Ten Hag: 'The Quad for Dreamers'
"We're not talking about the quadruple," Ten Hag told his pre-match press conference at Anfield. "The quad is for the dreamers, the fans. That's great, but no it's not for us and the players know that. They can't be distracted by good dreams. You have can dream, but we can't."
Last weekend, Man Utd beat Newcastle 2-0 in the League Cup final to win the first title since 2017. The "Red Devils" are currently third in the Premier League, 11 points behind Arsenal but less kicking. one match. In the remaining two arenas, the army under coach Erik ten Hag will meet Burnley in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on March 17, and face Real Betis in the 1/8 round of the Europa League.
Legendary Paul Scholes thinks his old club can win all four titles, while former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy thinks Man Utd is at least a strong candidate in the FA Cup and Europa League. But Ten Hag insists he and his students only focus on each match, but the immediate trip is the trip to Anfield on March 5. "It was a good fight and the whole team was very excited," he added.
This is the first time the 53-year-old coach has led Man Utd as a guest at Anfield. But Ten Hag has been to Liverpool's yard and understands the challenge that awaits him and his students. "I went to Anfield and was looking forward to it. It will certainly be a hostile atmosphere for Man Utd, but we like it," he expressed.
Man Utd beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford in August 2022, but have not won at Anfield in the last six matches. Therefore, Ten Hag wants Man Utd to break this season to "reach a new step". The Dutch coach affirmed that he is not afraid of pressure at Anfield because playing at home or away is the same, with the same ball and four referees on the field. He considered the trip to Liverpool as a test, and asked his students to show style, quality and even "suffer, sacrifice" to get good results.
Ten Hag also downplayed the 10-point gap between Man Utd and Liverpool, and refused to comment on the opponent's failure to maintain high form this season. "I don't talk about Liverpool because it's not my responsibility," he explained. "I have enough work to do at Carrington, with Man Utd. We have to care about the club, and I think Man Utd is on the right track with philosophy, strategy, culture, and has to keep improving."
Ten Hag confirmed Luke Shaw could return from injury, Jadon Sancho left open the possibility of playing after missing the 3-1 win over West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round in midweek due to illness, but Anthony Martial continues to be absent. .
