Some players can’t handle Man United pressure – Ten Hag

Erik ten Hag has suggested some players cannot handle the pressure of representing Manchester United, but insists signing for the club remains “the best challenge” for any footballer.

Ten Hag have approved Donny van Beek's loan move to Eintracht Frankfurt in the January window, while Jadon Sancho is set to return to former club Borussia Dortmund, also on loan.

Van de Beek was on the Ballon d'Or shortlist before his £35 million move from Ajax in 2020 and Sancho was one of Europe's most promising young players when he arrived in the part of a £73m deal from Dortmund in 2021.

Ten Hag, however, insists it is not always the club's fault when high-profile signings don't work out.

“It always depends on these players and how confident you are in your abilities, but I can tell you one thing: the Premier League is difficult,” Ten Hag said.

Man United; it's difficult to play there because it's easier to play for almost any other team than Man United because the pressure is always so high. You have to deal with that.

“But if you have confidence in yourself, it's the best challenge and it's certainly the best club you want to be at as a player. It depends from one player to another, and above all it depends on the character of the player, of his personality. “.

Sancho's decline in form since his move to Old Trafford two-and-a-half years ago has seen the 23-year-old – exiled at United for four months following a public row with Ten Hag – lose his place. in the England team while Van de Beek never managed to secure a regular place in midfield.

Van de Beek excelled under Ten Hag in a team that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, but the United manager said a series of injuries was preventing him from reaching the same level at Old Trafford. ” said Ten Hag.

“I worked with him for two years [at United] and before he was under different managers here. He had also had a loan before. In fact, as soon as I arrived at Manchester United, he was no longer the player he was at Ajax because he was injured.

“So many times he wasn't available and then he struggled to recover from that injury. That's probably the main reason he wasn't playing.

“We opted for a loan in the summer, but he didn't come and his opportunities are few and far between as we also make appointments and make deals with players and contractors in this position. The competition was high. “