Erik ten Hag expects Manchester United to be title contenders next season

Erik ten Hag has admitted that Manchester United are extremely unlikely to win the Premier League title this season, however is hopeful that the Pink Devils can problem for the top-flight crown in 2023-24.

After changing Ole Gunner Solskjaer within the Outdated Trafford hotseat final summer time, the Dutchman endured a rocky begin to life within the dugout, shedding his first two Premier League video games towards Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, together with an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to the latter.

Nonetheless, a swift transformation has since taken place underneath the tutelage of Ten Hag, who guided Man United to their first trophy in six years with success within the EFL Cup closing final month.

The Pink Devils are additionally nonetheless competing in each the FA Cup and Europa League, though they at the moment sit third within the Premier League desk and 16 factors behind leaders Arsenal.

Ten Hag has acknowledged that United have made progress in his first season on the membership and believes that they’ve already proven indicators that they’ll compete on the high finish of the desk next season.

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Requested how distant the Pink Devils are from difficult for the Premier League title when attending a press convention forward of Thursday’s Europa League second-leg tie at Real Betis, Ten Hag mentioned: “I feel now we have made good progress, however now we have to acknowledge there may be nonetheless a niche.

“I could not count on that we shut that hole that shortly. What we would like is we would like to win each sport, regardless of which opponent. I feel in the entire video games you’ve seen until now, I feel that was our strategy. We tried to win each sport.

“Additionally now we have crushed all the highest groups so we’re succesful to do it. So now now we have to make the next step to do this extra dominant, extra constant. So now we have some steps to take. However we all know, there may be time, we are able to do it.”

Man United received a complete of 13 Premier League title underneath legendary supervisor Sir Alex Ferguson, however they final had their arms on the trophy again within the 2012-13 marketing campaign and have since seen their bitter rivals Manchester City win the title on 5 events.

Ten Hag believes that profitable the Premier League title is as troublesome as ever contemplating the power of opposition, including: “You see the competitors and I additionally heard feedback from different gamers and different managers that the Premier League was by no means as troublesome as now, there are such a lot of opponents.

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“It isn’t a two-horse race. It is 5, six, seven-horse races so you’ve to be excellent if you need to win that league. However we’re aiming for that. What we would like, so do six, seven extra golf equipment.

“They’ll make investments and they’re going to spend huge cash, and so they have nice managers, so that they have nice gamers. So it is lots about particulars ultimately, you may win it.

“However as I mentioned, now we have crushed all of the groups within the Premier League so we’re succesful to do it however we comprehend it on the membership and in addition within the staff. We comprehend it, now we have some steps to go.”

Man United are on track to enhance on final season’s sixth-placed end within the high flight, though pipping Man City to second place appears a tall order as they’ve slipped 9 factors behind the Residents after dropping 5 factors of their final two league video games.

Within the meantime, the Pink Devils will hope to get the job performed of their Europa League last-16 tie with Real Betis on Thursday, with Ten Hag’s males boasting a 4-1 lead from the primary leg, earlier than welcoming Fulham to Outdated Trafford for an FA Cup quarter-final conflict on Sunday.