Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has insisted he never doubted the team’s ability to succeed after his poor start to life at Old Trafford.
United were taunted by rivals and some fans were even calling for Ten Hag to be sacked after losing his first two games in charge – a 2-1 loss at home to Brighton before the infamous 4-0 thumping at the hands of Brentford.
Since then, United have lost just three times in the Premier League and recently picked up their first trophy in six years, seeing off Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.
For Ten Hag, it’s something he always felt was capable even after the slow start.
“I know from experience from previous jobs it takes time before you get into a way of playing. before you get into the rules and the principles, you get routines into a team and, time is not always going with the right results,” Ten Hag told the media.
“So when the right results weren’t there at the start of the season. I didn’t panic because I knew it was part of the process. You find out, you learn a lot in those weeks, when you lose it’s not nice, you hate to lose.
“But you also get some good lessons and you get a view of what are the opportunities, what are the deficits and you can work on that and the way you play.”
A number of United players have praised Ten Hag’s response to those early setbacks, with midfielder Bruno Fernandes recently noting how the Dutchman’s no-nonsense approach quickly commanded the respect of the squad.
Next up for the Carabao Cup winners is a visit from West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday, before their Premier League campaign resumes with a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday.