LONDON – Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has once again urged his men to “fight” as he prepares for his side’s English Premier League trip to Bournemouth on April 13.
The Red Devils’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League have been diminished following a run of just one victory in their last six league games.
They have failed to win their last three – a 1-1 draw at Brentford, a 4-3 loss to Chelsea and 2-2 with Liverpool last weekend.
United are sixth on 49 points with seven matches remaining, behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa in fifth, who both have 60 points.
Ten Hag is under pressure to keep his job, if reports are to be believed, and his team desperately need to beat Bournemouth.
“They want to fight with you, that is the way they want to play,” he said on April 12. “So you go into that fight, have the conviction, the belief. And you need to support each other to win battles, to outplay them, outrun them and defending to match the runs.”
One positive for the Dutchman is that United have beaten Bournemouth in four of their last six league games at the Vitality Stadium.
However, the Cherries are no pushovers, having clinched a surprise 3-0 win in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in December.
There is further bad news for ten Hag, as it was confirmed on April 11 that veteran centre-back Raphael Varane will be out of action for several weeks due to a muscle injury and Jonny Evans will also miss the clash.
Both were injured in the Chelsea loss, joining fellow defenders Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof on the sidelines.
Varane is hoping to return before the end of the season and Evans’ injury is expected to be short-term, United said.
The team have been ravaged by injuries to key defenders this season.
Along with Martinez and Lindelof, left-back Luke Shaw will be out of action for the next few weeks, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have missed many games and Tyrell Malacia has not featured since his knee surgery in 2023.
“It’s very difficult (to keep changing back four),” added ten Hag.
“So everyone who has a little bit of knowledge about football... they know it will affect your results. Back four is always the foundation to get results. We didn’t have that.”
Bournemouth will hope to take advantage, but their five-game unbeaten league run, including four victories, ended last weekend when they lost 2-1 to Luton Town.
Andoni Iraola’s men, who will miss the injured Marcus Tavernier, Luis Sinisterra and Ryan Fredericks, are 12th in the table and 16 points clear of the relegation zone.
The weekend’s action will start with the early kick-off at St James’ Park between Newcastle United and Tottenham.
Spurs are aiming to banish the bad memory of a 6-1 thrashing by the Magpies last season when they trailed 5-0 after just 21 minutes.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have played one game fewer than Villa, and are favourites for fourth place behind title contenders Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.
They will, however, be without Richarlison for the second straight game due to a knee injury.
“Not for this week. But he’s close and (will have) time to recover,” Postecoglou said.
“Everyone else from last weekend has got through unscathed and are ready to go.” REUTERS
