Ten Hag: 'Sir Alex wants to help Man Utd'
* Man Utd - Barca: 3 am on Friday 24/2, Hanoi time.
During the press conference before the Europa League play-off second leg against Barca, when asked about dinner with Ferguson, Ten Hag replied: "I always like to talk to people with a lot of knowledge and experience. share, help and support. Man Utd is Ferguson's club and he remains committed, wants us to do well."
Ferguson is the most successful manager in Man Utd history, having won 37 trophies, including a record 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League titles, during his 27 years in charge. After resigning in 2013, he mainly acted as an ambassador for Man Utd, and hardly interfered professionally at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag said what Ferguson did for Man Utd was "massive". The Dutch coach also enjoyed a "great dinner" and can't wait to talk to Ferguson another day.
On the evening of February 21, Ten Hag and Ferguson had dinner together at Cibo Italian restaurant in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Ten Hag did not reveal more about the content of this conversation. But according to British newspaper Sportmail, the 53-year-old coach and Ferguson discussed issues related to Man Utd as well as English football.
In the first leg of the Europa League play-off round at Camp Nou, Man Utd let Raphinha score at the end of the game and accepted the score 2-2. Due to the absence of the away table rule, Ten Hag teachers and students need a win in the second leg on the evening of February 23 at home to continue. The last time Man Utd received a defeat at Old Trafford was a 0-1 loss to Sociedad in the first leg of the Europa League group stage on September 8. Since then, the "Red Devils" have gone 15 consecutive matches unbeaten at Old Trafford.
According to Ten Hag, Man Utd will have to play the best game from the beginning of the season to beat Barca. "We want to focus on each game, keep our spirits up and show a better version of ourselves every day," he added. "We want to play big games. When we were kids, we dreamed about it. We were really excited and had to give our best."
The British media assessed the great war against Barca today as the biggest match with Ten Hag as a coach, since Ajax lost against Tottenham in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019. At that time, Ajax led 3-0 until the end of the half. a return match. However, Lucas Moura scored a hat-trick in the second half to help Tottenham reach the final thanks to the away goal rule.
When asked about this statement, Ten Hag replied: "For me, the next match is always the biggest match. I am not someone who looks to the past, but always looks to the future. I am very excited about the match. Next, two big clubs face off at Old Trafford. It's going to be the best atmosphere."
After meeting Barca, Man Utd will play Newcastle in the League Cup final at Wembley on the evening of February 26. This is an opportunity for Ten Hag to win his first title with Man Utd and help the club quench its thirst for titles since 2017, when the team won the Europa League under coach Jose Mourinho.
"Me and the players don't want to be praised for our achievements, but want to win trophies," emphasized Ten Hag. "We have a chance, but we have to focus on the next game. And in that game, we can't win the title right away."
Ten Hag confirmed Antony and Harry Maguire can play after injury time, but Anthony Martial is still absent before returning to training. The Dutch coach also believes that his colleague Xavi has quality replacements for the duo Gavi and Pedri who cannot play today.
