Erik ten Hag hits back at Jose Mourinho dig over Manchester United support

Erik ten Hag has hit back at comments made by former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese coach said he never had the same level of “support” as the Dutchman enjoys at Old Trafford.

Mourinho, who was sacked by Roma earlier this season, went on record recently to suggest Ten Hag has been given more backing in the transfer market than he had during his two-and-a-half years at the club.

The boss has rightly hit back at Mourinho as the only manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era to “get the players they wanted,” whereas it has been well documented over the past two years that Ten Hag missed key targets such as Frenkie de Jong and Harry Kane in the transfer window.

“Apart from Mourinho, the manager didn’t get the players they wanted, and that is what you need,” Ten Hag told ESPN.

“I am confident we will achieve our goals, but it is a tough competition. It is not a two-horse race anymore.

“There are seven, eight [teams in the Premier League] who all go for the title, who all have very good squads. So if you want to go to the title, you have to construct that squad.”

Ten Hag has been up against it with a constant injury crisis in his second season in charge. The 54-year-old has a year left on his contract but he’s been given no formal guarantees by INEOS over his future.

That said, he is talking positively about his chances and is fully committed to the cause despite interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, who are in the process of trying to identify a replacement for the departing Thomas Tuchel.

“You need outstanding players,” Ten Hag said. “Otherwise, you are in a process and you have to be patient. That is where we are now. We went for players who have high potentials, and we have to develop them, as individuals and as a team. But you need patience with the process.”