New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has encouraged his players to rediscover their self-belief and the form that propelled them to a top two finish just over a year ago.
Ten Hag is busy trying to add new recruits to his squad. Under the Dutchman’s instruction, United are closing in on a deal to sign Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong with an initial transfer fee agreed with Barcelona for £56.2million. They are also close to a £14million deal to land De Jong’s Netherlands international teammate Tyrell Malacia – Feyenoord’s left-back.
Ajax forward Antony is also high up Ten Hag’s radar with the boss keen to reunite with the 22-year-old while his teammate Lisandro Martinez is also on United’s shortlist as they look to bolster their defensive options.
Ten Hag has made clear to his inherited squad that he does intend to bring in several new faces before the new season kicks off, but he has also told the players that they are the most important factor in determining whether United can recover from an appalling 2021/22 campaign.
United finished a whopping 11 points off the top five in the Premier League last season and lost each of their last six away matches. It was a far cry from the 2020/21 campaign, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led the club to a comfortable second-placed finish, an unbeaten away record that lasted over a year and a European final.
Ten Hag has identified the fact that there is notably a lot of quality within United’s ranks, even if the squad itself may not have been assembled to the degree to match those of rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
Have Your Say! Which players should Man Utd sign this summer? Tell us what you think here.
The Dutchman believes that multiple individuals have performed well below their natural level, including club captain Harry Maguire and left-back Luke Shaw – both of whom excelled in United’s 2020/21 campaign before being named in the Team of the Tournament for 2020/21. The same is true for Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, two of the Premier League’s standout players before enduring sharp nosedives in form.
United will look to recruit to help replenish their ranks while players such as Andreas Pereira, Axel Tuanzebe, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly are all likely to be available for transfer. Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Lee Grant have all already left following the expiration of their contracts.
While United fans are no doubt desperate for the club to announce new signings to bolster Ten Hag’s first-team squad, the new boss believes the existing players will be the difference between meeting expectations this season or falling short.
