Erik ten Hag fires warning to City and Liverpool and tells them he’s here to put Man Utd back on top of English football
ERIK TEN HAG fired a warning to Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp: I’m here to put Manchester United back on top.
The managers of Manchester City and Liverpool have shared the last five titles and stand head and shoulders above everyone else in the Premier League.
United limped in 35 points behind champions City this season.
But new Red Devils boss Ten Hag insists he is ready to end their rivals’ era of dominance.
Ten Hag said: “In this moment, I admire them both, Manchester City and Liverpool.
“They both play really fantastic football, both Liverpool and Man City. But you will always see an era can come to an end and I am looking forward to battling with them. I’m really looking forward to doing this job at this club with massive history.
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“And we want to restore it to where it belongs.”
Asked if City and Liverpool’s grip on English football will end before Guardiola and Klopp leave, Ten Hag said: “I think, yeah.”
It will be some job to get United club back to their glory days but that is clearly his objective and Ten Hag does not see his move from Ajax risking his reputation.
He said: “I don’t see it as a risk. This club has a great history and let’s make a future.
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“I’m really excited to do that with the people around the club.
“If we work hard and are 100 per cent committed, I’m sure we will have success.”
In his first press conference at Old Trafford, Ten Hag admitted to speaking with Louis van Gaal about the job.
But he refuted the former manager’s assessment that he would be joining a commercial club rather than a football club.
He said: “I’m convinced that will not be the case.
“I spoke with the directors about it. Every club these days is commercial and every club needs the revenues to be at the top — but football is one, two and three in this club.”
Ten Hag has brought Sir Alex Ferguson’s former No2 Steve McClaren back as assistant coach along with his Ajax colleague Mitchell van der Gaag.
He added: “They both know how to get success.”