Ten Hag concedes Man Utd have ´less depth´ than Premier League rivals

Erik ten Hag feels Manchester United have less strength in depth compared “with other top clubs in the Premier League”.

The Dutchman’s injury-hit side finished eighth in the Premier League last season; their lowest final position in the competition.

However, the Red Devils did manage to secure European football for the 2024-25 campaign after beating rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final.

Ten Hag was heavily linked with a departure from Old Trafford, but recently extended his stay with the club until 2026, and he acknowledges United are still a work in progress.

“Last season, we constantly had injuries to players in the same positions, all at the back. At one point, we had almost no defenders available,” he told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

“When we started here, United hadn’t won a trophy for six years, and it really wasn’t because they didn’t have good managers here.

“It does say something about the composition and quality of the player group. I knew that when I started, of course, but they were players with long-term contracts.

Building#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 19, 2024

“We were and still are in that process [of building]. If you compare our squad with other top clubs in the Premier League, we certainly have a bit less in terms of depth. That is exactly why we found it so difficult to deal with those injuries.”

Ten Hag also reflected on that FA Cup final against City, a game which was widely expected to spell the end for the Dutchman had United lost.

But the 54-year-old is not concerned by his job security.

“Let’s face it: you lose too many matches, it just takes strength to keep the team focused and motivated every time,” he added. “The players are disappointed, the people around you are disappointed.

“There was so much going on at that stage, but I still firmly believed that we could win that final. The most important thing of all was to convey that belief to my team. I had to be careful that the entire environment did not become negative in advance.

“If United’s management find someone tomorrow who they think is better, then I’ll go. It’s that simple. Those are the mechanisms in football that you have to respect. At a club like this, it is crystal clear: if you don’t win, you have a problem.”