ERIK TEN HAG is convinced Manchester United are on the right path to being title contenders next season.
The Red Devils are third in the Premier League and 16 POINTS off leaders Arsenal after dropping five points in their last two matches.
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Those games were the 7-0 humiliation at Liverpool and the goalless draw against Southampton on Sunday.
Yet boss Ten Hag has impressed in his first season, winning the Carabao Cup and putting United on course for a top-four finish after ending last term in sixth place.
They last won the title in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2012-13.
Ten Hag said: “We have made good progress but there is still a gap. I couldn’t expect we would make that gap up quickly.
“But we want to win every game, no matter the opponent.
“All the games you see until now, we try to win every game.
“We’ve beaten all the top teams, we are capable of doing it, but we have to make the next step to be more consistent. But we know we can do it.”
United landed 13 top-flight titles under Sir Alex — and Ten Hag believes English football’s top prize has never been so tough to win.
He added: “You see the competition and I also heard comments from other players and managers that the Premier League was never as difficult as now.
“There are so many competitors. It’s not a two-horse race, it’s a five, six, seven-horse race — you have to be very good if you want to win the league.
“They spend money, they have great managers and players. But we have beaten all the teams in the Premier League.”
United turn their attention to the Europa League tonight against Real Betis, where they hold a 4-1 lead heading into the second leg of the last 16 tie.
Ten Hag will still pick his strongest side, even though Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro are just a booking away from missing the first leg of a possible quarter-final.
Brazilian Casemiro has been sent off twice in the past few weeks.
Yellow cards are wiped at the last eight stage.
The Dutchman said: “They will both play because it’s a very good opponent.
“Last week we had a good result in Europe but you need your best players — we need a result, we need a win.
“They are a good team and have really good players. They have a lot of variations, we have to be ready for that and go and battle with them.”
Alejandro Garnacho is out with an ankle injury after a challenge by Saints full-back Kyle Walker-Peters.
He has to deal with the setback. We can win a lot, so he has to be back as soon as possible.
Ten Hag on Garnacho
The Argentina winger will also miss Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Fulham and a potential international debut after a call-up this month.
Ten Hag said: “It’s difficult, he has made great progression. He was selected by the national team, it was a big moment for him.
“He’s in a really good development and we don’t want to disturb that process.
“He has to deal with the setback. We can win a lot, so he has to be back ready as soon as possible.”
United have suffered long-term injuries to Garnacho and Christian Eriksen — the latter from Reading’s Andy Carroll in their FA Cup tie — with both challenges going unpunished.
The Red Devils chief has been left unhappy with the officiating this season that includes the injuries and Casemiro’s dismissals as well as recent penalty shouts on Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, with the club in regular talks with refs’ body PGMOL.
He added: “We have the injuries and we have the red cards — that is the combination. There were some discussions about it.”
Despite the 7-0 pounding at Anfield and the 0-0 Old Trafford draw with Southampton, Ten Hag believes United can have a strong end to the season.
They bounced back from heavy defeats to Brentford and Manchester City earlier in the season.
He said: “We have done it after Brentford, we have done it after City, we are capable of it — but we have to show it again.”
MAN UTD (likely): De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Martinez, Malacia, Casemiro, Fred, Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford, Weghorst.
