Ten Hag: I am sure we will improve

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has officially stated that his focus during the upcoming Christmas holidays will be entirely on the team’s upcoming matches and the exceptionally busy schedule in this festive period of the Premier League. The “Red Devils” are set to face West Ham away, host Aston Villa, and have another encounter with Nottingham Forest before the end of the year. The Dutchman reaffirmed his confidence in the team’s improvement, emphasizing the need for more goals.

“My Christmas plans are entirely linked to the matches. This is a crucial point, and we need to stay focused. We have three big matches in one week. It’s always a crucial period in the Premier League, and it is for us now. In our free time, we will be with our families to celebrate Christmas. We have a very busy schedule, and the guys had a few days off before this challenging period. They needed physical and mental recovery, a break from football for a bit. The result against Liverpool will give us confidence. We need to take the next steps and demand more from each other.”

Afterwards, Ten Hag had to respond to questions regarding Rasmus Hojlund’s lack of goals. The Dane scored five times in the Champions League but has yet to find the net in the league.

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“He has a great mentality, performs well under stress. But let’s not forget, it’s not just about Rasmus, but also about Marcus Rashford, Anthony, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, and Scott McTominay. Also, our full-backs, who must be part of this. You know my philosophy that we need to attack with 11 players. It’s not about one or two players; it’s about everyone. I’m confident we will improve. When we have a full squad, the balance will be better, and we can create more opportunities. I’m satisfied with what I have, but it will be better when the absentees return because many players are unavailable. We expect Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, and Mason Mount to be available in January. Victor Lindelof has undergone surgery and will also be out for a few weeks. It’s too early to say for Harry Maguire. Tomorrow we will see about the others, as we had some issues during the week,” said Ten Hag.

Christian Eriksen has been training with his teammates equally in recent days and is expected to at least be in the squad for the match against West Ham, but Diogo Dalot is suspended after receiving a red card against Liverpool.