Erik ten Hag praised Rasmus Hojlund as his side came from two goals down to beat Aston Villa in Manchester United’s first match since Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a 25 per cent stake in the club.
Hojlund won the game late on with his first Premier League goal after Alejandro Garnacho had scored twice to draw United level at Old Trafford. It has taken 15 appearances in the competition for the £72m summer signing from Atalanta to get off the mark.
“I have had several talks with him,” said Ten Hag.
“I pointed out that you scored for Denmark a lot, you scored in the Champions League, you have demonstrated the ability, so you can do it. Believe in it and it will come.
“I am sure now the first goal is in, he will get more.”
Asked if the run without a goal had affected Hojlund’s confidence, Ten Hag added: “Of course, when strikers don’t score that is always a problem but he has a strong character and is always so determined. He has a big personality and that is what a striker needs. And when you keep investing, the goals will come.” Finally, one did.
Hojlund was cheered from the pitch at the end in scenes that the Old Trafford crowd had been aching for all season, adding to the mood of optimism following Ratcliffe’s investment.
The deal that was announced on Christmas Eve gives Ratcliffe’s INEOS company control of football operations and Ten Hag believes the change will be a positive one.
“I think it is positive for the club that they are stepping in. They have a lot of experience in sport at the highest level – F1, a cycling team, football clubs. They can only help us to get our targets. They want to work with us and we want to work with them.”
Ten Hag will be hoping to build on this night, a reminder of how special the atmosphere can be when the crowd is up and has something to cheer.
Emery: Old Trafford helped shift momentum
Unai Emery referenced the impact of that crowd in helping to shift the momentum of the match after his team had appeared in control at the break.
“How we conceded, with the mistake in the middle, after it the crowd changes, the atmosphere is so much better for them, pushing them, the crowd go up. They have very good players and the reaction after the first goal was brilliant for them.
“Even then we reacted, very good chances for John McGinn and Leon Bailey. Those were key moments as well.
“They have very good players and the reaction after the first goal was brilliant for them.
“Overall, we lost the positioning we had before, the result we were keeping for the first 60 minutes. We have to accept the match we lost tonight and also realise that the first half of season has been fantastic – but could be better.”
Glazers: Ratcliffe deal will unlock Man Utd potential
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Erik ten Hag is looking forward to working with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos company to help Manchester United progress.
The Glazer family have written a letter to staff at Manchester United fans, stating that the Ratcliffe deal will help “unlock more of the potential that you have helped build”.
INEOS and Sir Jim completed a 25 per cent takeover of United on Christmas Eve. On Tuesday, the club made a number of filings to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Among these filings, includes a letter from Joel and Avram Glazer to all staff.
They wrote: “We know Manchester United has great strengths – not least its people. This deal will help to unlock more of the potential that you have helped build in this great club.
“As part of the partnership, the Board has asked INEOS, with their agreement, to have oversight and responsibility for the club’s football operations.
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Football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains what benefits the Glazers will have from selling 25% of Manchester United to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
“This will include all aspects of the men’s and women’s football operation and the Academies, with the aim of delivering a world-class, high-performance environment supporting success on the pitch.
“This will build on the club’s many existing strengths, including industry-leading success off the pitch. INEOS brings expertise and experience from inside and outside the game that we believe can benefit Manchester United.
“We know from our conversations that they share our ambition and aspiration to ensure that the club returns to the top of English, European and world football and together we will work hard to help make that happen.
“The transaction is subject to the usual regulatory and Premier League approvals, and we hope it will be completed as soon as possible.
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Sky Sports News’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol looks at why the Glazer family are happy to hand over football operations to INEOS as part of the 25% takeover and how this will work in terms of transfers and big club decisions.
“During this period Sir Jim and INEOS do not plan to make any public statements. Moving forward, they will work closely with Patrick Stewart, as interim CEO, and the Executive Leadership Team as they integrate into the club.
“We understand this process has taken time and has inevitably created some uncertainty for colleagues. But it has been important to conduct the strategic review thoroughly and to find the right partner to take us forward.
“Thank you for your patience. We are excited about the opportunity ahead and realistic about the hard work and commitment that it will require from everyone at Manchester United.”
What’s next?
Saturday 30th December 5:00pm
Kick off 5:30pm
Manchester United’s next game is at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 5.30pm.
Erik ten Hag’s side then travel to Wigan in the FA Cup third round on Monday January 8; kick-off 8.15pm.
Aston Villa are next in action on Saturday when they host Burnley; kick-off 3pm.
Unai Emery’s side then head to Middlesbrough for an FA Cup third round tie on Saturday January 6; kick-off 5.30pm.
