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September 2, 2024

Erik Ten Hag Not a Magician, Yet Affirms Manchester United Will Improve – EPL

Erik ten Hag stated that he isn’t a “Harry Potter” capable of conjuring quick solutions for Manchester United following Sunday’s disheartening 3-0 home loss to Liverpool.

Credit to English Premier League Image Gallery

Erik ten Hag was quick to dispel any notions that he could deliver instant results, humorously likening himself to a non-magical figure rather than a “Harry Potter” capable of waving a wand and fixing Manchester United’s problems. His remarks came after a dismal 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford, a loss that compounded the growing pressure on the Dutchman just three games into the new Premier League season. This recent setback follows another disappointment—a 2-1 defeat to Brighton the previous weekend—which has only added to the scrutiny surrounding Ten Hag’s leadership.

Despite the high hopes when he took the reins, Ten Hag is already facing tough questions about United’s direction. The club had a brief glimmer of success under his watch last season, securing an unexpected FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City in May. That victory helped him retain his job, even as United slumped to an embarrassing eighth-place finish, their lowest in Premier League history. However, the patience of fans and the club hierarchy seems to be running thin, and this early run of poor form has reignited doubts about whether Ten Hag can steer United back to their former glory. His tenure, once full of promise, now feels uncertain as the pressure to deliver immediate improvement mounts.

The former Ajax manager secured a contract extension and provided significant financial backing to reshape the squad. During the summer transfer window, Ten Hag was entrusted with a substantial £200 million ($262 million) budget to bring in fresh talent, clearly indicating the club’s commitment to supporting his vision. The investment was meant to strengthen critical areas of the team and lay the groundwork for a resurgence. With such a considerable sum at his disposal, the expectation was that these new signings would help transform Manchester United’s fortuUnited’sclose the gap with their Premier League rivals. However, the hefty outlay has also added more pressure on Ten Hag to deliver tangible results, as the club’s hierarcclubhierarcclub’s supporters alike are eager to see improvements and a return to competing for top honors.

However, the optimism of a fresh start at Old Trafford quickly faded as Liverpool cruised to a comfortable victory in Arne Slot’s first sSlot’scant challenge since taking over from Jurgen Klopp.

“It’s not like I’m Harry Potter, that is what you have to acknowledge,” Ten Hag stated during his post-match press conference.

“We just had a third game in the season, again we have to build a new team.

“We will build this new team, we have young players, also we have now players to build in the season. Today we had two or three players that didn’t start of the season and they didn’t play 90 minutes.

“We will be fine. It’s clear we have to improve, but at the end of the season I’m quite confident that we will have a big chance to lift another trophy.”

A vital example of the United’s United season was highlighted when Casemiro became the scapegoat for Liverpool’sfiLiverpool’slss. 

The Brazilian midfielder lost possession twice, leading to LuisDiaz’ss strike; Diaz’sass substituted at halftime for 20-year-old Toby Collyer, despite being a five-time Champions League winner, Casemiro’ssperCasemiro’selll short, reflectingUnited’ssbroadUnited’ss.

“I think that in football everyone has to take responsibility,” added Ten Hag on whether he can continued to field Casemiro given the five-time Champions League winner’s decline.

“He’s a great character. He has won everything in his career. I’m sure he will keep contributing to our team.

“Casemiro is always winning, so he will be there.”

In the 11 years since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Manchester United have yet to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title.

With a six-point gap already separating them from Liverpool and defending champions Manchester City, the most realistic outcome is another season focused on competing for secondary trophies.

“It hurts, especially for our fans,” said Ten Hag.

“We have to be humble, we have to give the compliments to Liverpool and we have to move on.”