Manchester United a ‘Long-Term’ Project for Ten Hag

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - February 4, 2023 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - February 4, 2023 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. (Reuters)
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Manchester United a ‘Long-Term’ Project for Ten Hag

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - February 4, 2023 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - February 4, 2023 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. (Reuters)

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he has a long-term plan to build a culture and to develop players at the club.

United appointed Ten Hag in April 2022 to succeed interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

The team sit third in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Arsenal, and have the chance to win their first trophy since 2017 when they face Newcastle United in the League Cup final on Feb. 26.

"I always think about the long term, in every club where I was, I have been thinking about long-term work to build a culture, to build a way of playing, to develop the players and the team, obviously," Ten Hag told reporters.

"I think in the long term obviously in contracts and in (transfer) windows because I think that is the (right) way.

"I am not here for one year, I am (here for) longer, I see it is a long-term project to build here and how long it is you can't see, I can't tell," he added.

United are due to host Leeds United in the league later on Wednesday.



‘Worse than I Thought’: Hamilton Endures Difficult Ferrari Debut

 Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 16, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during warm up. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 16, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during warm up. (Reuters)
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‘Worse than I Thought’: Hamilton Endures Difficult Ferrari Debut

 Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 16, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during warm up. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 16, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during warm up. (Reuters)

Lewis Hamilton said Sunday he found his new Ferrari "really, really hard to drive" in the wet as the seven-time world champion endured a difficult start to his career at the Scuderia.

The 40-year-old is hoping for a new lease of life after his bombshell switch from Mercedes, but it has been a steep learning curve since he joined the Italian team in January.

It culminated in a disappointing 10th in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where he was well off the pace of McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes and behind teammate Charles Leclerc in a rain-hit race, punctuated by safety cars.

"It was very tricky and went a lot worse than I thought it would go. The car was really, really hard to drive today," he said after a race that was marred by a series of crashes in the treacherous conditions.

"For me, I'm just grateful I kept it out of the wall because that's where it wanted to go most of the time."

Hamilton was in the Ferrari not only for his first Grand Prix, but also for the first time in wet conditions.

Clearly still getting used to how his new team works, he was heard on the radio at one time telling his race engineer they had "missed a big opportunity" to capitalize strategically after he led briefly during a series of pit stops under the safety car.

A delayed switch back to intermediate rain tires dropped him back down the field, but the Briton said afterwards there had been "a lot" to take from his debut.

"Just getting acclimatized with the new power unit in the wet conditions," he said.

"The settings it requires are different, and a different way of driving and a different set-up on the steering wheel.

"I hung out as long as I could, got in the lead at one point. Just the guidance with how much more rain was coming, was missing there, so I think we missed out."