Eric ten Hag believes he and his Manchester United players must “together save their season” to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford on Sunday to stay in the final chance to win.
Manchester United are 17 points behind the Premier League’s top two Arsenal and Liverpool and have already been eliminated from Europe, so winning the FA Cup is their last hope to avoid a trophyless season. Jurgen Klopp’s side will arrive in impressive form. Ten Witches was asked if he believed his players could save their campaign.
“We have to save this season together,” the coach said. “We know we have to catch up in the Premier League. Now we have a chance to win trophies, the only chance is the FA Cup and we are just three wins away. They are big games [versus Liverpool] We must do our best. Sunday is a test for us but we like tests, we like challenges and we can relax within a certain range because we believe in ourselves but we have to prove it on Sunday. “
Manchester United’s new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his key assistant Sir Dave Brailsford are conducting a structural review of the club. As part of this Ten Witches’ stance is being closely watched. The Dutchman guided United to the Carabao Cup, FA Cup final and Champions League qualifiers last season as they finished third. The team has suffered a number of injuries this season, plus off-field issues for Mason Greenwood, Sancho and Anthony, and started the weekend eight points behind Aston Villa to secure a fourth Champions League qualification. Ten Hag was asked whether his management of the current campaign has shown Ratcliffe and Brailsford different aspects of his abilities.
“Yeah. As a manager, I know it’s not just about going up,” he said. “Sometimes you have setbacks and we’ve had a lot of setbacks this season. But you always see the big picture and I know when I’m injured. [players] came back [we will improve].when we have [some] Back [previously] You’ve seen us improve performance and the results have gone back up.
“We lost some players again but I think we are more consistent – we learned something from it [how to cope without the absentees]. But we also need more players in the team who can contribute, so that will be the next step – to get to a more consistent level. As you can see, we’re not far away from the top four either, so when your team has more depth, you should gain more points. “
Ten Hag believes the team, the club and himself will all grow as a result of this adversity. “It’s about coming together,” he said. “You have to face it together and make sure you are on the same page. There is always noise around Manchester United: don’t be distracted by the noise, together we know where we are going; what the project and the process are, everyone knows why we are in the position we are in. Where we are now. And how we can improve it. So have attitude, give it your best every day, deliver results and eventually you will achieve your goals and objectives.”
Mason Mount’s first season at Manchester United was plagued by injuries and he has not featured since November. The 25-year-old has returned to full training and the Ten Witches are confident of his abilities. “I firmly believe he will [a key player],” said the Dutchman. “He won’t have the chance to prove it. But he will be a very good player for Manchester United.
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“It’s really unfortunate and disappointing for him, and for us too, when you have such a good player… and you can’t play against him. As we all know, he’s had injuries. I’m sure , when he gets fit and he comes on and gets into that rhythm, he will contribute to United’s success.”
