Erik ten Hag has been held accountable by former Manchester United forward Wout Weghorst for his lack of goals during his time there. The Dutch forward, who was taken in on loan from Burnley in January 2023, caused quite a stir when he was signed. With 31 appearances for the team and two goals, he would continue on to play an increasingly important part for the remainder of the season.
As he spoke to the Manchester Evening news, he said, “They were super successful months in which we hardly lost…I was also very important for the team as both a focal point of play and the hard-working link between midfield and attack.”
He blamed the tactics used by Erik ten Hag for his lack of goals during his 6-month loan spell with the club. The former Burnley striker said, “Only my goals were lagging behind. That gnawed at me and was the reason why I lost my starting place. The Premier League is by far the toughest league in the world, with the best defenders. But we were rarely the dominant side creating chances. And the way we played was also different from what I was used to.”
“I had dreamed about this as a young boy” : Wout Weghorst
He said that his players used to "play for him" while he was in Germany and Turkey, but at United, he had to "ensure others would excel." He was seen describing his first visit to Old Trafford, as he waxed poetic over the stadium's atmosphere while watching Manchester United defeat Manchester City 2-1.
The Ajax striker said, “I entered that magical stadium for the first time in my life and when I sat down in my seat, looked around and took in the chanting of the fans, it hit me hard. That was the moment when I realised this is my club now. Then I watched one of the greatest football matches on earth. Of course I had dreamed about this as a young boy. But to see it actually happen made me shiver.”