Manchester United Need To Return To The Champions League, Says Erik Ten Hag

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has declared that the club need to return to the Champions League next season.

“We want to win every game, we want to win every competition…but it’s clear we want to be in the Champions League,” the Dutchman said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“That is the competition we are now fighting for and I think that is in this moment the only thing we have to focus on because the FA Cup final is after the season. So the only thing we have to do now is get this done.”

United are on course to return to European football’s leading club competition with a position inside the Premier League’s fop four. They are currently fourth, four points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, and with two games in hand.

If United can finish in this position, to add to the Carabao Cup they won in February, this would represent a successful first season for Ten Hag in English football.

“I never want to talk during the season about proud or satisfaction,” he said. “No, because you know my statement: satisfaction leads to laziness and we are in the season.”

“We have six games to go and every game we want to win. Therefore you need full focus, you need full energy and you need full preparation and definitely it’s going to be a fight and we have to get ready for that fight to get the points.”

United’s next game is against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Thursday just eleven days after they triumphed over them on penalties in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

“I think everyone who is involved in top sport, if you get beaten you want to have revenge, and that is normal,” Ten Hag said. “They have a huge motivation to beat us but we have to match that. Not only match that, we have to do more. We have to show more, that we have more hunger than them to win this game.”

The trip to the south coast represents United’s last opportunity to secure a win away to one of the Premier League’s top eight sides, and also kill off Brighton’s outside hopes of making a late surge into the top four.

“I don’t think about away or home, we have to win every game. So we have to win tomorrow as well.”

Ten Hag also provided an update on some of the players who are currently recovering from injuries. “The prognosis, I think Rapha [Varane] is closer than Scott McTominay in this moment. But still they are, for the coming two games, they are not available.”

On the possible return of Alejandro Garnacho, Ten Hag added: “I think it’s too soon to be available. I think he is short. I think he needs some training and then in short notice he will be available.”

Garnacho has been out of action with an ankle injury for nearly two months, but signed a new five-year contract to stay at Old Trafford last week

“I think he has the prize and it’s a prize and he also shows he can make the final steps. But now it’s a new start, a restart, and now the expectations will be higher. The demands will be higher and he has come this way. He has a strong character and that is why he is there in the moment, on this level and he did it by himself.”