‘Can they do it?’: Erik ten Hag sets challenge for young trio vs Aston Villa to prove they can handle the pressure

Erik ten Hag is delighted with what he’s seen of Manchester United’s young trio but has set them a new challenge to prove themselves against Aston Villa.

Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund joined together last Sunday for a celebration that took the internet by storm; the youngsters sat on the advertising boards on the side of the pitch at Old Trafford with their arms around one another, beaming towards their teammates after the forwards’ goals sealed a 3-0 victory over West Ham United.

Should their developments continue on the upward trajectories they’re on, the club will be onto something incredibly special – and supporters are already exhilarated at what the future could look like in M16.

Now, with all three expected to start this afternoon against Aston Villa, the manager wants Hojlund, Garnacho and Mainoo to prove that they can handle the pressure of facing a top-four challenger.

Ten Hag’s task for in-form trio

Ten Hag told MUTV ahead of kick-off: “I think it’s a very short period that they show it, they show potential but they have to take every game to bring them in a high level. And yeah, they have done it now in some games, it’s [the] Premier League.

“But now they have to do it against better opposition like Sunday. There is a top-four team, can they do it? And that is their challenge. Can they do it in that game? Can they make the difference in that game? And to help the team win.”