Ten Hag: Manchester United’s Squad Depth Lags Behind Premier League Rivals; Last Season’s Eighth Place Mainly Due to Injuries

In an interview with the Dutch newspaper Daily Algemeen Dagblad, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag pointed out that the team’s eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season was primarily due to a high number of injuries. He also noted that Manchester United’s squad depth is significantly less than that of their top rivals.

Last season, Manchester United finished only eighth in the Premier League, and it was widely expected that Ten Hag would be sacked. However, the club recently extended his contract until 2026, largely due to the FA Cup victory which changed some evaluations. In his interview with the Dutch media, Ten Hag analyzed the situation: “Last season, Manchester United played 61 games, which was simply too many. We were not the only team affected by injuries, other clubs faced similar issues, but we kept having players from the same position getting injured, leaving us at times with hardly any defenders available.”

Ten Hag believes that Manchester United’s squad depth is inferior to their rivals, making the team more vulnerable to injuries. He stated: “When I joined Manchester United, the team had not won a trophy for six years. This wasn’t because they didn’t have good coaches; it did indicate issues with the composition and quality of the players. We were and still are in a rebuilding phase. If you compare our squad to those of the other top clubs in the Premier League, you’ll see that our squad depth is definitely lacking, and that’s why we struggled to cope with these injuries.”

Ten Hag admitted that the situation where he was close to being sacked last season did take a toll on him, but he insisted that he is not afraid of being dismissed: “If the Manchester United management finds a coach they believe is better tomorrow, then I will leave. It’s that simple! That’s how football works, and you have to respect it. At a club like Manchester United, if you don’t win, you get into trouble. Let’s face it, we lost too many games last season, the players were disappointed, and so was the club…”

However, Ten Hag remains confident about the new season: “If you establish the right structure and strengthen teamwork, and if you maintain a good relationship with the players, you know things will improve again!”