Leverkusen, Germany (AP) — Eric Ten Hag warned that the former Manchester United manager could not use Harry Potter-style magic to build Harry Potter-style magic on a true team as he prepares for his first game.
Since leaving United, the first job of 10 hugs sees the Dutch coach facing a major rebuild at Leverkusen following his departure Xabi Alonso, his predecessor who won the title Key players including Florian Wirtz, Jeremy Frimon and Granite Zaka.
“I know how to manage the process, and I can’t force the process. That’s impossible. There’s no one like Harry Potter,” said Ten Hag on Thursday ahead of Friday’s first match at the German Cup against Sonnenhof Grossaspach on the 10th floor.
“Harry, he was able to really build a team (quickly) and he was successful at the same time, but that’s not the top football system.”
Ten Hag also used the Harry Potter line at United.
After losing to Liverpool in September 2024, he said he wasn’t Harry Potter and explained how difficult it is to rely on players who didn’t have much time to play. Within two months, there were 10 HAGs. Dismissed by United After four defeats in nine Premier League matches.
The 10-man hug said he and the Leverkusen player must work hard together until the first half of the season and until spring to fight for the trophy at the end of the campaign.
“For me, the start of the season will be mid-March, on April 1st. After that, you have to be in a position where you can win something,” he said. “Until that time, we all have to go into that position, develop and advance our game models, and work incredibly hard to develop our teams and individual players.”
Includes new signatures before Friday’s game American attack midfielder MariktilmanTen Hag said he wasn’t worthy of playing, former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah and former Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
Leverkusen confirmed midfielder Robert Andrich was captain after goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky left for Monaco.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
