MX23RW : Sunday, December 15 05:23:59| >> :120:20482:20482:

John Murtough pleased with Erik ten Hag start at Manchester United

John Murtough pleased with Erik ten Hag start at Man United
© Reuters
Manchester United director John Murtough hails Erik ten Hag's start to life at Old Trafford amid the Red Devils' four-game winning streak in the Premier League.

Manchester United director of football John Murtough has hailed the "increased unity, focus and drive" that Erik ten Hag has brought to the club.

The Red Devils hired the ex-Ajax coach as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent successor at the end of the 2021-22 season, and he wasted no time moulding the squad into his own vision.

Man United spent big to bring Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Antony and Casemiro to the club, as well as snapping up Christian Eriksen as a free agent and signing Martin Dubravka on loan from Newcastle United.

However, the 20-time English champions endured a disastrous start to on-field proceedings, suffering back-to-back defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford.

Ten Hag has since turned the Red Devils' fortunes around, though, securing successive top-flight wins over Southampton, Liverpool, Leicester City and Arsenal.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag on July 15, 2022© Reuters

Man United's four-game domestic winning streak has seen Ten Hag earn a nomination for the Premier League's Manager of the Month for September, and Murtough is pleased with the impact that the 52-year-old has made so far.

"After a thorough search and due diligence process, it was clear to us that Erik was the strongest candidate, based on his outstanding coaching record, his commitment to the proactive, attacking football we want to play, and the vision and ambition he showed for the role," Murtough told Man United's official media channels.

"There is still a long way to go, but we have already seen, during his first four months in charge, an increased unity, focus and drive that bodes well for the future."

Ten Hag is understood to be keen to bolster his squad further in the January transfer window, although those higher up are supposedly against shelling out more money after their big summer of spending.

However, Murtough has insisted that the club will continue to support Ten Hag in the transfer market without breaking the bank.

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, Mitchell van der Gaag, director of football John Murtough, Steve McClaren and chief executive officer Richard Arnold in the stands on May 22, 2022© Reuters

"We will continue to support Erik in ensuring he has players with the right quality and characters to achieve success, while ensuring that investment remains consistent with our commitment to financial sustainability," Murtough added.

Ten Hag is up against Tottenham Hotspur's Antonio Conte and Bournemouth's Gary O'Neil for September's Manager of the Month award after leading the Red Devils to fifth place in the table.

Man United begun their Europa League campaign in disappointing fashion with a 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad, but they responded with a 2-0 success at Sheriff Tiraspol before the international break.

The Red Devils will endeavour to make it five straight Premier League wins when they take on Manchester City in the Manchester derby on October 2 at the Etihad Stadium.

ID:495278:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5425:
Written by
Ben Knapton

Click here for more stories about John Murtough

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United's Antony on September 8, 2022
Read Next:
Sao Paulo 'demanding £15m Antony fee from Man United'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Chiefs
@
Browns
6pm
Ravens
@
Giants
6pm
Jets
@
Jags
6pm
Cowboys
@
Panthers
6pm
Washington
@
Saints
6pm
Dolphins
@
Texans
6pm
Bengals
@
Titans
9.25pm
Colts
@
Broncos
9.25pm
Patriots
@
Cardinals
9.25pm
Buccaneers
@
Chargers
9.25pm
Steelers
@
Eagles
9.25pm
Bills
@
Lions
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool15113131131836
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1686229151430
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest168442119228
5Manchester CityMan City158342721627
6Aston Villa167452425-125
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Fulham166642422224
10Brentford157263128323
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle166552321223
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton153661421-715
16Leicester CityLeicester163582134-1314
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich162681628-1212
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1623112440-169
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!