Erik ten Hag sends message to Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox over Manchester United transfer plans

Erik ten Hag has vowed Manchester United "will be successful" despite uncertainty over his position as manager.

United are sixth in the Premier League table with a minus goal difference and are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League given they are 11 points behind Tottenham and Aston Villa in fourth and fifth. Although United have an FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City next week, the last time they won the cup in 2016 they sacked manager Louis van Gaal two days later.

Many United supporters have sympathised with Ten Hag as he's had to handle fallouts with a number of high-profile players, the interminable strategic review and the departures of former chief executive Richard Arnold and John Murtough. United have also recorded 56 separate injuries or illnesses that have caused a player to miss a game this season.

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Ten Hag likened himself to a politician with the myriad of issues he has to contend with. "The thing is you have to be realistic," he stressed. "As a manager it’s like a minister. Yeah, you don’t have anything in your hands but at the end of the day you have to accept that. You are responsible for everything. And I take that.

"It’s huge (the bad luck). A lot went against us this season. You see all the penalties we conceded last week could also have been going in another way. You think over the course of a season sometimes you will get one, sometimes you will concede one but this season it feels like we only concede."

"You couldn't expect this but you have to deal with it. But this business, this industry, is about results. Many only see results, but you have to see