Ten Hag never dreamed of winning the Premier League
Man Utd started Ten Hag's reign with two defeats to Brighton 1-2 and Brentford 0-4. But after that, the "Red Devils" improved continuously, being the Premier League club that earned the most points in the same period, in which they defeated both Man City and Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Man Utd are currently five points behind the top two teams, but Ten Hag refuses to talk about championship ambitions. "Until now, we have not thought about it," the Dutch coach said before the match against Leicester in the 24th round of the Premier League.
According to Ten Hag, Man Utd just focus on each game and try to be in the best position possible in April. He added: "We always have to play better than the last game and analyze each game, to put energy and focus. That means Man Utd have to get three points against Leicester, and that requires a lot. energy as well as high standards".
Man Utd had another positive performance when drawing Barca 2-2 at Camp Nou in the first leg of the Europa League play-off on February 16. Winning the Europa League is another way to help Man Utd return to the Champions League, besides finishing in the top 4 of the Premier League - where they are seven points behind the fifth-ranked club Tottenham.
Ten Hag is delighted that Man Utd is in a favorable position to return to Europe's number one club competition. "We are on the right track, but we have to keep fighting," he stressed. "There are two ways, one is through the Europa League, the other is the Premier League. We know our duty and will fight every game to get back to the Champions League."
Man Utd is the only team in Europe that still competes in all four arenas. The "Red Devils" can play up to nine matches before the international break at the end of March, including the League Cup final against Newcastle on February 26. This is an opportunity for the Old Trafford owner to win the first title since the Europa League championship in the 2016-2017 season under coach Jose Mourinho.
Ten Hag doesn't mind the tight schedule and thinks the whole team is enjoying the challenge. "The players love that, big games. They understand that as a team and as an individual, you grow from these games," said the 53-year-old coach. "Against Barca, each player and the whole Man Utd team played better. That keeps us on the right track and has to continue this process. We will analyze the Barca game, then look to the Leicester match, and every game after that."
Ten Hag admits that he and his students are closely monitoring the Glazer family's sale of Man Utd, with February 17 being the deadline for investors to submit proposals. However, the Dutch coach also affirmed that the whole team focused on expertise and did not interfere in behind-the-scenes issues.
When asked if he had spoken to chief executive Richard Arnold or the Glazer owner about the takeover, Ten Hag replied: "No. They wanted me to be involved in the process from the beginning. But I did. They only focus on football, they take care of other tasks of the club, economic or sponsorship."
According to British media, Qatar's emir, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - a member of the Qatar Royal family, and Jim Ratcliffe - Britain's richest man - sent offers to the Glazer family. The price that the Glazers want for investors to buy all of Man Utd is at least 6 billion pounds ($ 7.2 billion).
