Erik Ten Hag has admitted that it was a risk taking the Manchester United job, but because of his stubbornness, he took it anyway.
Prior to his appointment in April last year, the Dutchman, like everyone else witnessed Man United part company with four managers in a space of nine years, and concluded it was not going to be easy being at the helm at Old Trafford.
The four including David Moyes, Luis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been hired to bring back the glory days to OT following the retirement of legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, but things didn’t go quite as they wished.
Ten Hag, like his predecessors was hired to do just that. Seven months into his reign and he’s got the fans smiling again.
Speaking after the game, Ten Hag who replaced interim manager Ralf Rangnick is quoted by SkySports saying:
“Maybe it was a risk [to take this job] but I am a little bit stubborn. I just love United. When I see our shirts, when I see the boundary with the fans, when I see Old Trafford, when I see the legacy Sir Alex [Ferguson] left and so many big players that were developed in United teams, it makes a big impression.”
Ferguson achieved things at United that no manager may ever be able to clinch, but Ten Hag is adamant of creating his own legacy. He said:
“We want to do the same, this team wants to make its own history and its own legacy. When this opportunity came I thought this was the right club for me.
“Silverware shows you are on a good pathway, a good direction. It’s one cup and it’s February but it shows we are [going] in the right direction.
“This has to be the inspiration, the motivation to keep going on this pathway and improve. Be happy for 24 hours but not satisfied because that leads to laziness. When you become lazy you don’t win any more games and you can’t win trophies.”
Indeed the Red Devils are on the right track. With the Carabao Cup fully secured, Man United remain the only English team still on the course to win a quadruple this season, with the Europa League, FA Cup and the Premier League still on sight.
United ejected Barcelona in the Europa League play-off to advance to the last 16 of the competition which pits them against another Spanish side in Real Betis.
In the FA, they are in the fifth round while the league is still within reach as they trail league leaders Arsenal by only eight points .
