Erik ten Hag details his 'one plan' for Man Utd after FA Cup final loss
By Tom Gott
Erik ten Hag has insisted he will tell the Manchester United board of his 'one plan' for the club this summer.
United missed the chance to add a second trophy to their cabinet this season as they fell to Manchester City in Saturday's FA Cup final, inadvertedly propelling Pep Guardiola's side towards a potential treble.
With his side's season now over, Ten Hag is looking ahead to another crucial summer transfer window and he offered fans an insight into his approach to the next few months.
"I have only one plan: that is to improve this club and to improve this team," he told reporters at Wembley. "I will fight for [it]. I have my ideas and I already told the club what we have to do for that.
"But I have to work with my staff, with my players to be better next season. I think in this moment, I don't want to discuss [the possible takeover]. It's about finalising the season. We have to be quiet, analysing the season, going to the depth, set the right conclusions, and then take action, it's about that.
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"The process, during the season, we are continually making considerations, are actions into process. But now the season is finished, the conclusion overall is we played a brilliant season.
"It's not about the gap in the summer, it's not about getting players in and they do well. It's about we work all season and day by day to develop the team, progress the team.
"I'm very proud where we came from in the start of the season. Remember Brentford and the Etihad also. Now, we showed today against City the home win was not a coincidence and, on another day, we could win this game."
Ten Hag took the opportunity to congratulate City for their victory but urged his United players to use the defeat as motivation going forward.
"Show respect, always, but of course it's a motivation," Ten Hag admitted. "You have to feel it in your stomach, it hurts. It has to be fuel.
"Our team, my players, deserved it but you have to grab it and that is the next step we have to make."
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On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders and Rob Blanchette react to Man Utd's FA Cup final defeat at the hands of Man City!
If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!