Man Utd must invest to tackle 7-team title race
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said his team is headed in the right direction to compete at the top of the table, but warned the club must continue to invest if it is to keep up with its rivals.
United head to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday looking to narrow an eight-point deficit between the two teams. Ten Hag’s side had a chance to make that six-point difference on Wednesday, but fell to a late equalizer in their 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.
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Ten Hag was impressed with Arsenal and said there were signs of their ambition and strategy in their last meeting, a game United won 3-1 at Old Trafford in September.
Ten Hag is not surprised by Arsenal’s form under Mikel Arteta, but said the Premier League is so competitive that any of the seven teams can end up winning the competition, such is the level of investment in the top flight.
“The Premier League at the moment becomes about having six or seven teams that can finally win the league because there are a lot of investments,” Ten Hag said. “When you have the right philosophy and strategy, many more clubs can compete for the top positions in the league.
“That’s a big challenge and if you want to be there, you have to be really good. You need that consistency; you need that good strategy, and consistency in strategy, and you need to work hard to compete. And if I want to win trophies, everything has to go on the right path.”
United are still in all four competitions this season: they are in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, the FA Cup fourth round and the Europa League playoffs. With the January transfer market in full swing, they have already signed the Dutch striker Wout Weghorst the team on a six-month loan and Ten Hag said on Friday that the club would strengthen the team if the right player became available.
Although Ten Hag feels the club are certainly headed in the right direction to consistently challenge for the league title, having last won the Premier League a decade ago, a note of caution has been struck saying there is no room for complacency inside or outside. the field at the risk of falling behind their rivals.
“I am quite convinced of the process [at Manchester United]Ten Hag added. “I think we’re [heading] in the right direction, but it also means that we have to improve a lot if we want to compete for the top positions in the future because the competition will be very tough.”
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United are sweating over the physical form of Diogo Dalot before his trip to Arsenal, while antonio martial it is also a doubt. If Dalot doesn’t recover from a hamstring injury, then Aaron Wan Bissaka He is ready to continue on the right side.
The 25-year-old appeared to be frozen at Old Trafford after struggling with form, illness and injury. He played just four minutes in the Premier League until the World Cup, but since the mid-season break his form has blossomed and impressed Ten Hag.
“He’s picking up training, and he’s making good progress from the beginning of the season until now,” Ten Hag said of Wan-Bissaka. “He was in a bad situation because he wasn’t in shape, he had a lot of injuries, a couple of illnesses in the first half until November.
“Things changed after the break, or during the break. He worked well in the pre-season before the second half. [of the season], he worked well in the training camp and had some good performances in the games and made good progress. He was one of our best players against Crystal Palace.”