Ten Hag feels 'new energy' ahead of 2024/25 season
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.
Ten Hag won the Carabao Cup in his maiden campaign at Old Trafford, and steered the men's first team to a remarkable FA Cup final victory over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the final fixture of 2023/24.
The boss is now focused on raising standards and building towards competing for the trophies that will always define how United teams are judged: the Premier League and the Champions League.
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"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."
In 2024/25, Ten Hag will have the support of a fresh football department structure around him, including new sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
The Dutchman believes further work needs to be done to help the Reds become serial contenders for the Premier League title once again, but says the new set-up - plus the enhancements currently being made to our Carrington training ground - will give the first team the best platform for future success.
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."