Ten Hag: We have high targets

Building up to the 16:30 BST kick-off at Old Trafford, the boss also told journalists inside Carrington how he deals with the pressure of the job, which he says comes with the spotlight of being Reds boss.

Despite that pressure, he retains a strong belief that he can develop his squad to compete at the highest levels, starting with Spurs at the Theatre of Dreams tomorrow afternoon.

Keep scrolling to read, or watch, everything the manager had to say...

TRUSTING IN YOUTH

"That is the choices [deploying young players] we have made the last two seasons. I understand the impressions many have for Manchester United, because the history is so big, but that is the choices we have made, and that has also to do with some financials, and other restrictions we have to deal with. We made a choice for young players, and the young players are not in the level, you can't expect them [to be], we have to improve them, and they have to improve themselves. And we have to find a team that can be successful on a consistent base. And this team, in the last two years, they've shown they can do it, on occasions, and on occasions we can win trophies, but we have to get more consistent."

EUROPEAN AIMS

"It's [Champions League qualification] never spoken of how you ask me the question now, but what I think is: we have to succeed. And we have to win trophies, that's what this club stands for and the highest platforms; this club has the ambition to play in the highest platform. Yeah, we want to achieve the Champions League, that's clear, and we have two routes, that's one of the Premier League and the other one is the Europa League."

SQUAD BUILDING

"First, we are where we are now, with this squad. But, I think with all the restrictions we've had, we've done good work. And now we have to work with the squad, we have now to improve the squad. As I just made arguments: we have a god squad. We have a good squad, but with young players. We have to improve, we have to improve the team. And then we have targets, we have high targets, we want to achieve those targets for this season, but also the years beyond."

DEALING WITH PRESSURE

"Yeah, first of all, respect the criticism. There are many. You can have an opinion about football, when you are in a job, you have to deal with this. But I can't take every criticism into account. I don't read, of course, all the criticism, not even possible, but I don't want either to know. It's about: I need to know some, and some are very good advices... but for me, it's stay clinical, and see where the team is, which areas we have to improve. Stay also methodical, that you guide the team in the right pathway, and make sure you make the right steps to get the best out of the team."

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

"I think we will be judged every game, and that's normal. And everyone is, for every game, expecting United is winning, and we know that, so that's not a secret for anyone. When you are in this club, you have to deal with this factor, and we do. And it doesn't matter, if you are young or old or whatever, but yeah, we have to cope with this, and we have to get, of course, the best out of it and, yeah, match expectations. Everyone has, but we know also, and as with other respects, yeah: young players, young squad, a new team. Yeah, that takes time. And we are going in a good direction, I think, in the last couple of weeks, and in many aspects of football. Now it's about: be more efficient, score more goals, because that will win you games."