.

One of Ten Hag's most important tasks upon arriving at Old Trafford was to bring back the will to win and revive a squad that had been underperforming. "After Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the culture of the club changed. One of the most important qualities under Sir Alex was setting high standards for everything. I want to rebuild that culture, so that everyone in the club has the highest possible standards," said the Dutchman, acknowledging the challenge that awaits at Man Utd.

Ten Hag revealed that he often talks to Sir Alex to ask for advice, and admitted that he learned a lot from the legendary Man Utd coach. He said: "Like Sir Alex, the feeling of winning fades quickly in me, but the bitter taste of defeat is always there. If you want to be a champion, you need to feel tormented by failure. You are not allowed to lose. If you lose, you will question everything around you. After every match at night, I always have trouble sleeping. I start thinking about the next day, about the next match, about how to prepare, what should and should not be said to the team."

One of the most highly regarded jobs Ten Hag has done is to deal with the Cristiano Ronaldo issue. Asked whether Ronaldo's departure would make the team more focused on the pitch and less of a circus, Ten Hag replied: "It depends on your point of view. Personally, I want to see a dynamic, determined team and we have shown that many times this season. But we are not satisfied. There is a long way to go but we are clearly showing the right spirit."

Ten Hag instructs Ronaldo and the players in the 1-3 loss to Aston Villa, the Portuguese striker's last match for Man Utd. Photo: Reuters — Ten Hag instructs Ronaldo and the players in the 1-3 loss to Aston Villa, the Portuguese striker's last match for Man Utd. Photo: *Reuters*

Under Ten Hag, Marcus Rashford has played his best in recent years. He only scored five goals last season, but exploded with 30 goals this season. Ten Hag highly appreciated his student: "Marcus is a good player, with excellent finishing skills. First, I created an environment for him to play well. Next, I encouraged and built a playing style to create conditions for Marcus. Finally, I prepared him physically."

According to the Man Utd coach, Rashford can play as a centre forward or on both wings, can score goals anywhere, but is most comfortable playing as a centre forward or starting from the left wing.

However, Ten Hag still needs someone to share the fire in attack with Rashford when Anthony Martial is too sensitive to injury. He refused to share the possibility of Mason Greenwood's return from suspension, as well as the possibility of recruiting Harry Kane by answering vaguely: "We need someone with the ability to score goals, and either he will appear from the team, or we will have to find in the transfer market."

Goalkeeper is also a position that Man Utd need to strengthen this summer, as David De Gea made many serious mistakes last season and was widely criticized for not participating in building the game from the back like many other modern goalkeepers. Ten Hag confirmed that De Gea will still stay, but did not commit to giving him an official position. He said: "At a Man Utd, there must always be competition in every position. The team played a total of 62 games this season and you cannot do that with only 11 players. That is impossible, you need at least two in each position."

Therefore, Ten Hag emphasized that Man Utd must be active in the transfer market this summer . "Last summer, we spent quite a lot. But in the winter, we only borrowed Wout Weghorst, Marcel Sabitzer and Jack Butland, unlike other teams. If you want to be competitive in this tournament, you need to invest. I need more new contracts," he said.

Man Utd's opponents in today's FA Cup final are a shining example of squad depth, with world- class players at the ready. Man City are the obvious favourites, but Ten Hag believes Man Utd have plenty of motivation to beat their neighbours.

Ten Hag calls on fans to support Man Utd in FA Cup final — Ten Hag called on fans to support Man Utd in the FA Cup final, after the win over Fulham at Old Trafford in round 38 of the Premier League on May 28.

"I've watched a lot of FA Cup finals and have been looking forward to this one for a long time. Of course, the fans will be happy if we stop Man City winning the treble. But the important thing is not stopping Man City from winning the treble, it's Man Utd winning the FA Cup. We want to build our own legacy and era."

Thinh Joey (according to The Times )

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