Erik Ten Hag’s Bold Claim: Pep Guardiola the Only Manager to Outperform Him in England
Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, has made a surprising statement, claiming that Pep Guardiola is the only manager in England to have outperformed him since he took the reins at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag, who has been in charge of Manchester United for two years, has won 68 out of 114 games, including the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Despite his mixed success, he believes that only Guardiola has achieved more than him in English football.
The Dutchman’s statement comes after a tumultuous season, which saw Manchester United finish eighth in the Premier League and suffer a dismal campaign. However, ten Hag is confident that his side is on the right track, citing their recent FA Cup victory as proof of their progress.
“In two years, after Guardiola, we won the most trophies in English football. So we are in a strong position,” ten Hag said in an interview with The Times. “Look, we can beat every opponent. Not one time, more than one time against City and also against Liverpool.”
Ten Hag’s claims may raise eyebrows, given Manchester United’s struggles last season. However, he is adamant that his side has made significant progress and is now focused on creating a winning culture at the club.
“But the truth is that there is a long way to go and we have to be more consistent and we need to create a winning culture. It’s not only a dressing room winning culture, higher standards should be delivered across the whole club,” he added.
Despite the setbacks, ten Hag has wasted no time in rebuilding his squad, with new signings Joshua Zirkzee and Lenny Yoro already on board. Jadon Sancho has also been reintegrated into the first team group.
Manchester United’s pre-season has gotten off to a mixed start, with a 1-0 defeat to Rosenborg followed by a 2-0 win over Rangers. The Red Devils will now head to the US for a series of friendlies against Arsenal, Real Betis, and Liverpool.
Erik ten Hag claimed Pep Guardiola is the only boss to outperform him over the past two years
Ten Hag led United to the FA Cup last season after they lifted the Carabao Cup the year before
Ten Hag said Guardiola is the only manager to have made more of an impact since his arrival
Ten Hag’s claims come despite United enduring a miserable campaign during 2023-24
The Dutchman did admit that his side did still have a long way to go in their development