Erik ten Hag believes that Manchester United’s appointments of sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox will help “raise the bar” at Old Trafford.
Ashworth started work at United earlier this month after United finally reached a compensation agreement with Newcastle United after months of negotiations.
The 53-year-old now leads United’s football operations, across men’s, women’s and academy teams, and will report to incoming chief executive Omar Berrada.
Wilcox was appointed from Southampton in April and will work in partnership with Ten Hag and his coaches to implement a game model across the men’s and academy teams as well as recruitment.
“We are so pleased that around the football, around the first-team, we have a strong structure that will help us,” Ten Hag told MUTV.
“They are really supportive and that will help us in many ways, like in scouting and recruitment, like in the departments of medical and performance. They will be so supportive and that will raise the bar.”
The United manager added: “Now, with the new ownership coming in, they can help us. They are very supportive. We’ve made a process, which we’ve constructed across the summer and we are in a very good position, a very strong position to go and attack.”
United extended Ten Hag’s contract last week by triggering the one-year option in his existing terms, having decided to keep him in charge last month following an end-of-season review.
The Dutchman has won the League Cup and — most recently — the FA Cup since taking charge and believes the club are heading in the right direction to compete for Premier League titles.
“Now we’ve won two, but we are up for more and for higher titles, like the English title and even more, like going into Europe,” he said.
“That’s a process that takes time, and we’ll work on it, but I know with the set-up at the club, with the changes to the structure, and the changes to infrastructure here around Carrington, we will be ready for the future.
“We will improve. You feel it here, it gives a new energy, it gives a new dynamic and that will help us to achieve our targets. In the short-term, it stays the same: we want to win every game, and we have seen we are capable of beating everyone.”
(Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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