Erik ten Hag has warned his Manchester United players he will not compromise on his high standards as he plots the club's route back to the top.
United have been transformed in Ten Hag's first season in charge, ending their six-year trophy wait with their Carabao Cup triumph and forcing their way into the Premier League title race. The Red Devils remain in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple, with another huge test of their revival under Ten Hag coming with Sunday's trip to arch-rivals Liverpool.
Ten Hag tore into his players at half-time during Wednesday's FA Cup tie at home to West Ham and accused them of failing to meet the standard he demands of them.
The hairdryer blast did the trick, with United coming from 1-0 down with 13 minutes left to win 3-1 and set up a quarter-final showdown at home with fellow Premier League side Fulham. Ten Hag said he laid into his players to remind them of what he expects from them and said he will do the same again on Sunday at Anfield if they are not good enough.
“What I saw was that we were not playing to our standards,” said Ten Hag. “That's what I saw in the first half. Then I will be tough on my team, to my players, because I demand a performance.
“Every day, I demand a performance. I don't accept when it's lower, then I will criticise them and tell them what to expect. Then, I have to give the team solutions on how to win the game and I think the performance in the second half was much better.”
United are unbeaten in 19 games at home in all competitions, winning 17 and drawing two. Away from home, they have also been impressive, but have yet to win at a top-four rival, losing at Arsenal and Manchester City.
Ten Hag defended United's away form but acknowledged the next step is to produce a statement win at the home of a major rival – with this weekend the ideal place to start. “I think, away from home, we've had some really good performances,” said Ten Hag.
“For me, it's no different – the pitch is the same size everywhere, there are three referees, there's a fourth official, the ball is round, there's air in the ball. So, we have to play and to make it our game and that [winning away at a top-four rival] is the next step we have to make then.”
A 2-1 win over Liverpool last August, after starting his United reign with back-to-back defeats by Brighton and Brentford, proved the turning point for Ten Hag. But the 53-year-old is keen to look forwards, rather than backwards, and build on the impressive form his side have shown over the last six months.
“That was a few months back, now we are in a different process,” Ten Hag said of the result last summer. “It's a different period, so I don't look back, I look forward. I look forward to Sunday and I'm really going to enjoy this [trip to Anfield].
“I think we're in a good direction, and with our philosophy, strategy and culture, we have to keep making progress. It's all about that. “I think our team, our mentality in general, is very good.
“I think we also have many leaders who set the mentality, who set the standards, who control the standards and who correct if necessary. We're happy with this process, but it can always be better. That has to be the approach.”
