On the eve of Manchester United's upcoming UEFA Cup league stage first round match against Twente, manager Jens Ten Hagar attended a press conference to give his thoughts on a number of hot topics.
When asked about playing against his home team, Twente, Ten Hag expressed mixed emotions. "I still prefer to play against other opponents, it's not good to hurt something you love." He admitted that despite having grown up as a player at Twente's youth academy and having a deep affection for the place, he has to maintain a professional attitude now as United's manager. "Of all the teams, Twente is one of the ones I follow the most. However, I will watch them as a fan and supporter, not as an analyst. It's a different way of watching the game." Ten Hag emphasized that Twente has brought him a lot and he has a deep appreciation for the place.
On the timing of Luke Shaw's return from injury, Ten Hag said there is still some uncertainty. "The plan is to be back before the international day in October, but I'm not 100% sure. It will probably be shortly after the break." He admitted that the team will need to be patient and wait for Shaw's full recovery to ensure that he is able to return to action in top form.
Speaking about the new format of the UEFA Cup, Ten Hag expressed his concerns about overburdening the players. "There are too many games and too many tournaments, that's obvious. The players are overburdened and this is not good for soccer." He believes that this state of affairs needs to be improved by the joint efforts of many parties, including clubs, players and coaches, in order to find a balance between commercial interests and players' health.
Responding to recent speculation about the conflict between him and Rashford, Ten Hagar was outspoken in his displeasure. "I don't understand this criticism, people have no right to make unfounded speculations. If I give an explanation, they should take my word for it." He emphasized that there is no contradiction between himself and Rashford, but only a rotation adjustment based on tactical needs.
Finally, Ten Hagar spoke about United's ambitions in the UEFA Cup. "There are many ways to achieve what you want. The UEFA Cup is probably the hardest, after all there is a knockout stage behind it. But we won't look too far ahead, we have to take it one game at a time." He said United will focus on every game to achieve their goals in the UEFA Cup.
