Erik ten Hag has responded to comments made by Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese manager said he never had the same level of support as the Dutchman at Manchester United.
Mourinho suggested Ten Hag has received more backing in the transfer market than during his two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford.
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However, Ten Hag responded by stating that Mourinho is the only manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era who “got the players they wanted”.
“Apart from Mourinho, the coach didn't get the players he wanted, and that's what you need,” Ten Hag said in an interview with ESPN Brazil.
“I am sure that we will achieve our objectives, but it is a tough competition. It is no longer a race between two horses.
“There are seven, eight [teams in the Premier League] that they are all going for the title, that they have very good teams. So if you want to win the title, you have to build that team.”
Ten Hag, 54, faces an uncertain future at United after a disappointing second season in charge. He has one year left on his contract but new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given him no formal guarantees that he will continue as manager beyond the summer.
The former Ajax boss has tried to bring in the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Harry Kane in the past, but said the club's decision to bring in younger players like Rasmus Højlund means he must be given patience to get things right.
“You need outstanding players,” Ten Hag said. “Otherwise, you're in a process and you have to be patient. That's where we are now. We go for players who have high potential and we have to develop them, as individuals and as a team. But you have to be patient with the process.”
