LOVE is in the air around Old Trafford, and it is all thanks to Erik ten Hag.
After a rocky start to the relationship, Ten Hag has got Manchester United’s groove back with the club sitting in the top four and still competing in four competitions.
And ahead of United’s next clash against Barcelona, the Dutchman was spotted enjoying a bike ride.
Donning a wool hat and coat to ward off the winter chill, Ten Hag was pictured cycling through Hale Village, with some appropriately themed heart-shape balloons making up the backdrop.
Indeed, United have felt the love since the World Cup, and sit top of the league for results since the bitter departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The United great had his contract ripped up after an interview with Piers Morgan in which he blasted the club’s owners – who have since put up the for sale sign – and said he did not respect Ten Hag.
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The club’s most recent win was a 2-0 victory against Leeds on Sunday derived from a Ten Hag move fans hailed as “genius”.
Next up is a repeat of the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, albeit in far less romantic circumstances.
Thursday evening sees United visit European royalty at the Camp Nou in the Europa League round of 32 play-off.
Following a big summer of spending, backed against the club’s future revenue, Barcelona are flying high at the top of La Liga.
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But United have been warned about a “surprising” feature of Barcelona which would have left them stumped like they were at Brentford at the start of the season.
Their new weapon is supposedly the Spanish giants’ level of running without the ball.
The last time the two sides met ended badly for United as they were on the end of a 4-0 thrashing in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2018/19.
In fact, the Red Devils have defeated the Blaugrana on just three of the 13 times they have played – the last occasion being the second leg of the 2007/08 UCL semi-finals when Paul Scholes scored a screamer.
Ten Hag will be desperate to tip the record more into United’s favour this week ahead of the return leg next Thursday.
That would guarantee a place in United fans’ hearts for a while at least.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
