Inside Ten Hag's 250 days at Man Utd as culture and "values" take centre stage
Saturday marks 250 days since Erik ten Hag took over at Manchester United.
In that time, Ten Hag has transformed United from a club mired in crisis and self-recrimination to one reborn, revitalised and fighting for glory on four fronts. On the pitch, the Dutchman's tactical acumen and proactive style have made United a force to be feared again, with wins over Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City underlining that fact.
Off the pitch, he has restored discipline and standards, ensuring players adhere to strict rules and punishing those who transgress, regardless of their profile or importance to the team. Cristiano Ronaldo was ditched when he broke ranks in an interview and said he had no respect for Ten Hag, while Marcus Rashford was dropped for being late for a team meeting, despite being United's leading goalscorer.
This week, the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to drop charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mason Greenwood has provided Ten Hag with another example of the challenge that comes with managing the world's biggest club.
While Ten Hag was unable to comment specifically on Greenwood, with United having told the suspended striker to stay away while they conduct their own internal process, the 53-year-old acknowledged the importance of not allowing external issues to affect morale and spirit within the squad.
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Erik ten Hag has spoken about the "high standards and values" that underpins his Man Utd squad (AFP via Getty Images)“It’s really important, but sometimes you get issues as a club and team and you have to deal with it,” Ten Hag said ahead of Saturday's visit of Crystal Palace to Old Trafford. “We have standards and values, we have to live along those high standards and values, and that gives a base if you have a good culture and spirit.
“That’s our job, not to get distracted by anything. We're human beings and sometimes there are issues. We're not like robots, but we have to focus on our job. We have so many games, so we don’t have time to get distracted by anything. It’s not easy, but that is our job.”
Ten Hag said it was a benefit for United fighting for glory on four fronts, with a game every three or four days, because it keeps his players focused and limits the potential for distractions.
Cristiano Ronaldo was swiftly axed by Erik ten Hag after his bombshell interview (PA)“That's the right approach - not to get distracted by anything and keep the momentum going,” Ten Hag added. “We have that in our hands and we can influence that - our team performance and individual performance - and that is our demand
“What we want is for good to not be good enough. We want to bring that winning culture back to this club, which was previously the case for a long time in this club. That’s why this club won so many trophies in the last decades and obviously not that much in the last few years.
“We have to get back to those days and that's only when you have the right structure and strategy, and if you work every day hard, you're not satisfied with yourself too quickly, you demand high standards and improvement every day, and give every day the best of yourself and a better version of yourself.
“If everyone is doing that and co-operates well, then you can achieve a lot. That is the way and direction we want to go in. Finally, it has to come that we are winning trophies again.”
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