Manchester United Shifts Focus To Premier League
While Manchester United’s involvement in European competition came to a crashing end on Tuesday after their 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich, manager Erik ten Hag said his team can now focus on improving their disappointing Premier League position.
The three-time European champions needed to beat Bayern in their UEFA Champions League group stage finale and also needed Copenhagen’s game against visiting Galatasaray to end in a draw to advance to the last-16. Neither happened and United finished with four points from six games.
Their fourth-place finish meant they did not even have the consolation of qualifying for the Europa League.
“There are still many things to play for and now we can focus, of course, on the Premier League,” Ten Hag told reporters. “And this is the level we want to play, Champions League.”
“So we have to give every effort to be in the top four and next year be back in Champions League. And then of course, we have the FA Cup, so there are so many things to play for.”
Kingsley Coman’s 70th-minute goal lifted Bayern to victory against a United side that, even with nothing to lose, failed to create chances with just one shot on target.
“The game was like this for both sides: less chances,” Ten Hag said while defending the single shot on target.
“We did quite well, if not to say very well. We had our moments but just didn’t take them.“
It was only the sixth time in United’s history they have gone out in the group stage and only the second time they have finished bottom in their group.
The schedule does not get any easier for United, who play at league-leading Liverpool on Sunday. United are sixth in the Premier League after 16 games, six points adrift of fourth place. Liverpool top the table on 37 points.
