Erik ten Hag makes Man Utd tenure admission after statement win over Barcelona
By Tom Gott
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insisted his side can compete with anyone on the planet after the 'biggest win' of his tenure to date saw off Barcelona in the Europa League.
After a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou, United came from behind at home to secure a 2-1 victory which booked the Red Devils a place in the last 16 of the competition.
Ten Hag was asked about the significance of the win and whether it was the biggest of his United tenure, and the Dutchman was all too happy to admit it was.
"I think so, yes," he told BT Sport. "We've had some good wins - Liverpool and Arsenal at home.
"I think this, over two legs, against Barcelona - leaders in La Liga, eight points ahead of Real Madrid. We have all seen Real Madrid this week.
"So if you can beat them, then yes, this is my biggest win."
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Ten Hag also looked at the victory as evidence of just how much work United have put in behind the scenes, improving both their footballing ability and their mentality for occasions such as this one.
"We have some great personalities in the team - like with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. They come forward," he explained.
"Antony and [Alejandro] Garnacho don't fear anyone and we have more. Bruno [Fernandes], Casemiro. We have some great personalities so even when we get setbacks, they move on.
"They are resilient and they are focused on getting the result even after conceding a cheap penalty. They believe they can turn it around."