Erik ten Hag insisted Manchester United will not be blown off course by takeover talk at Old Trafford as they chase glory on four fronts. The battle for control at the club is coming to a head with two confirmed bids already received from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari investors.
But the United boss has told his players not to be distracted as they approach the biggest week of his tenure against Barcelona in Europe and Newcastle at Wembley. “We focus on football and perform and that is what the players and staff have to do,” he said.
“We are following the news, we are of course curious what will happen because we are committed, it’s our club but finally it’s nothing to do with us. We have to focus on football, that is all we have to do. We have to perform, we have to get the right results and don’t get distracted from things that are going around the club.”
Two goals from Marcus Rashford and a third from Jadon Sancho saw United ease past Leicester City to move within five points of Arsenal at the top of the table. But Ten Hag insisted his side are not thinking about a title challenge.
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“It is a sending off, a straight leg on to the knee,” he said. “How it was not looked that and deemed that is incredible. But I have seen enough over the last few weeks to say we are getting back on track.”
The Red Devils have won 15 of their 24 top-flight matches and look set to cement a return to the Champions League next season by finishing in the Premier League top four. Ten Hag’s side will face Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa League play-off showdown on Thursday night and will then turn their attentions back to domestic football when they take on Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final next Sunday.