Erik ten Hag says he wants Man United to be “the best transition team in the world” | OneFootball

Erik ten Hag says Man United have to “raise the bar” this season if they want to compete for honours.

United are currently in the United States for their pre-season tour, which kicks off tonight with a friendly clash with Arsenal at the Metlife stadium in New Jersey.

Speaking to MUTV ahead of the game, the manager confirmed that he was expecting his team to kick on from last season, which he says was “not good enough”.

“You reflect on the season, what was the outcome,” Ten Hag said.

“We have the foundation, we have a base and on that base, we have to build up, so we have to raise the bar, because the season was OK, but still not matching the standards of Manchester United.

“So we have to improve, we have to step up. Good is not good enough, we have to do better.”

The manager pinpointed one particular area that he believes United can excel.

“What do we want to be?” he asked. “We want to be the best transition team in the world.

“We want to surprise, we want to play dynamic, we want to play with speed, we want to play aggressive, out of a very good team spirit, because that is United.”

Reflecting on last season, Ten Hag noted that on their day, his side could beat anyone, but that they need to learn to bring their “A game”, week in, week out.

“Consistency is so important,” he said.

“We’ve proved we can do it against every opposition in the world. But now we have to do it every time, it’s a massive challenge for everyone.”

With the arrival of the likes of Andre Onana and Mason Mount and the progression through the ranks of the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, having a deeper squad this term could be key to United meeting the challenge thrown down by the manager.