Some very positive (and interesting) quotes came out today from club CEO Omar Berrada and Sporting Director Dan Ashworth regarding Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag.
The pair spoke not just about the Dutchman but the transfer window, reasons for letting certain players go, aims for the future and more in quite the opening interview.
This is the first time they've spoken in this manner since joining the club. They've had their say after the signing of new players but this was very intriguing.
In interviews conducted by the Daily Mail, The Athletic and Sky, Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth speak on all they've had to deal with since taking their respective positions at the club.
CEO Berrada shows his support for the MUFC manager as he said:
"Erik has our full backing and we’ve worked very closely together in this transfer window. We're going to continue working very closely with him to help him get the best results out of the team" via The Daily Mail.
Berrada on the time it will take for the club to be challenging for major trophies again:
"I think anybody who has worked in football for a long time could tell you that it’s almost impossible to put a timescale to answer that question.
[But] when you look at the teams who have been successful consistently for many years, it’s because they have the right coach, they have signed the right players, they have the right structure around the coach and players; you need to take good decisions consistently for many years to get into a position where you are a financially sustainable club that is competing to win every single competition", via Times Sport.
Berrada added that United don't aim to win just one Premier League but want to build a team "that is capable of competing for the Champions League, for the Premier League and for the domestic cups on a consistent basis", via Times Sport.
He also mentioned about how Erik ten Hag's contract extension decision was already discussed before he and Dan Ashworth arrived but that despite that, "we're very happy with that decision" via The Athletic.
Dan Ashworth reveals that he works closely with Erik ten Hag since he came to the club 2 months ago.
"I’ve really enjoyed working with Erik for the last eight weeks. I see my job is to support him in every way I possibly can to fully focus on the training pitch and the match tactical plan to deliver success for Man Utd", via The Daily Mail.
The Sporting Director mentioned how he "likes the squad" after United's transfer business. Despite having now completed 25 different transfer windows across his time as Sporting Director for multiple clubs, Ashworth says that he's never seen a window where everything has "gone absolutely perfect."
However, what he feels about his first window at United is that in general, the main business the club wanted to do was done:
"But, in the main, the target positions we wanted to strengthen, the players we’ve brought in, the depth and options when everybody is fully fit that Erik has, and we have as a club, I’m pleased with that, yeah", via The Athletic.
On player departures, Ashworth says that regardless of the player, "if there’s a preference that they would like to move and go to a new club and it’s right for them and it’s right for us, then you have to explore it", via The Athletic.
Jadon Sancho's loan to Chelsea raised a few eyebrows at United moving him on to a direct rival but the Sporting Director said that thanks to having depth in numbers in those wide positions, "it just enabled us to make that decision that if it was good for him [to leave] and good for us it was something we were willing to consider", via The Athletic.
While many think that this move to Chelsea could mean his end at Old Trafford, Ashworth said that loaning Sancho to the Blues had nothing to do with his future at the club.
"He wanted to explore the opportunity at Chelsea, like Scott [McTominay] wanted to explore the opportunity at Napoli, like Aaron [Wan-Bissaka] wanted to explore the opportunity at West Ham. We’re not in a position where we’re kicking players out of the club", via The Athletic.
Berrada and Ashworth also spoke about the importance of selling players to stay within the means of financial regulations, the protection of buy-back clauses in player deals, needing to make decisions they may not want to make and having to respect what the players themselves want for their future.
Quotes via The United Stand on X.
Final Thoughts
Very interesting words from the CEO and Sporting Director and to be published after such a humiliating defeat. But you must take into account that these interviews were actually conducted before the 3-0 loss to Liverpool.
But I'm glad they back the manager all the same. Although I wonder what they think after that defeat.
It's interesting that they say they went and got most of their first targets in terms of signings which is already an improvement from past windows. We know that from the last decade, the club very rarely went and got all the players who were their main targets.
This shows that the manager has been backed and that the club do believe he is the right man to get us to where we want to be. Omar Berrada saying that he and Ashworth were happy at ten Hag's contract extension (despite not being at the club when that call was made) is a further indication of their support for ten Hag.
The manager can have no complaints about the transfer window. Yes some areas of the squad may still need improvement but as there was much too much to be done in one window, doing all the business required was nigh on impossible.
I think the new board and co-owners have done a superb job in their first window and will go a long way into helping us achieve that consistent long-term success that Berrada pointed out when wanting MUFC to compete for the big trophies.
When looking at the profile of players brought in and their ages, it's clear that they identified certain criteria for a player to tick in order for them to be signed by United. All five of Joshua Zirkzee (23), Leny Yoro (18), Noussair Mazraoui (26), Matthijs De Ligt (25) and Manuel Ugarte (23) are all players in a good age range and are players signed in positions that needed strengthening.
INEOS also removed some of the deadwood players that needed to be moved on. They were at the club for a long time and didn't really showcase that they were good enough to take us where we want to be both in terms of success and style of play. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Scott McTominay and Jadon Sancho in particular are all players who adhere to these issues.
Not only did their (and other players') removals mean more space in the squad, it also brought some money in that allowed the club to go and bring in better players that suit the vision. This buy-to-sell approach also wasn't something that the club did in the past.
Now it is all on the manager to deliver on the pitch which is obviously going to be a difficult task given the performance and result against LFC and start to the season.
No more excuses.
What do you make of these words by the CEO and Sporting Director?
Background Image: Omar Berrada (CEO), Erik ten Hag, Bruno Fernandes and Dan Ashworth (Sporting Director) | Image via Manchester United official X (@ManUtd)