Erik ten Hag admits he wants to sign a proven goalscorer this summer – Man United News And Transfer News

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Eric ten Hag says he doesn’t know if Anthony Martial will play again this season.

The boss was speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League clash Manchester United side and Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium and was asked about the delay in the Frenchman returning to fitness.

“I don’t know, he’s still with the medical, he’s out of the pitch but if he’ll be available, I don’t know,” he said.

Asked whether he fels let down by Martial because the team is short of goals, Ten Hag then became defensive, saying that his team had scored a lot of goals. When it was pointed out that they have a negative goal difference, he said:

“Yeah so first part of the season, we have a lack of goals but I think after the winter we improved a lot, I think from January on we scored in every game and also lately we scored more than one time in games.”

Pressed on the lack of support for Rasmus Hojlund, Ten Hag said:

“There’s no doubt that we counted on him, you need two strikers in the league we are in, and we play on more competitions, you need more options, you need double positioning in every position.

“In some positions we didn’t have the choices this season, the striker position, the left full back position, that has a negative impact on results.”

Asked if there should have been more fire power up front, he replied.

“So last season, eh we were even shorter. We came to the season very well. So for the plan with an extra striker who we signed, with Rasmus Hojlund, that should have been enough to cover everything.”

Asked how vital to get a proven goalscorer this summer for next season, he said:

“I think it would help, as I always had in this plan we constructed, we should have had enough goals, we count on Rashy, last season he scored 30, you count on goals from Martial, I have to point out in my first season he played very well, and also in very important games he had a high impact on our performances, and bringing Hojlund in, we should have had enough goals.

He was then asked, “Do you ever think when is my luck going to change”?

[Laughs] You have to be realistic. Being a manager is like being a ministry, you don’t have anything in your hands, but you are responsible for everything.”

“[The luck is] huge. A lot went against us this season. See all the penalties we conceded last week, they could have been going the other way. Sometimes you get one, sometimes you concede one, but this season, they all seem to be going one way.”

Ten Hag was also then asked whether he is concerned about the number of times late goals have been conceded, he said:

“There are many moments where we survived this season. Do your job, stick to your principles, you’ll survive these.”

The next question concerned the summer transfer window

“So we are working so the background on plans, scouting, we are working on our plan. The plan is ready, but it has to execute.

“I trust the new ownership that they’ll work as quick as possible and they’ll bring new, good structures, and they will execute.”

What if they don’t agree with the plan?

“So we have good plans, I think also with quality players. You see now with Onana, he’s doing very well, with Hojlund, everyone sees his potential, with Martinez, everyone is happy with him, recruitment is good. But if they have even better ideas, we are always open, and always you have to judge.

“But we have a way we want to play, so know our profiles exactly, so it has to match the profiles.”

Finally, he was asked if the sheer magnitude of the job has surprised him.

“Some things you can’t expect, but Ajax is similar. I don’t know if you follow, because the focus is not so huge from England to Amsterdam but there are also issues, the same problems, the same patterns. It happens and you just have to make the best out of it.

“You couldn’t expect this, you have to deal with it, but this industry is about results, but not only the results, you have to see what’s underneath, and I see the potential underneath and we will be successful.”

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