Contract updates, transfers & striker talk: What Erik ten Hag said ahead of Man Utd vs Newcastle

Erik ten Hag spoke to the media about several topics ahead of Manchester United’s clash against Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The Reds travel to St James’ Park on Sunday in an important game in the race for Champions League qualification.

United sit in third place but could be leapfrogged by The Magpies if they were to lose this weekend. Tottenham Hotspur play on Monday evening and are also breathing on the necks of Ten Hag’s side despite having played two games more.

There were several topics of concern during Ten Hag’s latest press conference, with every word available to read below.

Will Anthony Martial be available vs Newcastle? “He is training. So, for two weeks now. I think he can be in the squad for Sunday.”

Will Marcus Rashford be available vs Newcastle? “I have good hope. He trained but he had to do some treatment, he had to do some individual training and, today, he joined in the group. I think we have one more day, so I have good hope he’s available. I think so.”

Are you able to provide any updates on his contract negotiations? “No, we never do. It’s an internal process and we focus on winning games. Of course, we are also planning for the future so, in the back[ground], we are working on that but that is about agents, it’s about football director John Murtough. We are focusing, Rashy and I, on performing.”

Is Luke Shaw’s new deal a reward for his performances? “If he signed, yeah! I don’t know. I haven’t heard until now, John didn’t inform me until now so I have to wait for that but if it’s true, I would be really pleased. Definitely, we want to keep him because he’s a really important player for our team.”

Would you also like David de Gea and Rashford to extend their deals at Old Trafford? “Yeah. True.”

What do you put Rashford’s impressive season down to, what have you told him? “It’s not about just to talk [to him], I’m not Harry Potter, it’s like a process. There are many tools you’re putting in, so in your management, to let people get to their best form and their best shape. So, that is about the line-up, it’s about way of play, that is about of course coaching, about talks – formal, informal – that’s about coaches working with him. And especially, it’s a lot about himself because he is the one and he has the skills so when he is in the best attitude, when he is in the best mentality, then he will score goals.”

Did Rashford’s trip to New York whilst injured on the international break concern you? “I think it’s positive that he was in a break. Rashford, I think with Bruno, he was playing the most games of the whole squad. I think with Manchester United playing the most games across Europe, especially with the internationals, our internationals are not players who are mostly on the bench with their nations, mostly they are playing, so we our players played the most games in this crazy season. So, they need also time that they can have a breather and they can collect energy. So, for me, it’s positive that he took that time to turn off from football. I’ve seen him back this week and he showed a lot of energy, a lot of motivation, so this training, as the whole team, was a really good session with a lot of spirit, but especially also with Marcus. I think, therefore, it was good.”

Can Scott McTominay play up front? “I think Scott can play in many roles, and it’s clear, he has scoring capabilities, it’s clear. We have seen it for Scotland but also this season for us, he is a really good finisher, yeah. But I see him as a midfielder, so I think I am happy with what Wout is doing because when Wout is in the team, the team is performing better.”

Does the team need another goalscorer alongside Rashford? “I think we have players like Bruno, like Jadon Sancho, like Anthony Martial, like Scott McTominay, like Antony dos Santos, so I think we have players who have capabilities to score goals, definitely.”

United can’t have a similar situation to the one they’ve had upfront this year when it comes to next season, can you? “What I said previously, I work in the back[ground] on next season but we’re working now on this season. First of all, make sure everyone is available, so everyone is fit and then keep improving the way of play. That gives the best chance that we will score more goals.”

Is Newcastle’s time-wasting a concern going into the game? “A concern? We know they delay. That’s something that the refereeing doesn’t want, they want to have tempo in the game, that is the aim from the Premier League, to have tempo in the game. So, then they also have to be consistent to let the game go and do and act what the policy is.”

Do you get irritated by any of their other tactics? “You said the question but it’s about us, like we did in the two previous games [against Newcastle], it’s about us. We want, as every game, to dictate, control the game. We play against a good opponent, we are aware of that, they have a great season with their manager, with their way of play, that is really a team that is hard to beat. But we’re looking forward to the challenge, and as we already had many challenges this season, and we have shown the evidence that we can beat them.”

Does Wout Weghorst have a chance at signing permanently in the summer? “Of course. I think he is doing a lot of elements of football really well. He is doing a really good job for us in pressing, so he is the leader of the process in pressing. He starts the press and he is very good in the backward pressing. He is taking other positions and his link-up play, he is doing really well. He creates movements and makes good movements. He is also good in the set plays. He is really a contribution to the performance of this team and this team after Christmas, we played 25 games and we lost two games. So you can see and he played nearly almost all those games. He was really a part of that success.”

Does finishing in the top four impact being able to attract players in the transfer window? “Let’s make one thing clear, we have to play Champions League football and a club like Manchester United has to play in the Champions League. So there is no misunderstanding. Of course, we are more interesting when we are in the Champions League, but when we are not, we are still attractive for players. I have noticed that last year when we were not in the Champions League but I want to make my point clear, we have to be in the Champions League. So we have two parts, one is via the Premier League and be in the top four, or by the winning of the Europa League, so that is the two parts.”

How were you able to sell the club to Casemiro and Antony when in Europa League? “I think that is a very good example with Casemiro. He won everything, Champions Leagues but also that he is willing to come to Manchester United, even when we were playing in the Europa League. This club attracts people and it is very interesting for them, they want to be part of this club.”

Is there a different approach to cup games and league games? “We want to win every game and I think that is when we talk about culture. To construct a culture you have to win every game and I think that is the approach we have in every game, so we will prepare every game 100 per cent, we don’t want to miss things in any game. I think that is what people can expect from us and that is the demands we have to set.”

Is it going to be hard to compete with unlimited-fund teams like Newcastle in the long term? “But money is one thing and the thing is also strategy. When I was at Ajax, we had a low budget in comparison with many opponents in the Champions League and still, we won the groups, we came to the semi-finals and we were really close to [reaching] the final. It is also possible with a lower budget to beat teams with a higher budget.”

Is the right strategy in place at the club for success? “From my analysis, we are in a good direction, the right direction. I think we are building a base this season and from here on, we have to progress and develop. You can do that by developing a team and that is every game, you have to play a better game, so every training you can develop your way of play and that is what we are doing. We are also setting, every time, high demands and standards to our players, and then for the rest, in the summer, we will see. That is not, in this moment, a focus point, the focus is now on the way of play and to make a better way of play so we have a better chance of winning games.”