Despite taking over a struggling team that finished sixth in the Premier League, Manchester United’s new manager Erik ten Hag believes it is possible to end Manchester City and Liverpool’s domination.
United finished 35 points behind champions City, who pipped Liverpool to the title by a point, and had their lowest Premier League point total ever.
City manager Pep Guardiola has won four titles in five years, while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may win a treble of cup trophies this season if the Reds defeat Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Guardiola and Klopp, United’s two main opponents, have regularly fought for the major prizes, leaving the Red Devils, who haven’t won anything since 2017, as spectators.
The Dutchman, on the other hand, dismissed the notion that United would need to lose one or both of Guardiola and Klopp in order to contend again.
“I admire them both right now,” Ten Hag stated during his unveiling at Old Trafford on Monday. “Both Liverpool and Manchester City are playing terrific football right now.
“However, you can always see how an era might end.” I’m excited to do battle with them.”
The 52-year-old former Ajax manager becomes United’s seventh permanent manager since Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2013.
Ten Hag previously managed Bayern Munich’s reserve team and stated he was familiar with the pressures of working for a large club.
He explained, “This is a project, it takes time.” “I know in this club — I’ve been to Ajax and Bayern — there’s never enough time in the elite (clubs).”
We want to win every game, so we’ll see what happens after that. This club has a rich past; now it’s time to forge on. It’s a lot of fun to do that with the people in the club.
The 52-year-old former Ajax manager becomes United’s seventh permanent manager since Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2013.
Ten Hag previously managed Bayern Munich’s reserve team and stated he was familiar with the pressures of working for a large club.
Ten Hag would to say how many new additions he wants in the transfer window, but he did say that top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who turns 38 next season, will have a part.
Ralf Rangnick’s interim tenure, which lasted from November to December, failed to elicit any response from an expensively formed squad, with United finishing 13 points outside the top four.
Rangnick is due to take over as Austria manager, but he is still under contract with the team for the next two years as a consultant.
Ten Hag, on the other hand, was evasive about how much interaction he will have with Rangnick.
Rangnick’s duty, he claimed, is “on the club.” “I do my own analysis, observe, and talk to a lot of individuals, but in the end, I draw my own line.”
