Manchester United’s head, Omar Berrada, is firm in his stance that Erik ten Hag continues to be the perfect fit to lead the team forward, despite some underperformance in recent matches and the the club’s eighth place finish in the Premier League last season. Ten Hag, whose contract was extended by a year during the summer, still has the complete support of both the CEO and the club.
Questions have arisen about Ten Hag’s leadership ability following a disappointing 3-0 loss at their home ground to rivals Liverpool. This happens to be the club’s second league loss this season, with the previous defeat being a 2-1 game against Brighton. However, Berrada, together with newly appointed sporting director Dan Ashworth, insist that these unfortunate outcomes don’t dampen their faith in Ten Hag’s managerial abilities.
Berrada expressed unwavering support for Ten Hag, stating, “Do we still believe in Erik? Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us and we’re fully backing him.”
Although Ten Hag’s contract renewal happened prior to both Berrada and Ashworth assuming their new roles, both executives voiced their agreement with the decision.
Ashworth said he relished the last eight weeks of working with Ten Hag, and his role involves lending support in various areas, including recruitment, medical, psychology, operations, and training ground flow, so that Ten Hag can focus on the match tactical plan and training pitch for the success of Manchester United.
Ashworth had been busy with the transfer window in his initial weeks, with the club securing five new players, namely Matthijs De Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, and Noussair Mazraoui. On the other hand, a few players also marked their exit from the club, including Scott McTominay and Jadon Sancho, who after falling out with Ten Hag, returned to his previous team, Borussia Dortmund, on loan in January.
Sancho was seen participating in the pre-season activities of Manchester United, even featuring in the Community Shield game. However, he switched to Chelsea on deadlineday under a loan deal that includes a mandatory purchase clause. Enquiring about this transformation, Ashworth clarified that the decision was driven by the player’s desire for a new challenge.
He further elaborated, “In our squad, we already had a decent count of four exceptional wingers. Adding Jadon would have exceeded our need, hence when the proposal seemed beneficial for both parties, we didn’t hesitate to consider it.” Highlighting that the player was keen on seizing the chance at Chelsea, Ashworth drew parallels with other departures – like Scott who leveraged his opportunity at Napoli, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka who did the same at West Ham. He emphasised that they did not drive players away from their club.
Scott McTominay’s transfer to Napoli marked the endpoint of his childhood link with the ‘Red Devils’, cemented over the span of nearly two decades. In response to the midfielder’s departure, Ten Hag voiced his disappointment. Yet, he acknowledged that selling home-grown, cultivated talents becomes a forced necessity, courtesy of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability requirements, which highly favour this strategy from a monetary perspective.
While reflecting on the outcome of such regulations, Ashworth noted, “This result, albeit unintended, is a part of this game. But it’s important to remember that Scott was not opposed to the change. After a prolonged association of about 21 years with Manchester United, he thought he needed a fresh start. We need to respect the individual career choices these players make, along with their personal living preferences.” – Guardian