Erik ten Hag sends worrying warning to Man Utd fans on eve of new season

Erik ten Hag has cautioned Manchester United fans that his team is not fully prepared for the new season.

United will begin their campaign against Fulham on Friday night at Old Trafford, but Ten Hag believes the squad is not yet fully ready due to many players being involved in the Copa America and Euro 2024. However, he asserts that the team is clear on how they will play and will adhere to these principles.

“It’s true, it’s not the pre-season where in five to six weeks we work on a team, it’s very complicated,” said the United manager. “We had the USA tour squad, then added the players from the Euros and Copa America, and now the new signings, and we have to make a team from it.

“That team is not ready, but the league starts, and other managers have this problem as well. Still, we have some room, have some principles, and we have to make a start. We can’t hide, we have to deal with it.”

Ten Hag also mentioned that new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are in the squad for the Fulham match, and he emphasized the importance of not dropping points while the team builds momentum. “We’re complete and have been working together for 10 days, but it will take some time,” he said.

“There will be more teams facing this issue. At the start of the season, it’s important not to drop points, work hard, and ensure you’re organized in and out of possession. We’re not at 100 percent, but we need to improve from game to game and raise performance levels in the team and individual players. We’ll see how quickly we can progress with this.”

Ten Hag remains optimistic about United’s prospects after the club invested £150 million in four new signings, and he reiterated their ambition to win more trophies. Having won the FA and Carabao Cups in his first two seasons, Ten Hag said, “Our expectations are always very high, we want to go for trophies. We know our targets, we know our direction. Now we need to integrate new players where we believe they can elevate the team’s level and go from there.”

United fans have expressed frustration over Luke Shaw’s injury, as he has been out since February and played in Euro 2024 with England. However, Ten Hag is more composed, stating that Shaw’s latest injury is not serious, and he should return soon.

Shaw is dealing with a calf injury, and United anticipate his return next month after the first international break. “He will return in the short term, it won’t take long,” said Ten Hag. “We’re looking forward to having Luke Shaw back. He’s a very important player for our team, so we want to get him back as soon as possible, but we can’t rush this process.”