Siddharth Juyal
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag defends team’s progress amidst poor results.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag spoke to journalists (h/t Mirror) at his pre-match press conference in the Champions League. The Dutchman was adamant that the team was progressing in the right direction despite the poor results.
United are lying 10th in the Premier League after playing seven games and suffering four losses. The Red Devils will be hosting Turkish club Galatasaray for their second Group A Champions League fixture.
The Red Devils lost their opening game 4-3 against German giant Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. A loss to Galatasaray is inconceivable at this point of time.
Ten Hag is adamant that his team is making the right kind of progress even though the results have been disappointing. He said:
“I think I don’t agree with that [lack of progress]. The team is moving forward, but we have to make adjustments as well. When you don’t have a left-back [fit], we have to change and we did. At the end of the day, it’s about results and we didn’t get the result we were looking for, which is very disappointing.”
The Red Devils are currently in the second season under the reign of the Dutchman. Ten Hag enjoyed Carabao Cup success in his debut season, ending the six-year trophy drought at the club.
The 53-year-old guided United to the Champions League qualification by helping the club finish third last season.
Controversies and injury crises have plagued Ten Hag’s squad. The Dutchman has found it hard to build the expected level of consistency while facing these uncontrollable circumstances.
The former Ajax Amsterdam manager faced criticism of his own for certain decision-making that baffled both fans and experts. Ten Hag brought in Harry Maguire and Donny van de Beek when United were a goal down against Crystal Palace.
Van de Beek’s performance in his United career has left fans unimpressed, and he has seen little action this season. In contrast, many anticipated Maguire to step in as an emergency forward due to his strong heading abilities, as the team needed an urgent equaliser. The defender took his usual play in the back-line which baffled the Old Trafford crowd.
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We think Ten Hag made a valid point as they do not have a natural left-back available due to injuries. The Dutchman is also well aware of the demand that comes with the United job. Results define progress more than anything else in football and United desperately needs a good run of correct results.
