What Manchester United must do to become TITLE challengers – ERIK TEN HAG explains as he takes a jibe at Arsenal
Erik ten Hag admits he did not expect Manchester United to rise so quickly in the Premier League this season.
United finished the 2021-22 season trophyless and sixth in the league.
However, they are currently third and on track to qualify for the Champions League with a top-four finish.
A likely return to the competition, as well as the end of the club’s trophy drought with the League Cup victory last month, would fuel supporters’ hopes of a championship challenge next season.
United intends to sign a striker this summer, and Ten Hag is looking for a dynamic midfielder.
In a competitive Premier League, investment is critical if United are to take “the next step,” according to the manager.
“I think we have made good progress but we have to acknowledge there is still a gap,” Ten Hag noted.
“I couldn’t expect we would close that gap that quickly. But we want to win every game, no matter the opponent.
“I think all of the games you see until now, we try to win every game, we’ve beaten all the top teams, so we are capable of doing it.
“But now we have to make the next step to be more dominant, more consistent, so we have some steps to take. But we know in this time we can do it.
“You see the competition and I also heard comments from other players, and managers in the Premier League, the Premier League was never that difficult as no.
“There are, so many competitors. It’s not a two-horse race, it’s five, six, seven-horse race. So you have to be very good if you want to win the league.
“We are aiming for that but what we want there are six or seven clubs more, they will invest, they will spend big money, they have great managers and great players.
“It’s a lot of details but we have beaten all the teams in the Premier League, so we are capable of doing it and we are aware of it, in the club and in the team, we have some steps to go.”
Ten Hag claimed that the defeat of Manchester City on January 14 was the only game he had a fully fit squad to choose from all season.
Anthony Martial started that day, but was pulled at halftime and has not played since.
The Frenchman will miss his 31st match out of 45 in the Europa League round-of-16 second leg against Real Betis on Thursday night.
Christian Eriksen is out until late April due to an ankle injury, Alejandro Garnacho is out for several weeks due to an ankle injury, Antony is ill, and Donny van de Beek is out for the rest of the season.
Surprisingly, Ten Hag claimed Arsenal had gone the entire season without a major injury problem when Gabriel Jesus recently returned from a three-month layoff.
“When you see all season we had some setbacks more,” Ten Hag explained.
“Also a shortage of some players more. But every time we dealt with it, it’s about the players who are available and every time there was a team on the pitch who dealt with it.
“But until now, only In one game we had the squad available totally where I can say I can pick my team for a tactical approach and that was perfect and it was against Man City at home.
“And it was the only time this season and every other game it is one player suspended, one injured or illness.
“We have to deal with it well but I see Arsenal they almost all the time, their squad is totally available.”
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What Manchester United must do to become TITLE challengers – ERIK TEN HAG explains as he takes a jibe at Arsenal