‘This is what we demand’ fumes Erik ten Hag as he sends message to Man Utd players after dismal draw to FC Twente
ERIK TEN HAG says he wants to see more hunger from his team as the pressure builds on the Old Trafford boss.
Manchester United have won just three of their opening eight games including the Community Shield.
They entertain Spurs on Sunday standing 11th in the Premier League and on Wednesday night could only draw their opening Europa League game at home to FC Twente.
After that game Christian Eriksen admitted that Twente simply wanted the win more than them.
While Ten Hag insisted that can happen as a one-off he clearly does not want to see evidence of it again.
Ten Hag said: “I think every team has this in a season, when you play 60 games, sure there will be games where you are not happy with the performance, not happy when the opponent wants it more.
“Always there will be a psychological side of top football where any team has more hunger than the other.
“The team who can manage this the most will be most successful.
“We are ambitious and always demand from ourselves to be hungrier.
“That is what we demand from each other and we have to bring it in on a consistent basis, successful teams do this.”
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Successful teams also score goals and Ten Hag admits that remains their biggest problem despite investing in another striker this summer in Thomas Zirkzee.
He said: “We are not scoring goals enough, That is the problem, the key area is to score more goals as a team.
“We have players across the team who have the ability to score, that is clear, you see all the opportunities we are creating, we are not scoring enough.”
Excuses are starting to wear a bit thin with Ten Hag now in his third season having spent over £600million.
He continues to point out the two trophies the team has won in the last two seasons in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
Still fans are questioning whether there has been any real progression with a tilt at the title remaining as far off as ever.
With more new signings made this summer Ten Hag says it will need patience for this side to bed in.
He said: “I think you have to assess the situation.
“We made a choice to sign very young players like last year [Rasmus] Hojlund like this year [Joshua] Zirkzee Leny Yoro, players we believe in them, this moment and also for the future and we have to build them.
“We are a work in progress.
“I think we have turned a corner and have to work with the squad and that takes time.
“I am impatient and I want to go straight forward but also we had success in the last two seasons and we have to work hard to bring more success.
“You have also to be fair, we won two trophies in the last two seasons and we are ambitious and we want to win another one and be as high as possible and go to win in every game, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is.”
Sunday’s opponent is Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham and Ten Hag is expecting an exciting game.
He said: “I think it will be a very intensive game, it is always against Tottenham and it is our style as well so I think it is going to be a very dynamic attractive game.
“Tottenham have their strengths definitely.
“Their philosophy is very clear very attacking but that leaves also space and that is what to take into account and maybe can help.
“But you have to be very good against Tottenham if you want to control the game, you need again a high performance level and take your chances.”