Manchester United 6 or absent from Wolves! Ten Hag explains the punishment of Rashford
After Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur won in quick succession, Ten Hag must lead his team to victory, otherwise the distance between them will widen even further. United will have five players absent for a variety of reasons, but Ten Hag is likely to field his best team in the game.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana returned to Carrington to replace Gainier, who had just made his debut, to hold the line in front of Ten Hag. And Marcus Rashford, who was punished in the bar, will also return to the team.
With Anthony Martial, Mason Mount, Malacia, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Amrabat already knocked out of Tuesday's Africa Cup of Nations due to injury, it is doubtful that he will be able to return to his best.
Ten Hag said: "Happily we have a couple of players coming back at the weekend, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Casemiro. In addition, Victor Lindelof also returned to the squad for joint training. Malacia, Mason Mount and others also returned to training on the pitch. They're not ready yet, but I don't think it will be long.
Ten Hag said the current squad is strong: "It's good, our squad is strong, it's not like we were next autumn, when we only had 11 or 12 men. 'It's a big challenge for me because you can have 11 people on the pitch at the same time.
Wolves are unbeaten in seven games and could fall into the relegation zone if United lose. But Ten Hag is confident: "We are confident that if we keep up our good form, we can beat any opponent. In the worst-case scenario, we naturally reach unbearable limits. Therefore, we need to take our limits to the next level in order to get good results in bad situations. The whole team is convinced of this.
Ten Hag added: "Also, the players are aware that the return of injuries will make the squad stronger, which is great for the morale and morale of the whole squad. 'We have to take every game seriously and give our best in every game. I'm confident that the players will have to get used to it, even though they will have to get used to it. They played a warm-up game, they played an FA Cup, and you're in the Premier League. For those players, they're all in good shape, so the next thing we have to do is get everyone back to their peak.
Marcus Rashford was fined £650,000 before the game, while the 26-year-old young phenom refused to say whether he had apologised to him for his actions, insisting things had been taken care of. "As the official announcement said, he has taken his responsibility on himself, and everything is in the past. Ten Hag said.
As for why Marcus Rashford was still on the pitch after two fouls this season, and Jadon Sancho was also sent off, Ten Hag insisted: "It has nothing to do with me and Rashford. We could have handled everything ourselves, but Jayden (Sancho) gave his opinion on the web.
But Ten Hag's remarks were ridiculed by many fans, and it was he who was the first to stand up and blame Sancho Panza, who did not perform at the level he should have on the training pitch under his guidance, and Sancho Pansa was countered. Regarding the Rashford case, Ten Hag has repeatedly said that it is only an internal affair of one country and has never revealed any details about the activities of the British monarchy.
Ten Hag has repeatedly stressed that United's players must be disciplined, both on and off the pitch. "It's not about the lack of respect, but like I said, let's focus on the game and let's move forward. "It's very clear, it's about focusing on winning. Ten Hag said: 'It's not about discipline, but it's about discipline on and off the pitch. Every player, every professional, understands this, understands what is needed. We have to focus on winning and that's crucial.
The old gentleman said that he did not teach the players over and over again: "I don't need to teach them anything, I should understand it when I play for the team. "First of all, a player of this level has to have good self-control so that he is qualified enough to do these things. Players should be clear about their strengths and weaknesses. To play at a high level, you have to have a special attitude towards life, that's true. Of course, there will be some people in the team to help, but you have to be responsible for your performance in the team. For Manchester United, winning is all that matters.
On Wednesday, Marcus Rashford played a race in his Lamborghini, replacing his windows with coloured ones to block out the view of people outside. Statistically, Rashford scored 21 goals at this time last season and now he has only scored four, but Ten Hag has always backed Rashford and believes that he and Hojlund have worked very well together.
Ten Hag analysed: "Looking at the first two league games, plus the game against Wigan, it's clear that Marcus Rashford and Hojlund have improved and we have a stronger defence. Everything is getting better and better, which gives us a good mentality, not just these two players, but Garnacho, who is doing well. I think United have a very dangerous striker, Bruno [Fernandes], and we're getting more solid in the middle. In addition, left-sided player Luke Shaw returns. There are a lot of good things in this team and I'm sure the strikers will benefit if they are more solid defensively.