McTominay insists Man United squad is ‘firmly behind’ Ten Hag

admin11 December 2023Last Update :
McTominay insists Man United squad is 'firmly behind' Ten Hag

McTominay insists Man United squad is ‘firmly behind’ Ten Hag،

Scott McTominay says Manchester United players are fully behind manager Erik ten Hag ahead of their decisive Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

McTominay said the atmosphere in the dressing room was “toxic” under previous managers, but claims it did not reach that stage under Ten Hag.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)

United are plotting an unlikely path to the Champions League last 16, needing to beat Bayern at Old Trafford on Tuesday and hoping FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw in the other Group A match.

“It’s first and foremost the responsibility of the players,” McTominay said at a press conference on Monday.

“The players know it too. We have had a lot of incredible players and at the moment we are at the stage where we have great characters in the dressing room.

“It’s not just a case like some other managers where it’s been a bit toxic at times, the boys are firmly behind the manager.

“I've said this in many other interviews and it will stay that way. We also have an incredible coaching staff, so it can get lost in the translation of what the players think and what is said behind closed doors , we just want to do good for the football club.

Saturday's defeat to Bournemouth was United's 11th in just 23 games this season, as Ten Hag's side struggled to build on the positivity of the Dutchman's first campaign in charge.

They have already lost six home games this season and must inflict Bayern's first Champions League group stage defeat since 2017 to have any hope of continuing in the competition.

“What I know is that I never think about a negative scenario,” Ten Hag said.

“We think positively. We know what to do, we have to win to stay in Europe, that's pretty much it. We will prepare the team with this feeling, with this conviction, we showed it in the last weeks when we were at our best. we can do it.”

Bayern come into the game on the back of a 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, while Ten Hag, despite losing to Bournemouth, are taking positives from last week's 2-1 win over Chelsea.

“We have to show them [the players] the Chelsea clips,” Ten Hag said.

“How they can play, if we do that, everything is there, and we have a good plan and, like I said, we can beat any opponent.

“I think Old Trafford is not a nice place for an opponent to come. We are aware of that and it starts with us. We are together and as long as I am here I feel that we are absolutely together .”

United go into the match with concerns over their goalscoring options, with forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial both missing training on Monday through illness.