Ten Hag wants to turn Old Trafford into a fortress before Barca
When asked about the possibility of racing for the Premier League title after the 3-0 victory over Leicester on the evening of February 19, Ten Hag replied: "We don't think about it. First of all, we think about the next match. It's going to be a great night. It has to be for us, but we have to work. We have to fight Barca and the fans, and make Old Trafford a real fortress."
In the first leg at Camp Nou, Man Utd drew 2-2 with Barca. Due to the absence of the away goal rule, Ten Hag's teachers and students need a win in the second leg on the evening of February 23 at home to continue. The last time Man Utd received a defeat at home was a 0-1 loss to Sociedad in the first leg of the Europa League group stage on September 8. Since then, the "Red Devils" have gone 15 consecutive matches unbeaten at Old Trafford.
The win over Leicester was one of those 15. Marcus Rashford soon gave Man Utd a 2-0 lead with two phases against goalkeeper Danny Ward in the 25th and 56th minutes. In the 61st minute, Jadon Sancho cushioned the ball to set the score after Bruno Fernandes' pass.
"We are satisfied with this result," said coach Ten Hag. "When you play three days a game, you don't always keep your form. Today the first half was really difficult. We kept a clean sheet in the first half thanks to David De Gea."
Ten Hag promptly corrected the players during the 15-minute break. After that, Man Utd played better and scored two more goals. "I think the second half was fantastic," said the Man Utd coach. "That's the way I want to see my team play. It's not just about excitement, it's about the players playing in the right positions, playing simple football and the coordination between the lines. It's true. It's exciting when we create a lot of chances and score nice goals."
The Dutch coach especially emphasized that the players have to play for the team. He considers that to be the foundation for Man Utd's success. In 17 matches after the 2022 World Cup break, "Red Devils" won 13 matches, drew three and lost only one. "Rashford is playing in the right position, but let's not forget the collective," said Ten Hag. "Our goals are collective goals. Therefore, I want to highlight Fernandes with two great assists. Fred also has a very nice assist. Rashford wouldn't have been able to score, if he hadn't received it. ball".
Currently, Man Utd is third in the Premier League with 49 points after 24 games, five points behind Arsenal and three points behind Man City. In which, Arsenal played less than one game.
Besides the English Premier League and Europa League, Man Utd also reached the final of the League Cup and the fifth round of the FA Cup. On February 26, the "Red Devils" will play the League Cup final against Newcastle.
