Erik ten Hag begins his Premier League journey with Manchester United on the weekend and has addressed his aims going forward amid top four uncertainty.
Following a largely successful pre-season, the Dutch manager still has lots to do in order to create a squad that can challenge at the top of the Premier League.
However, he has already started to show his blueprint during pre-season. United face Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
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With the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all improving, whilst Manchester City and Liverpool continue their dominance at the top of the table, it will be difficult for Ten Hag's men to find themselves in the top four at the end of the season.
It would also, however, show a great deal of progression if the Reds were able to sneak into those positions, with a return to Champions League an important factor in rebuilding a club with top quality players.
When asked on the potential aim of top four though, Ten Hag was firm in his notion that United will be going game by game.
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"I think what our aim is, is to win every game, this is what Man United is standing for," he told journalists on Friday afternoon.
"I think we have to look forward to the first game and the approach has to be: 'we want to win every game'. So, let's start Sunday."
United will be entering the new season with three new signings. Tyrell Malacia joined the club before tour whilst Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen joined up with the squad late last month.
Frenkie de Jong is still on the club's radar, but that deal is getting ever-more complicated with solid reports of interest from Chelsea and the deferred wages he is owed from Barcelona.
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However, if the deal is unable to be completed, Ten Hag says he would rather develop his current players instead of purchasing a midfielder who isn't the right fit for his style.
"You work with the current squad and then you develop players who are in your current squad. In this moment, there are players in that position, and they are performing really well."
Adding onto his praise of the current team, Ten Hag highlighted Cristiano Ronaldo's efforts in training when quizzed about his work at Carrington.
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"I think I'm totally satisfied with the whole team, and they are really working good. It's a good culture and Cristiano is working really good, really tough and hard."
This came shortly after the manager blasted another journalist for a question regarding the Portuguese star leaving early during the Rayo Vallecano friendly at Old Trafford last weekend, after he was substituted at half-time.
Ten Hag reiterated his transfer market stance again, making clear that any signings will fit into what he is building at the club.
"I have a squad and I'm happy with the squad, the current squad, they make good progress, I'm happy with the signings until now,
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"We just don't need any player, you need the right players and that's the point, where we're working all together."
Topics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo, Frenkie De Jong, Football
Cain Smith