Ten Hag claims Man Utd have 'high targets' but his players 'MUST stick together'

Erik ten Hag used his acceptance speech at the Football Writers' Association awards dinner on Sunday evening to try and breed confidence into his underperforming Manchester United players by revealing the club have 'high targets' to reach.

United secured a late victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday after Bruno Fernandes struck in stoppage time to seal a crucial Premier League win for the club.

Ten Hag's position as United boss, was, and still is being scrutinised but the victory handed him reasons to be optimistic heading into a crunch week of Champions League and domestic fixtures.

The 53-year-old was accepting an award after guiding United to the Carabao Cup title last season, a feat that Ten Hag described as a 'great success'.

Victory over Newcastle in last season's league cup final - a competition that United were just eliminated from by the same team - handed Ten Hag the first and only trophy of his time at Old Trafford so far.

United are already nine points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City, but Ten Hag has issued a rallying call telling his struggling superstars to 'stick together' during their current difficult patch.

'I was very proud of my staff and my players and to, to get that done [winning the Carabao Cup] and to to start a project,' he told the Northern FWA.

'We are in the project and when you are in a project, you know, ups and downs and this moment we are in a down, but I know and this, football is like life.

'It's not only going always the way up, it's in the moment in bad moments about how you stick together and how you continue the project, how you stick to the rules and the principles you have because, you know, and that is the way you finally achieve the success.

'And so I'm