Erik ten Hag says that 'trophy win is not my goal' but rather 'the project' is the key at Manchester United
By Oli Gent
Published 03/08/2024 at 07:32 GMT+1
Erik ten Hag has said that winning a trophy is not his goal at Manchester United as the Dutchman enters his third season in charge of the Red Devils. Ten Hag, who lifted the FA Cup in his second campaign in the hotseat, emphasised that "the project" they are building was purely about moving the club forwards, being aligned and going for "a greater purpose".
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Erik ten Hag has said that winning a trophy is "not my goal" as he enters his third season as Manchester United manager.
The Dutchman lifted the FA Cup in his second season in charge of the Red Devils, and won the League Cup in his debut campaign in the Old Trafford dugout.
However, United's league performance fell off a cliff in the 2023/24 season, as they finished eighth after placing in third in 2022/23.
The FA Cup victory over Manchester City confirmed United's place in the UEFA Europa League for the coming season.
Ten Hag has spoken constantly about "the project" he is building at Old Trafford, and he has been kept in his post despite a job review at the end of last season by new co-owners INEOS.
The Dutch manager, speaking to the BBC, said that the end of season review felt like "years ago".
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"I left it behind and I am looking forward," Ten Hag insisted.
"I know why I am here. I am here to win. I am here for the project and to win trophies. We want to move forward. No, [I wasn’t waiting for a phone call], because I knew this project and we are going in the right direction. We had won two trophies and I was preparing for the season. That is what I did in this period. Of course I took a break. I needed it. It was a tough season."
Ten Hag spoke of the positive direction that he believes his project is going, but feels that there is more progress to be made.
"We are now working well together," he said. "We are all here on the tour preparing for the season. The leadership group, the new staff, the new coaching staff, also some new players. We are working on improvements and making the next step in the new season.
"The new structure and new leadership has come in. New players have come in to improve the dressing room. Of course, the structure is there. The club has made changes and we can look forward. People have been brought in with great abilities. I am sure that will give us an even better foundation from which to attack.
"We are building, we have to keep building and making progress. Then you need improvements. Everyone was reviewing. They came to the right conclusions, so we made the changes in the structures of the club.
"But also we are improving the squad and we are going to improve the game model."
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The Dutchman spoke of his ambition to reinstall United right back to the very top of the domestic and continental competitions, but clarified that silverware was not a primary target.
"We want to construct better teams and better players and to achieve more success. We have won two trophies but our ambitions are high.
"I definitely believe it is possible to win another trophy. But that is not my goal. It is not about me, it is about the club. That is the most important thing. We have to put the club in front.
"Everyone has to be aligned and go for a greater purpose. It is not about individuals. It is about the team. It is about unity. It is about togetherness to achieve at the highest."
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