Ten Hag wants to buy more strikers

After returning to Man Utd, Ronaldo scored 24 goals in 38 matches in all competitions in the 2021-2022 season. This season, the Portuguese striker lost his starting position under the new coach Ten Hag, scoring three goals in 16 matches, before leaving by a controversial interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

With Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Elanga or Facuno Pellistri, Ten Hag believes Man Utd has potential players and is capable of filling the void left by Ronaldo. But the Dutch coach also affirmed that the club is ready to recruit more strikers when the January transfer window opens, with the right criteria.

"We have lost a striker, and have to replace with another striker, but it has to be the right person," Ten Hag said at a press conference before the match against Nottingham Forest in the 17th round of the Premier League. "This player has to bring a different quality, not just thicken the squad, because that brings a lot of problems. And Man Utd's criteria are very high."

"But the difference can also come from the club's existing team, with Elanga, Garnacho or Pellistri - who made a good impression at the World Cup and also in training sessions," added the Dutch coach.

Another player that Ten Hag believes can solve problems in Man Utd's attack is Marcus Rashford. At the 2022 World Cup, Rashford scored three goals - England's best achievement, equal to Bukayo Saka - even as a substitute. When he returned to Man Utd, the 25-year-old striker continued to shine with a goal to seal a 2-0 victory over Burnley in the 1/8 round of the League Cup.

Ten Hag believes Rashford - who has only scored 4 goals in 14 matches - can reach the 20-goal mark in the Premier League this season. "I don't want to give specific numbers," he said. "I said before the season started that Rashford could score 20 goals in the Premier League. And I still believe it."

Man Utd have only scored 20 goals in the Premier League this season, the worst performance in the top 10, just ahead of Chelsea - the team scored 17 goals. According to Ten Hag, the cause of this bad performance comes from the fact that many players attack injuries or are not in the best shape in recent times. Therefore, the 52-year-old coach believes that the students will play more explosively in the second half of the season. "When the attacking players are in better shape, Man Utd will score more goals," he said.

Ten Hag is happy with what he has done in the first half of the season at Man Utd. "I don't need to grade myself, just try my best every day," he added about the work motto. "I want to see a better version of myself. I believe Man Utd will continue to improve. When satisfied, it makes you lazy, I don't want that. For me, fine yet enough, we have to do better."

In 2022, Ten Hag's teachers and students still have a match against Wolves in the English Premier League on December 31.