Ten Hag insists Greenwood protests not distract his United players
Man United: Erik ten Hag insists protests over Mason Greenwood’s potential return to the side will NOT distract his players
- United’s Premier League opener was met with protests over Mason Greenwood
- The club face the threat of further protests if he is allowed back into the side
- WATCH: ‘It’s All Kicking Off’ – Episode 1 – Mail Sport’s brand new football show
Manchester United won’t be distracted by the storm gathering over Mason Greenwood’s possible return to the club or the protracted takeover saga at Old Trafford, says Erik ten Hag.
United face a public backlash after they edged a step closer to ending Greenwood’s 18-month suspension by announcing plans to consult their women’s team and sponsors over the move.
Chief executive Richard Arnold has also told United’s senior leadership group that he plans to bring back Greenwood, according to reports, although the club insist that a final decision has not been made and remains the subject of ‘intensive internal deliberation’.
Demonstrators displayed banners outside the ground before Monday’s opening home game against Wolves, and United face the threat of further protests if they give the green light to Greenwood’s return after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped all charges of attempted rape and assault against him in February.
There were also fresh anti-Glazer protests before the game over the American owners’ refusal to accept bids in excess of £5billion for United from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani or Sir Jim Ratcliffe following the launch of a strategic review nine months ago.
Erik ten Hag has insisted his Man United side will not be distracted by off-field issues ahead of their clash with Tottenham
The club’s Premier League opener against Wolves was met with protests over Mason Greenwood
United supporters protested about his potential return to the first-team squad on Monday
The off-field issues are in danger of overshadowing United’s start to the season but Ten Hag insists that he and the players will not be distracted as they prepare to face Tottenham on Saturday night.
‘No, we focus on the way of playing,’ said the United manager. ‘We focus on the team performance. It is about the players who are available so we focus on Tottenham.
‘Every start to the season is difficult. We know that, we are really aware of it. The (Wolves) performance was not what we hoped but we won.
‘We showed the personality and the character and that is one of the things we had to step up according to last season.’
United failed to win away at any of the clubs in the top half of the Premier League table last season, and Ten Hag knows that has to improve.
‘It is one of the aims we have for this season that we have to step up in away games to get more points to bring higher levels because that is the foundation, of course, for more points,’ he added.
‘So it is often to do with personality. So that is the demand from me for the players that we have to show more personality on the pitch to win such games and to gather more points in away games.’
Ten Hag gave some of his fringe players a run-out in a behind-closed-doors game against Everton in midweek, which United won 2-0.
‘It is very helpful to give players the minutes at the start of the season,’ he said. ‘It is not that we had a pre-season of six weeks, it was more like four or five weeks, so we need such games to give all the players the opportunity to get into the season.’
There are also concerns that the Glazers have not sold the club despite receiving two offers in excess of £5bn
Man United won their opening game of the season against Wolves after a late Raphael Varane goal but it was a far from convincing performance
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