Erik Ten Hag Eyes Top Four Finish For Man United

Erik ten Hag is certain that his careful planning throughout the World Cup break will keep Manchester United on pace for a top-four finish and trophies.

After a 38-day break from competitive football, Erik ten Hag and his boys resume their Premier League season on December 27 at Old Trafford against Nottingham Forest after defeating Burnley 2-0 in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

Before the break, Ten Hag did everything in his power to push Manchester United into the Champions League qualification spots.

On Friday, Ten Hag acknowledged that the mid-season break was challenging, but added that he and his coaching crew have a strategy for managing the players’ workload.

File photo of Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag.

He said: “It’s all individual-based, no one is the same, no one had the same programme or minutes, and they play in different positions and are different ages. We tried to give everyone a plan, but we all know the restart is five or six days after the World Cup final.

“The Premier League resumes really quickly so everyone has to be ready for that, the manager, coaching staff, and players have to accept that.

“We want trophies, we want to have a strong team to battle for trophies. We have to adapt, do it smartly, and hopefully, we can perform and get the right results.”

Ten Hag is now more optimistic than ever that United will win their first trophy since 2017 thanks to their qualification for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

With a top-four finish necessary to end their one-season Champions League absence, kicking off their Premier League campaign with a victory over Nottingham Forest is very important.

Ten Hag is ready for the fight ahead and is aware of the importance of such accomplishments.

He said: “We are aware the competition is tough, but it counts for all the seven, eight clubs fighting for the top four.

“For all those that watch the Premier League, it is great because it will be exciting. You have to battle for every duel to get your points.

“I am looking at the process, how we are performing – we have to get results – but if we make the right progress, we have a good chance to get into the top four.”

Manchester United will resume the task of finishing in the top four on Tuesday, December 27, when Nottingham Forest visits Old Trafford. The game will kick off at 21:00.

Before the World Cup break in November, Manchester United recorded 8 wins, 2 draws, and four defeats. The above-average performance helped them to garner 26 points in 14 games. They are currently sitting 5th on the league table, three points below 4th placed Tottenham Hotspur.