Erik ten Hag Remains Confident as Manchester United Prepares for Tottenham Clash

Erik ten Hag has announced his Manchester United lineup for the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. The fixture, slated for a 16:30 BST kick-off, comes at a crucial early point in the season, with both clubs seeking vital points to establish momentum.

Ten Hag has made strategic changes from the recent 1-1 draw in the Europa League against FC Twente, a result that drew criticism from fans and pundits. Matthijs de Ligt returns to the defense to partner with Lisandro Martinez, while young talent Alejandro Garnacho replaces Amad, likely to play on the right wing. Despite his impressive goal against Twente, Christian Eriksen will start on the bench, allowing Kobbie Mainoo to pair up with Manuel Ugarte in midfield.

In terms of team news, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes will lead the side featuring the likes of Marcus Rashford and promising striker Joshua Zirkzee. Notably absent is Harry Maguire, although Victor Lindelof, who had been dealing with fitness issues, is fit enough to be named among the substitutes.

On the other side, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou faces a challenge as Son Heung-min has not recovered from an injury sustained against Qarabag, leading to his exclusion from the squad. Despite this setback, the starting lineup includes key players such as Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison, with Dominic Solanke taking the lead in the attack alongside Timo Werner.

Addressing the press ahead of the match, Ten Hag acknowledged the criticism surrounding United’s recent performances but maintained a composed demeanor. “First of all, respect the criticism,” he stated. “When you are in the job, you have to deal with this, but I can’t take every criticism into account,” mentioning that some advice received is indeed constructive.

Ten Hag emphasized the importance of remaining “methodical” and ensuring the team improves consistently. He pointed to United’s project to build a squad of younger talent with the aim of capturing a Premier League title by their 150th anniversary in 2028, an initiative dubbed ‘Project 150’ by chief executive Omar Berrada.

Despite being a team in transition, Ten Hag remains optimistic about United’s trajectory towards Premier League glory and Champions League qualification. “This club has the ambition to play on the highest platform and we want to achieve the Champions League. That’s clear,” he remarked, highlighting the dual avenues of the Premier League and Europa League to reach that goal.