Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is confident his players have the mentality to beat rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
Ten Hag’s side are going into this weekend’s Premier League fixture high in confidence, having knocked Barcelona out of the Europa League before winning the Carabao Cup.
United have not beaten their north-west rivals at Anfield since January 2016 but Ten Hag is hopeful that will change this Sunday.
“I’m looking forward to it, the ambience, the atmosphere,” said Ten Hag. “It will be great, it will be hostile against us, but we like that.
“It is, of course, a test, but we’re facing Liverpool, we’re really looking forward to it and I know these players, my squad, my team, will be prepared to go there and fight and to go there with confidence. We know it’s going to be difficult, we know we will have to suffer and we will have to sacrifice to get a good result.
“I think our team, our mentality in general is very good. I think we also have many leaders who set the mentality, who set the standards, who control the standards, who correct if necessary. I think we are happy with this process but it can always be better. That has to be the approach.”
Ten Hag’s spell in England started with two straight league defeats against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in the Premier League, before a 2-1 home win over Liverpool turned the tide at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman said the victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side was part of the process but is looking forward rather than back.
He added: “It’s in the process. It was a few months back, now we are in a different process, it’s a different period, so I don’t look back, I look forward. I look forward to Sunday and I’m really going to enjoy this.”
Ten Hag is hoping to welcome Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho back into his squad after they missed the 3-1 FA Cup win over West Ham United on Wednesday.
“I think we’ll have players back,” revealed Ten Hag. “We expect to have Luke Shaw back.
“Sancho was ill. We’ll have to wait for how that develops but yeah, I think (he will be back) as well.”
Source: theathletic.com
