Erik ten Hag not interested in discussing possible title challenge

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 17 February 2023

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag says that his side are not currently thinking about challenging for the Premier League title.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has insisted that his side are not currently thinking about challenging for this season's Premier League title.

The Red Devils are currently third in the table, five points behind leaders Manchester City on the same number of matches, with the Citizens moving above Arsenal by beating the Gunners on Wednesday.

Man United will be bidding to make it back-to-back Premier League victories when they welcome Leicester City to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, while March will open with a trip to Liverpool.

However, despite their strong position in the table, Ten Hag is not currently thinking about a possible title challenge, with the Dutchman taking matters on a match-by-match basis.

"We don't think about that so far. What we have to do is put us in April in the right position, so our thinking can only be on the next game and how we can be better than we were in the previous game," Ten Hag told reporters ahead of the contest with Leicester.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during the match on January 10, 2023 © Reuters

"We have to think about going from game to game to help us put the right energy and focus in."

When asked whether his side would be in with a chance of winning the title if they were within four or five points of the summit heading into April, Ten Hag added: ''It does mean that we have to win on Sunday. We have to collect the three points against Leicester. That demands a lot of energy and demands high standards."

Ten Hag also reiterated the importance of securing a return to the Champions League for the 2023-24 campaign, with the club having two routes back into the tournament.

"We are in the right direction but we have to fight for it. There are two ways. One is to win the Europa League and the other way is the Premier League. We know what to do and we have to see it from game to game. We must fight to get back in the Champions League," said the Dutchman.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and Barcelona boss Xavi on February 16, 2023 © Reuters

Man United drew 2-2 with Barcelona in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round playoff on Thursday evening, with the two sides set to meet in the second leg next week.

The Red Devils currently have Donny van de Beek, Christian Eriksen, Anthony Martial, Antony and Scott McTominay on the sidelines through injury, while Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer were both suspended against Barcelona in the Europa League.

However, Ten Hag is not worried about his squad ahead of a busy run of matches, which also includes the EFL Cup final next weekend against Newcastle United.

"Yeah, but the players in our squad, they like it. They like to play in big games and they know as team, and as an individual, you grow from such games," he added.

"Today (Thursday), we went against better players, a better team and it will help us in our process. We are in the right direction so we have to keep this process going. We will analyse again, we wil criticise, what went good, what went wrong, and we move on to Sunday, on the next game and the next big game."

Man United last won the Premier League title in 2013 - Sir Alex Ferguson's final season in charge.