In an unique interview with Sky Sports, Manchester United supervisor Erik ten Hag discusses the group’s issues and why he believes they’ll enhance. Watch Arsenal vs Man Utd reside on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm on Sunday; kick-off 4.30pm

Erik ten Hag’s second season at Utrecht introduced European soccer. His second season at Ajax introduced his first title and took the membership to inside seconds of reaching the Champions League remaining. The lesson of his profession up to now is that when it clicks, it clicks.

How shut is that to occurring at Manchester United? Two wins from three video games is an enchancment on final season nevertheless it has been an unsteady begin with slim residence wins towards anticipated strugglers Wolves and Nottingham Forest proving unconvincing.

The defeat at Tottenham introduced harsh criticism, questions in regards to the make-up of the midfield and fears that there’s something nonetheless lacking. But there may be hope too. Bolstered by deadline-day additions, the assumption stays that Ten Hag can take this group ahead.

Over the course of our dialog on the membership’s coaching floor, he’ll tackle the failings in each defence and assault in stark phrases, acknowledging the problems. But he’s additionally desirous to mission calm forward of an enormous sport at Arsenal on Sunday. There is not any want for panic.

“I have seen a lot of the games already in the Premier League,” he tells Sky Sports. “None of the teams are yet in the right shape and in the right form. That is normal at the start of a season. Everything has to settle in and to improve. That is our job as managers.”

He noticed higher indicators towards Forest too.

“We improved in attitude, resilience, determination. The way we did it, really dominating. For parts of the game, we even had 90 per cent of possession, so we pinned them back and even though they were very compact we created many chances.”

The underlying numbers additionally supply encouragement. Ten Hag spoke in the summertime about turning United right into a urgent machine, one thing that had initially proved awkward given the personnel inherited. There is proof to recommend that it’s now taking form.

Three video games into the season and United have received possession of the ball within the attacking third of the pitch much more instances than some other group within the Premier League. They have pressed extra opposition passing sequences in that zone that anybody else too.

Is this what he desires to see from his aspect? “Absolutely. We had a lot of ball wins, regains, high up the pitch. That part of the game we do well. In the transition, we can do better, because when you have so many high regains, you have to get the benefit from it.”

Why is that this urgent so essential to him?

“To keep a game under control, to dominate an opponent, the pressing has to be right,” he explains. “It does not always have to be higher up the pitch. There will be moments when you can be lower, really low. Our team has the ability then also to be a threat.

“But in my method I need to all the time have the ability to give the followers one thing. We need to dominate opponents, we need to play proactive soccer, we need to play dynamic soccer. Pressing is part of it. The in-possession stuff additionally needs to be proper.”

Ten Hag is in purposeful temper. A busy day? “Very,” he replies. He has simply carried out his press convention confirming the arrival of Sergio Reguilon. The deal to deliver Sofyan Amrabat to Old Trafford is imminent, a participant who will help that much-criticised midfield.

Ten Hag refutes that criticism in plenty of other ways.

Firstly, he factors to the previous report. “When we play with Casemiro and Eriksen and Bruno we are very successful,” he argues. He is true too. United have picked up 42 factors from 17 Premier League video games when that trio have began collectively – title-winning type.

Secondly, he makes the case in sturdy phrases that his midfield has been uncovered due to the failings of these behind and in entrance. “It was absolutely a team problem. We analysed and we showed the team where the problem was,” he explains.

“It had to do from the back by squeezing. It had to do from the front by late responding or not responding. Act as a team. Not every player matched the standards that they are supposed to do. We worked a lot in the last two weeks on that factor.

“We have to enhance. Especially if you face Arsenal who’ve such a high quality group. When you aren’t in the precise organisation, you’ll get issues. We should keep away from such issues by doing the precise stuff. We should demand extra from the gamers.

“We have to match high standards in those moments in games. It is about the front not matching those standards, as well as the back. When you do not match the standards from the rules then we have a problem. Every team would have a problem.”

Standards and guidelines. They are watchwords for Ten Hag, ideas that he returns to repeatedly, the rules upon which his work is constructed. Overhauling this squad has been a problem fraught with issue, plagued by conditions requiring cautious administration.

Even now, there may be the sense of a summer time spent firefighting as a lot as setting up, the deadline-day arrivals proof of this. If Amrabat is the midfielder who can higher institute his dynamic imaginative and prescient, Reguilon is the emergency left-back cowl. No time to adapt.

How shortly can gamers choose up his guidelines? “It is not easy,” he admits. Perhaps that partly explains why he favours bringing in former gamers. Amrabat, as soon as of Utrecht, joins the previous Ajax trio of Lisandro Martinez, Andre Onana and Antony at Old Trafford.

“Yes, but every situation is different,” says Ten Hag.

That brings us again to these previous successes.

“I did not play in the same way when I was at Utrecht as I did at Ajax and I do not play in the same way at Manchester United as I did at Ajax. What is the identity of the club? What is the quality of the players? And then you bring your own ideas in and it is a mixture.

“I bear in mind effectively that the beginning of my second season with Utrecht was troublesome. Part of it was shedding many gamers. You should construct within the new gamers. It was the identical at Ajax once we misplaced Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong. That was not straightforward.

“Every season is difficult at the start. In the meantime, it is about getting the points. You need to gather points at the start and from there you build belief and confidence. Then you will see the game go smoother and better, when you go further into the process.”

Against Arsenal on Sunday, supporters could get their first glimpse of Rasmus Hojlund in aggressive motion. The presence of the membership’s new £60m striker is a reminder that this can be a long-term mission, one that might quickly click on if Ten Hag’s guidelines are caught to.

Beating the Gunners can be a great addition. An announcement win? “I do not think in terms of statements. I think in terms of what we have to do to win the game. We like the challenge. To go there and rise to the occasion. To battle them,” he says.

“And to win, of course.”

Watch Arsenal vs Manchester United reside on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm this Sunday; kick-off 4.30pm