Erik ten Hag has called for patience at Manchester United, emphasizing the need for time to develop players like Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, and Rasmus Højlund to their full potential.
Wednesday's frustrating 1-1 Europa League draw against Twente followed a goalless match at Crystal Palace on Saturday. United currently sit in 11th place in the Premier League with just seven points from five games, having scored only five goals and maintaining a goal difference of zero. Over the course of Ten Hag's five transfer windows, the squad has seen over £600 million invested. When asked if fans were justified in expecting more progress, the manager responded, "You have to evaluate the situation. We are still working and making progress. We have chosen to sign young players like Højlund last year, Zirkzee, and Yoro this year—players we believe in both now and for the future, and we need to build them up."
Prior to the draw at Palace, United had secured a 7-0 victory over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, followed by a 3-0 win at Southampton. "I think we've turned a corner in the past two weeks and now we need to work with the squad, which takes time," Ten Hag noted. "I'm also impatient and want to move forward immediately, but we've had success in the last two seasons and need to work hard to achieve more."
After the Twente draw, Ten Hag acknowledged that the Dutch side showed more desire. When questioned if his players needed to be more hungry, he replied, "We should be—that's what we demand of each other. We need to consistently bring that hunger and that's what we're striving for. Successful teams possess this quality."
At 54, Ten Hag is in his third season as manager and was asked why his team didn't match their opponents' effort. He explained, "I think every team experiences this during a season. In a season of 60 games, there will inevitably be matches where you're not satisfied with the performance. The psychological aspect of top-level football means any team can have more hunger than the other. The team that manages this best will be the most successful. We are ambitious, so we always demand that we are hungrier."
