Erik ten Hag has spoken of a new energy at Carrington, as Manchester United gear up for the first full season since the confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment in the club.
The manager extended his contract with United last week and, in his first full-length interview since that news, the boss described himself as "highly ambitious" for the years ahead.
Quotes:
"We won an FA Cup, we won a Carabao Cup, but also we have high expectations from ourselves," Ten Hag began.
"We know it doesn’t come overnight; we have to work for it. We are highly ambitious, so we have to raise our standards day by day, and improve every day.
"Every time, we have to live with the line in our head: good is not good enough. We have to do better."
Reference to INEOS:
“I’m here now for two years. As I said, I came here to win, to win titles, trophies. We won two trophies, after a dry [spell] of six years, so we are in a good direction.
“Now, with the new ownership coming in, they can help us. They are very supportive.
“We’ve made a process, which we’ve constructed across the summer and we are in a very good position, a very strong position to go and attack.”
“We are so pleased that around the football, around the first team, we have a strong structure that will help us,” he continued.
“They are really supportive and that will help us in many ways, like in scouting and recruitment, like in the departments of medical and performance.
“They will be so supportive and that will raise the bar.”
Reference to any potential breakout stars from Carrington in pre-season:
"In every season, after a break, you will have surprises," admitted Ten Hag. "We’re looking forward, we’re so curious: who is it this season, the surprise who can contribute to our team?
"Like last year, Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho coming up and playing a big role. They are the two goalscorers in the [Emirates FA Cup] final.
"Today, we started [training], but which player is there who can do the same?"
Asked what United require to return to the top of English and European football, Erik replied:
"We’re working on this. I said it, and it’s a fact: United didn’t win, for over six years, a trophy. Now we’ve won two, but we are up for more and for higher titles, like the English title and even more, like going into Europe.
"That’s a process that takes time, and we’ll work on it, but I know with the set-up at the club, with the changes to the structure, and the changes to infrastructure here around Carrington, we will be ready for the future. We will improve.
"You feel it here, it gives a new energy, it gives a new dynamic and that will help us to achieve our targets. In the short-term, it stays the same: we want to win every game, and we have seen we are capable of beating everyone."
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