Ten Hag confident he retains club backing as tough Anfield test looms

Erik Ten Hag is not concerned about being sacked as Manchester United manager due to the club’s executive having offered assurances that the Dutchman’s position is safe.

Ten Hag is under renewed pressure following Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich at Old Trafford that eliminated United from all European competition this season and cost them a minimum of £20m in future revenue. This followed Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth which was the Cherries’ first ever win at United.

Ten Hag was asked what gives him confidence that the backing of the club is retained.

“I feel that [support] and they tell that [to me],” the Dutchman said. “That’s fine, that’s okay, but I’m focusing on the process, to make this team play better, I’m focusing on making the individuals better, that’s my concern.

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“That’s no concern [losing my job] because I’m here to win and I have to make the team play better. If you play then good is not good enough. We are inconsistent and I have to work on the team playing for longer periods on a high level. I want to progress with my team in the right direction so we are here in a project.

“Last season, we were absolutely in the right direction. We have a setback but long-term the future for Man United is very good, if you see how many good players we have in the squad, how many good young players we have in the squad who have the potential to play worldwide. When the injuries get back the team will play better.”

United are at Liverpool on Sunday. In last season’s corresponding fixture, Ten Hag’s side suffered a 7-0 humiliation yet he played down any concerns regarding a repeat.

“No,” the 53-year-old said. “We will put out a team who can challenge, a team that is confident to win that game, we prepare the team as best as we can and a team to win there.”

It was put to Ten Hag that his players might not be human if they were not scared of what could happen in the game.

“I haven’t seen last season that we were scared there. It was a bad experience but you start again. Last year in the first half we played very decent and we got hammered just after half-time and then we collapsed.

“Last year it was a different team and different players, in part at least. We can’t ignore it but we go there and we will be confident and I want my players to be confident from the start to the end. We have to fight there, challenge, and go with the idea. We go to win there.”

Ten Hag will not show his squad the 7-0 defeat.

“We know that [what happened]. I don’t think it’s the right thing and it was last year, it was the past. What we can change is the future. Sunday is a new game,” he said.

The lack of continental football can be a positive.

“That’s true,” he said. “We had so many injuries in the first part of the season and now we have less games. The load will be less, so that can give players the opportunity to recover and more time on the training pitch and we will be fresher in the games. Of course, that [the top four] is the target.”

Bruno Fernandes is suspended and Harry Maguire misses out following injury versus Bayern.

“Harry, he will not be available for the coming games but don’t think it’s long term. Luke Shaw [also injured in the Bayern game] trained this morning. We think he’s available for Sunday. Marcus Rashford is back [from illness], Anthony Martial [illness too] no,” the manager said. - Guardian

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