Erik ten Hag sets the bar high at Manchester United. The ever-critical manager is happy with the various purchases he has made prior to this season, but he also has a comment. Ten Hag believes that the English superpower has bought mediocre far too often in recent years.
Ten Hag lacked a certain mentality and spirit last season when he saw Manchester United at work. The manager, who comes from Ajax, even wondered how in the first weeks at Old Trafford the Red Devils ever grown that big. “In the center there used to be personalities such as Jaap Stam, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. And always a midfield strategist. Roy Keane was the boss and Paul Scholes was a great footballer and a personality,” he said in conversation with Sky Sports.
“I also think of players like Ryan Giggs and David Beckham,” Ten Hag points to two more players from Manchester United’s golden years. “That is the culture of this club. I looked at it very carefully and concluded that last season’s team was very fragile and vulnerable.” The manager then brings up the transfer policy. “When recruiting players, we look at quality and technical skills. But the mental qualities are at least as important. We had to bring back mental resilience.”
Ten Hag draws a hard conclusion about the purchasing policy of recent seasons. “Manchester United have bought an incredible number of players in recent years who were not good enough. A lot of mediocre has been bought and that is simply not good enough at this club. United’s shirt weighs heavily. Only real personalities who can perform under pressure , can play here.” Ten Hag did business with that conclusion in mind. “We needed personalities, that’s why the arrival of Casemiro was so important. Together with Raphaël Varane, we now have another player who knows what it’s like to win trophies.”
Ten Hag also sees the desired winner’s mentality in the other summer purchases. “Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martínez, Casemiro and Antony are all fighters, while Christian Eriksen is a technical winner and a real personality. Only the best of the best is good enough for us. All players Manchester United buy must meet the highest standard “, said Ten Hag, who saw his team win 3-1 against Everton in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday.