Manchester United defender Alex Telles has said that his teammates are entirely focused on finishing this season in the best possible way rather than on next season’s manager.
The Red Devils are currently sitting in seventh place in the Premier League and are six points off the top four, with their chance of securing Champions League football for Ralf Rangnick’s successor looking very slim. Especially with games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea to come.
With Rangnick only keeping the dugout warm at Old Trafford, there has been plenty of speculation about how the players are acting/going to react in regards to their new managerial appointment. Ajax boss Erik ten Hag looks set to become United boss in the summer, with the Dutchman famed for his ability to rebuild squads quickly and with an emphasis on youth.
The appointment should certainly spark an improvement at the Theatre of Dreams, but the Brazilian left-back has insisted that the news of a new manager has not changed how the team are feeling. He explained to Sky Sports: “There are people at the club working on the new manager - but that's for next season. And next season depends on what we do in these remaining games, so we need to stay focused.
"We can't think about who the next manager will be, we need to think about working hard in our next game." It was widely reported that the team were keen for Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino to become their manager when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November.
But despite United opting for Ten Hag, Telles has said that the squad remains committed – especially in the face of adversity currently. The former Porto star said: “Everyone in the dressing room really wants to win. No player at this club doesn't have this desire. We know about our responsibilities - we have families, we have dreams, we have objectives.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Erik ten Hag the right manager for Man Utd? Comment below
"We want to do the work, not talk and turn this situation around. We know the quality we have, we know the expectation the fans and the club have of us and we need to be prepared to do our best to change things for the better."
United are somewhat relying on both North London sides Arsenal and Tottenham crumbling under the pressure if they are to sneak into the top four, though securing Europa League football is not a foregone conclusion for Rangnick’s side either. But Telles and co still remain committed to remaining in the Champions League for, most likely, Ten Hag’s arrival.
“If I didn't believe we can still rescue the season then I shouldn't be here. We know the duty we have to meet our objectives. We can't think of the games further ahead, we have a 'final' against Norwich in front of us first. We need more consistency.
"We've started games really well, but there are moments where the opponents have been on top and then we've lacked solidity, which has affected results. We need to keep it up for 90 minutes. We know how quickly things can change in football and the team that concentrates best and really focuses will be successful. So it's a case of improving our solidity and being compact."
