Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has claimed Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is the only one who has done better than him since he took charge at the start of the 2022-23 season. He, however, has admitted United still have a lot to work on and called on his team to create a winning culture.
Erik ten Hag Oversaw A Disappointing Premier League Campaign In 2023-24
After guiding Manchester United to a third-place finish in his debut 2022-23 campaign, Ten Hag was expected to take the next step and give Manchester City and Arsenal a run for their money. However, Ten Hag could not live up to said expectations and could only manage to take the Red Devils to an eighth-place finish — their worst in the Premier League era. United also ended with a negative goal difference — another first in the league’s current format.
Many expected the Dutchman to get the sack at the end of the season. However, thanks to a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Ten Hag got another lifeline. In addition to keeping him, United triggered the option to extend his stay for an additional year. His current deal with the club expires in June 2026.
Manchester United Boss Erik ten Hag Claims Only Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola Has Outperformed Him
The victory over Guardiola’s team in the FA Cup has given Ten Hag a lot of confidence, and he reckons United have been the second-best English team in the last couple of years. Justifying his answer, the former Ajax man told The Times:
“Of course [I feel stronger after winning the FA Cup]. This club didn’t win trophies, before I came, for six years.
“In two years, after Guardiola, we won the most trophies in English football. So we are in a strong position. Look, we can beat every opponent. Not one time, more than one time against City and also against Liverpool.”
He, however, conceded that United still had to do a lot of work to get to the top.
Ten Hag added:
“But the truth is that there is a long way to go and we have to be more consistent and we need to create a winning culture.
“It’s not only a dressing room winning culture, higher standards should be delivered across the whole club.”
Since Ten Hag came on, Manchester United have won two trophies — the Carabao Cup in 2022-23 and the FA Cup in 2023-24. Ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp (Carabao Cup in 2023-24) and West Ham United manager David Moyes (UEFA Europa Conference League) both won one each. Guardiola, meanwhile, has won five — two Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, one FIFA Club World Cup, an FA Cup, and a UEFA Super Cup.
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