Speaking to the media at Manchester United's training base in Los Angeles, Ten Hagar opened up and shared his thoughts on the team's recent tour, the injury situation, the impact of the club's structural changes, and his personal journey through the period of uncertainty he experienced at the end of last season.
Tour & Injury Situation
Ten Hagar gave a positive assessment of his team's tour performance, describing it as a successful pre-season preparation that laid a solid foundation for the new season. In the face of serious injuries to Hoylum and Yoro, he showed the calm attitude of professional soccer, emphasizing that injuries are an inevitable part of top-level soccer, while acknowledging the players' spirit of facing challenges positively. He revealed that the injured players are actively recovering and expressed his expectation for their return.
Injuries and Reinforcement Program
On the question of whether injuries will affect the reinforcement plan, Ten Hag made it clear that the reinforcements will not be accelerated as a result. He emphasized that the club has an established plan and will stick to it, and will not disrupt the overall layout because of injuries to individual players.
New Structure and Transformation of the Club
While welcoming the changes in the new leadership team and club structure, Ten Hagar believes that the changes will not alter the team's way of working and its established plans. He emphasized that the team will continue to follow the set course and ensure that every step is in line with the team's long-term development goals.
Uncertainty at the end of last season
Reflecting on the uncertain times at the end of last season, Ten Hagar admits that he was never distracted. He emphasized that from the moment he took over the team, he was well aware of the enormity and longevity of the rebuilding process. He referred to the team's plight of not winning any trophies in the last six years and expressed his desire to win and his confidence in the team's future. Ten Hagar believes that despite the many setbacks of last season, the team finally won the FA Cup, which was the best reward for the team's efforts and belief.
Team capacity and cohesion
Ten Hag points out that the success of the team depends on the ability and cohesion of the players. He argued that in the past few years, although Manchester United has had a number of excellent coaches, the team's overall strength has failed to reach the level it deserves. He emphasized that the coaches and staff can develop the players and the team, but only if the players have enough potential. For this current team, Ten Hag expressed his satisfaction that they have the ability to compete with the top teams in England and even in the world.
looking forward
Looking ahead, Ten Hag said the team's goal is to consistently compete with the best teams in the world. He mentioned the high level of the Premier League and the team's competitiveness in it, and emphasized that the next challenge to face is to maintain that competitiveness more consistently. He mentioned the importance of the club's culture and winning culture in achieving this goal and said that he will continue to work on building a better foundation and structure for the team to help it move to the next level.
