Ten Hag: 'Man Utd need strikers who can score'
Big strides have come under the Dutchman. At least winning the League Cup ends a six-year title drought at Old Trafford. Man Utd is still on the way back to the Champions League through the top 4 of the Premier League, and can even win more titles while fighting in both the FA Cup and Europa League.
According to Sky Sports, Man Utd's progress is beyond expectations and can be measured by fan expectations. These fans may have been disillusioned with competing in the Premier League after only a short period of sublimation, but are full of hope that this is a pre-season that shows that times are changing. "Put aside the bad start and failures in some big matches, then Man Utd's first season under Erik ten Hag can be judged a success," the TV channel commented.
After this season, Ten Hag's task is to create a future where Man Utd not only becomes a candidate for the Premier League title, but also has to continuously win this title. In order for that ambition to come true, the "Red Devils" need a classy striker - a missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle. "Obviously every player plays differently. But for strikers, the most important thing is to score by any method, that goes beyond anything else," said Ten Hag. "Man Utd need strikers who can score goals because we have the ability to put the ball in the box. So we need strikers to finish."
The Dutch coach also emphasized that in order to build a new future, Man Utd need strikers not only to score well, but also to contribute by linking good play with teammates and putting pressure on opponents. .
Man Utd has not yet decided on the best name for the summer transfer window of 2023, but having such a quality goalscorer will certainly help Man Utd avoid results such as letting Sevilla score twice in the last ten minutes. draw 2-2 in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on April 13.
Just looking at city rivals Man City, Erling Haaland's track record shows just how valuable signing the right striker can be to a club. The Norwegian striker continuously scored to help Man City enter the sprint phase of the strong season. In the Premier League, they are still three points behind Arsenal, but have the right to self-determination in the championship race. The army under Pep Guardiola crushed Bayern 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, and met lower-tier rivals Sheffield in the FA Cup semi-finals.
After Cristiano Ronaldo left, the fact that Man Utd created many opportunities and squandered made them crave for a top-class striker. Marcus Rashford had a sublime season but created more mutations when he played on the wing, Anthony Martial was constantly injured and Wout Weghorst was just a fire-fighting solution. The lack of a high-class striker made Man Utd many times pay the price for not being able to finish the opponent.
"The results say something about Man Utd's position," added Ten Hag of the Sevilla draw. "It shows that Man Utd need to improve, especially in terms of mentality. We have to control the game better, have to be focused and not allow the opponent to have a chance to come back. We have to step up with certain mental strength and certain mental standard. I think the players have come a long way, after going through some traumatic experiences in previous years."
The 53-year-old coach sees the Sevilla match as a great lesson, especially at a time when Man Utd is in the lead and needs to contain the opponent, or finish the game. "Strong clubs always show composure in those moments, stick to the plan, continue to control the game, or immediately return when it is difficult," analyzed Ten Hag. "Right now, Man Utd just improves the mentality game by game, and the next step to improve it in the middle of the game. That's the necessary standard if Man Utd want to compete for titles, to control the game and win." .
Ten Hag sees the recruitment of strikers as a long-term solution, and wants the current team to perform well and show the quality to accomplish their goals this season. "First, it has to come from the development of the team. So when we have the upper hand, we have to finish that game," he said. "We didn't do that against Sevilla and let them equalize. That's not good, it's a bad habit that we have to get rid of."
On how to achieve that desired consistency, Ten Hag added: "By demanding from each other. We ask the players, and they must demand, push each other. You must always perform well. In football there's no if, but or maybe, that you have to show in every situation."
