Heavily beleaguered Man United boss Erik ten Hag has pledged to keep fighting for Champions League qualification despite being utterly “realistic” about the difficult task facing his injury-hit side.
The Red Devils’ impending trip to Chelsea is one of nine matches remaining for sixth-placed United, currently 11 points behind Aston Villa in fourth and 9 points behind Tottenham and could end up in a fifth and final qualification spot.
United’s 1-1 draw at Brentford was the latest blow disparaging their Champions League hopes in a fragmented season that has seen Ten Hag’s men ravaged by injuries. Oddly enough, whilst compelled to face the harsh reality he is being confronted with after the demoralising draw with Brentford after a morale-boosting 4-3 win over giants Liverpool, the Dutchman seemed shrouded in self-denial as he still chose to speak defensively of his side to reveal the awkward conumdrum of a man obviously ignoring th reality of the quagmire he has gotten into.
“I have high standards and I would be disappointed if we didn’t qualify,” the United manager said. “I know it will be very difficult because we are not in a good position. But we want to win every game, that is the standard we have here among each other. We will keep going and keep believing in those standards.
“I know we are not in a good position. We have to catch up. Also I know we have had a lot of problems so I am a realistic man also. In a competition that is so competitive and the teams are so close in terms of levels with each other then also you need the players to be available.”
United have been besieged by more than 50 separate injury issues during this campaign, with Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof being the latest to return to that list of absentees this week.
While the former Ajax manager says the club “have an idea” why there have been so many issues and that “internally we will deal with it”, he refused to elaborate on the situation, opting instead to reject suggestions that the intensity in training was an issue, besides the suggestion that he should have brought in a fitness coach. He stated instead that they are in dire need fof “very robust players” and conveniently pointed the finger at the impact of a fixture-packed 18 months.
Obviously choosing to pass the buck and blame others for his sides’s flagellating form and performances, Ten Hag also claimed that some national teams are not taking care of United’s players as well as they do others.
“We have national teams, so five times a year you give the players away and you don’t have any impact,” he said.
“It’s not completely true but some national teams we have very good connections and we manage the programs but there are also others that they do what they want. You don’t have anything in hand on what they are doing there.”
“I think you need to follow the process,” Ten Hag said. “As I say, we are in a good trend line. There are good young players coming through, they are developing very well in their progress.
“We are in a good way, we are in a good direction and now we have to make the next steps and don’t interrupt this process.”
The last claim seems to be one made out of desperation that is totally not in keeping with the harsh reality of their true situation. One wonders what the new minority owner of the club would make of the self-deluded Dutchman’s self-flagellating stand.