‘We are in a good direction’: Ten Hag reiterates full self-belief despite ‘no-one’ being ‘happy’ in dressing room

Despite overseeing another turbulent start to a Premier League campaign, Erik ten Hag is confident Manchester United are making progress overall. 

The Red Devils entered the international break on the back of two straight losses, having fallen to a dejecting 2-1 injury-time defeat at the Amex before being comfortably overturned by arch-rivals Liverpool in the subsequent match.

They’ve been granted something of a cushty return to action, as they face 19th-placed Southampton on Saturday, who are yet to claim a point since they were promoted back to the top flight this term. On Tuesday, United begin their Carabao Cup campaign with a third-round tie at home to Barnsley. Losses in either fixture would see the already-mounting pressure increase ten-fold on Ten Hag.

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Ten Hag full of self-belief

When pressed on the general feeling inside the dressing room following such a deflating start, the Dutchman told reporters this afternoon: “Of course, when you see the scores, no one is happy. But also players have a very good sense of the process, of the quality of the process.

“Also, when you analyse the games – all the games – so far, we are in a good direction, but also, as normal in a transition period and, in the period where you have to build a team, we have to improve. We have to step up.”