Manchester United coach, Erik Ten Hag is confident that next season he will still manage the club nicknamed the Red Devils. So he doesn’t feel that the Man United vs Newcastle United match in the postponed match in Week 34 of the 2023-2024 Premier League will be his last match at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has been under a lot of pressure lately because his future with Man United still seems unclear. The reason is, the performance of his troops has changed drastically this season after appearing quite promising in their first season.
The Dutch coach was actually able to bring the Red Devils – Man United’s nickname – to qualify for the FA Cup final this season with a limping squad that was always hit by a storm of injuries. However, their poor performance in the Premier League, where they are threatened with not appearing in European competition next season, makes their chances of survival very doubtful.
Man United has certainly achieved the worst points in the history of the Premier League in the Premier League era this season. Even so, Ten Hag confirmed that his team would continue to carry out the lap of honor tradition in their last home match against Newcastle at Old Trafford to show appreciation to the supporters for their support throughout the season.
“Yes, we will. “Yes, of course (we will give appreciation to the fans),” said Ten Hag as quoted by the Independent, Wednesday (15/5/2024).
“In good times, in bad times we are together, and the fans show that we are together, so, yes, we will do a lap of honor,” he added.
The Lap of Honor will most likely be used by Raphael Varane to say goodbye to Man United supporters after he confirmed he would leave after his contract expires at the end of this season. However, Ten Hag was surprised when asked whether that moment could also be his farewell event to the Manchester Red Army at Old Trafford.
“Goodbye to?” “For me?! It’s not about how I feel and how I see it. That’s not how I start a lap of honor for the fans, no,” explained the former Ajax Amsterdam coach.
Ten Hag declined to discuss his future. However, he believes that Man United supporters still support him to stay because they are aware that the team has been hit by a storm of injuries and is going through a transition period in several important positions.
“Actually, yes, at the stadium, away and home, they always support the team, support me, and also when I’m on the road, many come to me,” said the 54-year-old coach.
“Maybe they were just being polite but I don’t feel like this. “I almost never get any negative reactions because the fans understand where we are,” he added.
“The fans understand that this club is in a period of transition and the big problems we have to face, especially in terms of position, in the main posts,” he concluded.
The match between Man United and Newcastle United is scheduled to take place on Thursday (16/5/2024) at Old Trafford. If they win, Marcus Rashford and his colleagues maintain their hopes of qualifying for European competition next season because they will have the same points as The Magpies – Newcastle’s nickname – who sit in sixth place with one game remaining.
