Numerous parameters indicate that Manchester United did not have a worse start in the Premier League in the recent past, due to the combination of circumstances, they are not far from the positions that lead to Europe, however, the picture is completely different when they meet the teams from the top. Or when they step on the pitch in the Champions League.Erik ten Hag is without a win against the best English clubs on the road, but the Dutch strategist sees something that (almost) no one sees: that United is progressing, playing bravely and going in the right direction. It’s more like living in a parallel universe and a distorted reality, what the person in charge of things on the field and in the dressing room would like to see.Ten Hag ‘lost’ half of the dressing room, players want Sancho backManchester United in the Champions League is standing over the edge of the abyss, in a hopeless situation. They also lost against Newcastle at St. James’s Park, ending their winning streak in the Premier League, and tomorrow they face Chelsea (11.15 PM EAT), the only ‘giant’ in a more difficult position. Although there are many negatives attached to the results, the Dutchman sees a handful of positives.”Just look at the comeback against Brentford, the game with Burnley or Fulham. The team showed great character, great determination and togetherness. You cannot play great football if there is no unity. There are many rumors about the strategy, but those don’t bother us. We are going through a transition period, but we know our way and we are going in the right direction”, said Erik ten Hag before the duel with Chelsea and continued:”The team is progressing, young players are coming. You can see the potential, they will be able to contribute to Manchester United in the future.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7722500##The Dutch coach claims that there are no problems, that there are no objections within the team when it comes to strategy.”In every team there are players who do not play or play less, and because of that they are not happy. That is normal. They have to wait for the chance and it will come. But, no, there is no problem”.Jadon Sancho has not competed for the squad for a long time, he was excluded from club events after outbursts and messages on social media. He believes that he is out of favor with the coach, that he is a scapegoat, and that Raphael Varane, who is in the background for “tactical reasons,” is not the happiest either.There are dissatisfactions, but Erik ten Hag sees them as sporadic cases.”I always listen to the players, I give them the opportunity to express their views. If the players have a different opinion, of course I will listen to them. Maybe one or two (think it should be played differently a/n), but in general it’s not about the majority, they want to play just like this: proactive, dynamic, brave. That’s what they want”.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Journalists from Sky Sports, Manchester Evening News, Mirror and ESPN were banned from attending the conference ahead of the Chelsea match, because they did not consult the club before publishing certain information, which speaks volumes about the state of the club. Maybe that’s why Erik ten Hag tries to emphasize only positive things.”You saw the performances against Everton and Galatasaray, you see that we are improving, you saw that goal (scissor-kick by Garnacho a/n). Do you think it is possible to score such a goal if the players do not accept ideas and directives?”, asked the Dutchman and once again emphasized the games before visiting Newcastle:”We played very well against Everton and Galatasaray and scored very good goals.””If the players have a different opinion of course I’ll listen, but they haven’t told me or maybe one or two” 👂Erik ten Hag says he is open to tactical suggestions from his players and that the team is going in the “right direction” under him 🔴 pic.twitter.com/M2vsjl9CHL— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 5, 2023 Finally, some criticism for the defeat against Newcastle. Mild ones.”We could have been a little more decisive. We fell, but we are not far (from our best a/n), which is good. We are not robots, when you play three games in six days, tough games, fatigue can be a problem. That’s not an excuse. We are not satisfied with the performance against Newcastle, primarily the players. They are self-critical, we all know we have to do better than this”, concluded Erik ten Hag.
