Man United have less depth than Premier League rivals, says Erik ten Hag

AMSTERDAM – Manchester United are still in the process of building their squad and have less depth than many of their English Premier League rivals, manager Erik ten Hag said on July 19, as he again blamed injuries for last season’s disappointing eighth-placed finish.

Earlier in July, the 54-year-old extended his contract until 2026 despite speculation he would be fired after a poor season, in which they still managed to put on some gloss with FA Cup success at the end of the campaign.

But the Dutchman called a total of 61 matches for his club in all competitions last season “simply bizarre”.

“That’s really too much. We are not the only team that struggled with injuries, other clubs had the same,” he told Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad.

“Last season we had constantly injuries for players in the same positions, and they were all at the back. At one point we had almost no defenders available.

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

Ten Hag is a happier man this off-season when it comes to his defence, with United snapping up the highly rated 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro from Lille on July 18.

The teenager joins on a five-year contract, as sources say the Red Devils agreed a €62 million (S$90.8 million) fee for the Frenchman, who has played 60 games for his previous side.

“Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour,” the 1.9m Yoro said in a statement.

“Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project, and showed a lot of care for me and my family.

“I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new teammates.”

The centre-back, who made 44 appearances last term, was named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season after helping Lille finish fourth and secure a Champions League qualifying spot.

Yoro has been chased by several top European clubs, including Spanish and European champions Real Madrid.

He will be a boost to a backline that has also seen four-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane depart.

Yoro is the club’s second major acquisition this summer after Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee joined for €42.5 million on July 14, while United forward Mason Greenwood has moved to Ligue 1 side Marseille.

Things are looking brighter for ten Hag, whose position was almost untenable as last season headed to a close but the 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final looked to save his job.

“There was so much going on at that stage but I still firmly believed we could win that final,” the United boss added.

“The most important thing of all was to convey that belief to my team, and I had to be careful that the entire environment did not become negative in advance.”

He also said he was not concerned about his future at the club.

“If United’s management find someone tomorrow they think is better, then I’ll go. It’s that simple,” he said. “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.”

Besides new signings, there has also been a staff overhaul at the club – most notably former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy returning as assistant manager – and ten Hag suggested that better times are ahead.

“If you put in place the right structures and work well together, if you also have a good relationship with the players, then you know that things will get better again,” he added. REUTERS, AFP