Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United are ‘building up’ despite poor season

Erik ten Hag’s future in charge of Manchester United is increasingly uncertain, with the Dutchman under pressure to keep his job beyond this season following a disastrous campaign.

The Reds failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League and their only hope of salvaging anything from the campaign is next week’s FA Cup final.

In the league, United’s consistent poor form has alienated supporters and the club’s structural changes, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS taking charge of the football operations, are expected to come with widespread changes.

It remains to be seen whether Ten Hag will fall victim to the changes overseen by Ratcliffe but the former Ajax manager is insistent on turning things around.

Speaking after this week’s 3-2 win over Newcastle in the final home game of the season, the boss has insisted that United are ‘building up’.

“It’s fantastic to feel that fight, to feel the strong bond between the team and the fans, and we have seen it through the whole season and in difficult moments,” he said about the final game at Old Trafford, as per the official Manchester United website.

“They are always with us and always backing the team, they stuck with us and that is a fantastic feeling, if you can build such a strong bond.

“We invested a lot, the fans and the team, in difficult moments. Stay with each other and you have good times, and I’m sure the good times will come. We’re building up, the fans see this and they recognise this and, of course, they count on us. We have to pay them back.”

Ten Hag’s second season has also been plagued by injuries, with a host of first-team regulars missing sizeable chunks of the campaign, forcing the manager to play other stars out of position.

Youngsters have also been brought in to accommodate those changes and that has led to inconsistencies in line-ups from week to week.

Winning the FA Cup would mean back-to-back seasons with silverware for the first time in over a decade.