The Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted he is under pressure to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season.
The Dutchman’s side is currently fifth in the table, three points behind Tottenham, and faces stiff competition to dislodge them from both Liverpool and Chelsea.
“The competition is tough, but I think it counts for all of the seven or eight clubs who are competing for the top four,” Ten Hag told a press conference on Friday.
“For those who follow the Premier League, it is great because it is exciting and you have to battle for everyone to get those points. What I am looking at is the process and how we are performing, we have to get the results, and then also we have to make the right progress, and then we have a good chance of getting into the top four.”
”I get it and I understand [the pressure]. This is also the same for the manager of Chelsea and for Newcastle United. At all of those clubs, they invest a lot in their clubs, there is big pressure at all of those clubs because they all want to get into the top four. We want to fight for those trophies and that is clear.”
United’s Premier League season resumes next Tuesday with the visit of Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford after a six-week break for the World Cup
It is [difficult], but we had a plan on how to do it, how to manage the load of the players, and it is all individual based, Ten Hag said.
“No one is alike, and no one has the same schedule or minutes; they all play in different positions and are of various ages. Although we make every effort to accommodate everyone’s schedules, we are aware that the restart occurs five to six days after a World Cup final.
“Everyone needs to be prepared for the Premier League to resume quickly after a World Cup, as we all know. We want to have a strong team to compete for the trophies because they must accept it and they want to win.
United had two players involved in the World Cup final last Sunday: Argentina’s victorious Lisandro Martinez and France’s Raphael Varane. At the moment, however, Ten Hag is uncertain about whether either of them will play against Forest.
”I can’t answer that question now, he is still celebrating now in Buenos Aires going around in the touring car! Going around in Buenos Aires and I can understand it, it is a very emotional, very loaded when you achieve this World Cup success in your country.
“It is magnificent, it is the highest that you can achieve. Licha [Lisandro Martinez] also has to understand that on the December 27th, the Premier League is back.”
”Raphael Varane is disappointed, as anybody would be after losing the World Cup final. I think he can also be proud again in the final, with all what he has achieved in his football career, it is a massive performance as a team, and a player like Rapha when you win so many trophies.”
“Even though he finished second it is a massive achievement, because the level of the nation is so high. They came into the final and even in the final they were very close.”
The transfer window opens on January 1st and United have been strongly linked with making a bid for the PSV Eindhoven striker Cody Gakpo.
However, Ten Hag was unwilling to be drawn on his thoughts about the player when he was asked if he was impressed with his performances at the World Cup. ”There were many, many good players in the World Cup,” he replied with a wide smile.
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