Erik ten Hag has denied that his agent, Kees Vos, has too much influence regarding Manchester United signings by pointing to the veto the manager and the club each has regarding transfers.
Vos heads the Dutch agency SEM, which has Rasmus Højlund as a client, the Dane joining United in the summer for an initial £64m. Vos was also involved in this month’s loan deal for Sofyan Amrabat. Ten Hag was asked about Vos’s influence.
“It can’t be [too much] because we make very good agreements about it from the start – how we cooperate in that manner,” he said. “For player decisions, transfers, it’s always 50-50; we both have a veto: the club, represented by John Murtough [football director], and me. So there can never be a distraction.”
United have lost their past three matches – Premier League fixtures against Arsenal and Brighton plus Wednesday’s Champions League opening group game at Bayern Munich. Ten Hag has 12 players unavailable, 10 due to injury, Jadon Sancho for disciplinary reasons and Antony, who has leave of absence to deal with a number of allegations of violence against women, which he has denied. Ten Hag suggested he may not have any of them back for Saturday’s 8pm kick-off at Burnley.
“Harry Maguire [maybe] but we will see after training. [Raphaël] Varane will train, we will see, Amrabat will train, we will see and [Mason] Mount as well, but they didn’t play for short or longer term. Varane, obviously, was the shortest out.”
Sancho is still not training with the squad due to a refusal to apologise to Ten Hag for claiming the manager’s explanation for dropping him for September’s loss at Arsenal was untruthful.
“It depends on him,” Ten Hag said. “For the rest, we are preparing for Burnley and that’s our focus. He will not be in the squad.”
United’s disappointing form has featured 14 goals being conceded in six matches. Ten Hag was asked whether this is down to his players’ mentality.
He said: “Last year we had the most clean sheets in the Premier League because we defended very well as a team so we have to get back to that standard.
“I am pushing the team and demanding [this] from the start of the season, but they are human beings, not robots, so why are they not doing it – I try to find out and give the solutions, motivate the players to do the job.
“No [I do not know why]. When you are in a period like we are in as a manager you are asking yourself these questions. My job is to get them to do the job.”
