Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are ready for the new campaign after wrapping up their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford – but has warned that his team’s improvement will be gradual throughout the season.
United kick off against Brighton and Hove Albion next Sunday with questions around Cristiano Ronaldo ’s future still swirling.
While Ten Hag took charge of his first home match this afternoon and handed a debut to £55m Lisandro Martinez plus a first start for Christian Eriksen, much of the focus was on Ronaldo.
The 37-year-old made his first appearance since asking to leave the club but was taken off at the break, with replacement Amad Diallo scoring three minutes after coming on, and was then seen driving off ten minutes before the end of the game.
But Ten Hag did not offer any clarity on whether the Portuguese’s departure was sanctioned afterwards – because he would only speak to in-house media, who did not ask.
Instead the focus has shifted immediately to the Premier League opener as United aim to get back into the the top four and close the gap on rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
“We’ve had a good pre-season, we made progress and we are ready for the season,” Ten Hag told MUTV afterwards. “But I know there is still a lot of room for improvement and we have to improve. This is a process that will continue during the season but next week it is about the result as well.”
Beforehand, writing in his programme notes, Ten Hag made a vow that will impress supporters but it remains to be seen how quickly it can be achieved. "We have to perform and win," he said. "In order to do that, we have to be disciplined, we have to work hard and we have to work together at all times.
"Whoever is selected, I want to see them playing proactive, attacking football and going out with one clear objective: to win. If they do so, then I think Old Trafford will enjoy the spectacle.
The Dutchman said he was impressed by “the vibes” at Old Trafford, which was mostly full after the club gave away 10,000 tickets to local grassroots clubs and schools.
And he was also struck by the performance of youngster Alejandro Garnacho, who stood out in an experimental line up captained by Raphael Varane and also featuring young prospect James Garner.
Ten Hag added: “It [team selection] was a mixture of experience and youth, some guys met each other for the first time today, so what can you expect?
“You saw the attitude was great, they fought and worked for each other and it was positive. We created a lot of chances, okay, we also conceded chances, but I think we have to be satisfied with the performance.
"We want to give the young players who deserve a chance the opportunity to play. He [Garnacho] showed himself during pre-season and that’s why he played. He played pretty well and his performance was really good."
