Xavi on Erik Ten Hag: ‘Fixing Man Utd was no easy job, but he’s doing it’ says Barcelona boss ahead of Nou Camp meeting | Football News

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has praised “great coach” Erik Ten Hag for the rebuilding job he has done at Man Utd ahead of the two sides’ Europa League game on Thursday.

United have picked up 46 Premier League points in the Dutchman’s first year in charge, only 12 less than they managed in the whole of 2021/22 with 15 games left to go, and travel to the Nou Camp after qualifying as runners-up from their group before Christmas.

Ten Hag is the latest of five permanent managers tasked with rebuilding the club to the levels it reached under Sir Alex Ferguson since his retirement almost a decade ago.

Though United have twice finished second in the Premier League since then, and won the Europa League in 2017 under Jose Mourinho, Xavi believes Ten Hag is the man to finally reverse United’s poor spell given what he has shown at the club since his appointment last summer.

“In my mind I believe that somehow (reversing) the situation of United was no easy task and he’s accomplishing it,” he said.

“They are excited again, the club, the fanbase and also the way they play does a lot. He changes things offensively, defensively, everyone’s working very well, so it’s a tough rival for us and he’s a very interesting coach.

“In my mind, he does great things – you know, variants of the line of three, the side players go inside, a lot of people go into the offence.

“He’s an offensive coach, I believe, and he proves that in most of his games. I believe he’s a reference for offensive coaches who like this kind of football.”

Thursday’s game will present the first meeting between United and summer target Frenkie De Jong, with the club’s protracted interest in the Netherlands midfielder ultimately ending in defeat.

Sky Sports News reported at the time that De Jong wanted to stay in Spain and Xavi confirmed the 25-year-old’s reluctance to leave ahead of Thursday’s meeting.

“He was really clear to me that he wanted to stay with us, so there was no doubt,” he said.

“He’s our player. I’m really happy and satisfied with his performance, his leadership. He’s in a very good moment, like all the team.

“Now Frenkie, I think, is enjoying on the pitch and this is the most important thing.”

In 15 appearances for his club since the World Cup, United forward Marcus Rashford has scored in 13, including eight of the last nine Premier League matches.

No-one in Europe’s top-five leagues has matched his goal tally in that time, with the academy graduate United’s biggest danger man only months after his career looked on the rocks at Old Trafford.

Xavi agreed with Ten Hag’s assessment that the England striker has become one of Europe’s most dangerous players, and believes he will prove their most potent opponent at the Nou Camp.

He said: “In the transition he is very, very dangerous so, yes, we need to take care of all of them but especially Rashford.

“He’s one of the most dangerous players now in Europe, yeah. He’s very fast, he has a very good at dribbling in one-versus-one.”