Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has shared his thoughts on how he envisions his team to play and ‘win in a certain way.’
The Dutchman has echoed the words “attacking football”, two words which each and every United fan loves to hear and have been raring to see for many years.
On Friday, during his press conference, a journalist asked Ten Hag whether he understood United’s responsibility to attack and excite fans, Ten Hag replied with a smile.
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“You are talking like a Dutchman, eh! They always want to play brilliant football!
"But that's why I am here: I like it that you want to win, and you want to win it in a certain way, so [being] proactive, brave, adventure.
“I like it that you want to win, and you want to win it in a certain way, so [being] proactive, brave, adventure.
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“That is what belongs to the culture of Man United, and we want to bring it in.”
However, despite all the positivity and comments on attacking football, Ten Hag stressed that if there are situations in which his teams can’t produce attractive football, they must still be prepared to get a result.
“At the end of the day, if you cannot win in a good way or an entertaining way, you still have to win.
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"That is the mentality and the attitude that we have to bring in.
“Of course, there will be games where you will not play well – but you still have to win.”
Ten Hag then moved towards pointing out Manchester United’s 12th man, the fans in the stadium and all around the world, stating that fans can help develop the team into a winning machine.
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However, he believes the players must first show to the fans they can be better before expecting 100% support.
“I think that is clear [that the fans can assist]. The stadium I think is meant to bring fight and co-operation. But we have to give the example out on the pitch.
"We must have the right attitude, and that attitude means hard work, but also especially it means being brave.
“If we bring that commitment then I think they [the fans] will like it and they will bring the fight back.”, Ten Hag concluded.
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Manchester United begin their Premier League campaign with a clash against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday and Ten Hag will hope to start his journey on a positive note.
Topics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Brighton And Hove Albion, Football, Premier League
Mudeet Arora