Erik ten Hag has pleaded for patience at Manchester United, saying time is required to “build” Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Højlund to reach their potential.
Wednesday’s disappointing 1-1 Europa League draw with Twente followed Saturday’s 0-0 at Crystal Palace. United are 11th in the Premier League with seven points from five games after scoring only five times, leaving a goal difference of zero. In Ten Hag’s five transfer windows his squad has had £600m-plus of investment. He was asked whether fans were entitled to want the team to be further along in their development.
“You have to assess the situation,” the manager said. “Still we are working and are in progress. We have made the choice to sign young players like last year Højlund, like this year Zirkzee, Yoro – players who we believe in at this moment and also for the future and we have to build them.”
Before the draw at Palace, United beat Barnsley 7-0 in the Carabao Cup after winning 3-0 at Southampton. “I think we turned a corner [in the past two weeks] and now we have to work with the squad and that takes time,” Ten Hag said. “Also 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.”
After the Twente draw, Ten Hag admitted the Dutch side had more desire. Ten Hag was asked whether his players needed to be hungrier. “We should be – that is what we demand from each other,” he said. “That is what we have to bring in on a consistent basis and that is what we are striving for. Successful teams have this.”
The 54-year-old is in his third season in charge so was questioned on how his side could not have tried as much as their opponents. He said: “I think every team has this in a season. That is, when you play 60 games I am sure there will be games where you are not happy with the performance.
“I think that is always the psychological side of top football where any team has more hunger than the other. The team who can manage this the best will be the most successful. We are ambitious so we always demand from ourselves that we are hungrier.”