Erik ten Hag has admitted that Manchester United’s board are “not happy” with a start that has left his side in 14th and with only three wins in 10 games in all competitions.
The form meant the manager’s job was under scrutiny again going into the international break. Ten Hag conceded before Saturday’s Premier League game at home to Brentford that the hierarchy, led by Jim Ratcliffe, who controls football policy, Omar Berrada, the chief executive, and Dan Ashworth, the sporting director, were not content with his team’s performances.
“We are calm but we’re not happy,” he said. “No one, not the players, staff, board. But we are calm and know what we’re doing. Calm in our strategy and we are getting to where we want to be, and we can do what we want to do this season.”
In the main Ten Hag has retained the backing of fans at Old Trafford. He was asked whether he would understand if this support waned should results not improve. “We are on the same page and in the same boat,” he said. “If you have a strong connection between each other they see the problems we have to face at the start of the season and they know if we stick together in the end we’ll repay them and their trust in us. That’s what we did the last two years. I’m convinced this will happen.”
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Since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 no manager has remained in charge for three full seasons. Given that Ratcliffe and the football department recognise time is required to make United challengers again, Ten Hag was asked whether he needed five seasons to do so, with the current one his third.
He said: “I don’t think in how many years. I want to win every game and make every season a success. I want trophies and titles, and I think I have to win every game and match the standards to win every game to get where you have to be.
“One thing for sure, there’s almost no club in the world where expectations are so high and that’s set from the era of Sir Alex and the rest of us have to deal with this. Demands [are] the highest in every process and we’re not there in every process. We so far haven’t got to challenge for the Premier League or Champions League but that’s the ambition.
“We have to climb a mountain,” Ten Hag acknowledged. “But that is top football and sometimes you have to face challenges, sometimes it goes up, sometimes it goes down. But I am sure we will make it a success as we did the last two seasons.
“We are in a direction, underneath I see good things. I see good patterns and I see also the good stats that confirm we are in a direction but of course the ranking is not lying. We are where we are, and that is not good enough.”
Asked if he felt the need to seek any assurances from Ineos about his position during the international break, Ten Hag said: “No.”
“The only noise is only coming from the media, from you guys – from some of you, let’s say this, not all of you – bringing up stories, creating stories, creating fairy tales, making noise, bringing lies because I know we are on one page, this club.
“I told this before the break. Several journalists probably didn’t believe me because I see the reports. But internal in the club it’s quiet. Of course, we are discussing, that we are unhappy with the position where we are and how we have to turn the corner, what has to happen, so what should be strategy to turn this corner.
“But ultimately we are quiet, we are composed, we stay where we are, we stick to the plan, and we are very convinced we will make it a success.”
Manuel Ugarte is available today (Saturday) after the midfielder was injured playing for Uruguay.
