Erik ten Hag enjoyed a trip to his barber’s on Tuesday to freshen up ahead of Manchester United’s testing Premier League tie against Everton on Saturday afternoon.
Pressure was heaped onto the Red Devils manager after a disappointing derby run-out against crosstown rivals Manchester City on Sunday, which saw the visitors to the Etihad lose their 1-0 lead to Pep Guardiola’s well-drilled side.
Marcus Rashford scored a rocket-like long-range strike in the first-half to put Ten Hag’s players ahead, but late strikes from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland assured that the travellers returned to Old Trafford without points.
The Dutch manager was able to snatch a moment of peace however while running the errand in Altrincham, which he cycled to and from on his electric bike largely under the radar.
Erik ten Hag visited his local barber’s for a haircut and a beard trim on Tuesday afternoon
The Dutch manager cycled to and from the appointment using his low-key electric bicycle
The former Ajax coach is gearing up to bounce back from Sunday’s Manchester derby defeat
With minimal work for his barber to carry out on the notably bald manager’s head, Ten Hag opted for a neat beard trim at the competitively priced barber.
But the brief excursion on Tuesday afternoon is unlikely to have taken the former Ajax head coach’s mind off his task at Man United entirely.
With the confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.3billion takeover of football operations as minority shareholder, speculation has been swirling that the petrochemicals mogul will usher in a change at the top if the club are unable to secure Champions League football next season.
Footage resurfaced on Monday of Ratcliffe discussing his intentions for the side with the BBC in late February where he shared his target for the remainder of the season in no uncertain terms.
‘We really, really want to get into the Champions League next year – it’s quite important for FFP,’ Ratcliffe stressed.
‘It’s a two-to-three season challenge to get the organisation and environment right to produce results.’
The INEOS billionaire has previously been vague in his public backing of Ten Hag, instead underscoring his focus on changing the enviornment at Old Trafford, which he reiterated in the interview.
‘We have to find the best people in the world and make sure they have the right character and personality that they can work positively in a structure,’ Ratcliffe continued. ‘We don’t like bullies, we don’t like egos; people who are really good at their job and have the right type of personality.
Pressure has been heaped on Ten Hag following the February takeover of football operations by Sir Jim Ratcliffe
British billionaire Ratcliffe (pictured) has brought in hierarchical changes already, including the hiring of former Man City chief football operations officer Omar Berrada
‘Then we need to create the right type of environment for elite sportspeople to be successful, because all you’re doing is trying to drive performance on the pitch. It’s elite sport, it needs to be driven and competitive, it’s going to be intense from time to time, but equally it needs to be friendly, there needs to be done with a bit of warmth and supportive.
‘You need to be able to put your arm around the players from time to time rather than beating them with a stick all the time. It’s a combination of the organisation, the right people, the right environment, and my belief is that the results will fall out of the bottle. If you look at United today, it doesn’t tick all of those boxes.’
But after the final whistle on Sunday’s Manchester derby, Ten Hag remained bullish about the team’s prospects in pursuit of European football next season, dubbing this weekend’s meeting with Everton ‘another final’ on the way to achieving their goal.
‘Fifth position can also be a position for Champions League so we have to fight for it,’ Ten Hag argued. ‘This year on we are really progressing and you have to get some points back. Everyone can beat everyone.’
On Monday, Mail Sport reported that while the dressing room still supports their manager, many in the United squad believe that the new co-owners will likely make a change at the end of the season.
Last weekend’s trip to the Etihad saw Man United lose their slender 1-0 goal lead late in the tie
But Ten Hag remains bullish about the team’s chances of playing Champions League football next term
Victory against Everton remains a non-negotiable if Ten Hag is to tighten his grip on the role he has held since the start of the 2022-23 season, but could yet prove a difficult task.
Sean Dyche’s side have clawed their way out of the relegation zone after being handed a 10-point deduction from the Premier League that was later reduced to six on appeal, but could yet face an additional sanction after receiving a second charge for breaching financial regulations in January.
After holding Brighton to a 1-1 draw at the Amex, the Toffees were despatched by West Ham 3-1 last weekend, and will come to Old Trafford on Saturday keen to break their 10-match winless streak.
