Ten Hag's Man Utd presentation: Ronaldo, Maguire and five things we learned
Karan Tejwani
- 23 May 2022 13:31 BST
- 4 min read
Erik ten Hag was presented to the media as Manchester United manager for the first time today, following confirmation of his appointment last month.
Ten Hag has been focused on his task at Old Trafford since securing the league title at Ajax last week, and he was in attendance for the club’s final game of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
So, what did Ten Hag say in his first meeting with the media as Manchester United manager?
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Cristiano Ronaldo fits his plans
There was plenty of debate over whether the Red Devils’ top scorer would be playing much under Ten Hag next year, but the Dutchman made it clear that the Portuguese was going to lead the line.
Ronaldo has been criticized for his lack of effort of the ball, but Ten Hag has reportedly been an admirer of the forward, and he is relishing the chance to work with him.
"Of course. What does he bring? Goals." Ten Hag said when asked about Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford.
"Ronaldo? Goals!" 😅
Erik Ten Hag says Cristiano Ronaldo is a part of his plans for next season 👀 pic.twitter.com/SfUo0L77t0
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 23, 2022
No guarantees over Harry Maguire’s captaincy
The club captain hasn’t had the best season, criticized for his form and he was sometimes dropped during Ralf Rangnick’s interim tenure.
Many have called for the Englishman to be stripped of his captaincy as well, and that is a decision that will be made later in Ten Hag’s tenure.
"Next season is a different season. He did a great job, he is a great player, achieved a lot with a contribution to Manchester United. I'm looking forward to working with him," Ten Hag said about the former Leicester man.
Excited to work with Donny van de Beek again
Van de Beek has been a forgotten figure at Manchester United, and has spent the second half of this season on loan at Everton.
Ten Hag, though, is optimistic he can reignite Van de Beek’s Manchester United career, and enjoy a fruitful spell working together once again, like they did at Ajax.
“We had a fantastic squad at that time in Ajax, I really had a good relationship with him. Of course, I’m looking forward to meeting him again on the pitch,” Ten Hag said.
Ralf Rangnick’s tenure
A lot was made over how closely Rangnick and Ten Hag would work once the Dutchman arrived, but the coach has made it clear he will have his own ideas on the team.
Ten Hag said he would leave the club to take in his advise as a consultant, but his focus is on himself and the team he is leading.
“That is on the club. It's part of my analysis. I analyse by myself, I observe, I speak to a lot of people, but finally, I'll draw my own line."
Transfer plans still being made
As with most managers’ first press conferences, Ten Hag didn’t give much away with what to expect from the summer transfer window.
He said he was going to analyse the team before making a decision, and that their record before this past season will be taken into consideration.
"I just said, I'm still in the process of analysing — I'm looking forward to working with these players. The season before, this squad was second in the Premier League so there's huge potential," Ten Hag said.
