Erik ten Hag is hopeful that the Manchester United board will continue to stick with him if the club goes through difficult moments next season.
The Red Devils boss signed a contract extension last month, shortly after rife speculation that he was set to be fired after the FA Cup final, no matter the result.
United beat Manchester City to win the trophy on the back of their worst-ever finish of eighth in the Premier League.
With a new leadership group in charge, Ten Hag is confident that the team can prove they are competitors when the new season gets underway.
"I feel that we built something and that the people who are around me are in the same boat," Ten Hag said in an extended interview in their pre-season tour in Los Angeles.
"But of course, it's always a proven point when the case is there – but what I hope is that we avoid this [a dip]."
"I feel positive, and I feel very aligned. They [the new owners] are here, we are building those relationships and, as I said, we have to prove this point during the season and the next coming years: how strong we are."
United have already made two signings this transfer window, bringing in Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna and Leny Yoro from Lille, though the defender is set to be out for three minutes after suffering a foot injury against Arsenal in a pre-season friendly.
Rasmus Hojlund is also set to be out for six weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in the same game, while Marcus Rashford and Antony were forced off against Real Betis on Thursday.
While Ten Hag did not say the extent of the two injuries suffered, he admitted he was cautious about rushing the players back into action.
"We have to wait," Ten Hag said in a news conference. "Of course, we don't take risks in the last game of the tour going into the season next week already.
"We go into an important game, and we are still 24 hours after a game. The final assessment we have to make, and we will see if they are ready for the game against Liverpool on Saturday."
After a prolific first season under Ten Hag that saw Rashford score 30 goals for the Red Devils in all competitions, he netted just eight last campaign.
Despite the dip in form, the Dutchman has backed Rashford to regain his spark.
"He has to prove his point," the 54-year-old said. "We will set the conditions [give him all the support] and [then] he is very capable of doing this.
"The season before he scored 30 goals, so when he is in the right vibe, then he has such a high potential. And when he is really in that mood, he [can] again score 30 or even more goals."
Fulham sign Smith Rowe from Arsenal for club record fee
Fulham have confirmed the signing of Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal for a club-record fee of £34million.
The 24-year-old has penned a five-year contract with the option to extend it for a further year in a deal initially worth £27million with a further £7million in potential add-ons.
Smith Rowe joined Arsenal's academy aged 10 and moved through the ranks before making his first-team debut in 2018, establishing himself in the squad in 2020.
He went on to make 115 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, netting 18 goals, but fell down the pecking order at the club as he struggled for fitness.
"I'm finally here, so I'm really happy for me and my family – it's a good moment," Smith Rowe told FFCtv.
"I'm really excited, I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible, so I could get going with my teammates.
"Listening to the project, speaking to the manager, and seeing what players we have here already, I think it's an exciting project for me, and definitely the perfect step for my career going forward."
Smith Rowe arrives at Craven Cottage on the back of a frustrating campaign, having made just three starts in the Premier League and playing only 347 minutes.
He is Fulham's second signing of the transfer window, after Ryan Sessegnon's return to the club, with the Cottagers also interested in signing Scott McTominay from Manchester United.
Postecoglou: Tottenham targeting striker in transfer window
Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Tottenham are targeting a striker in the transfer window, as long as they fit his style of play.
Harry Kane left Spurs last August, and the club have failed to sign a senior striker to replace him since his departure.
Their main attacking options in his absence were Richarlison and Son Heung-min, who finished the campaign as their highest scorer with 17 goals.
Overall, Spurs managed 74 goals in the Premier League last season, with Richarlison the only other player to reach double figures after netting 11 times.
In the January transfer window, Spurs signed Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig, though he only found the back of the net twice, playing the majority of his minutes on the left wing.
With those struggles in mind, Postecoglou says he is hopeful they can bring in someone to give him a different option up front.
"Last year, we had to be a bit creative, it's fair to say. If Harry would have stayed, I definitely would have used him!
"I think for us what's more important is the type of striker we get. You know we play a certain way. We demand certain things from a physical perspective, from the technical aspects of it that it's going be a striker that fits that mould.
"It's still the area of the park we're really probably the thinnest when I talk about squad-wise at the moment, so obviously, that's a focus for us."
Spurs have already made two signings so far, bringing in 18-year-old midfielders Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall from Leeds United and Djurgarden respectively, while Werner's loan deal has also been extended for the coming season.
They have also agreed a deal to sign South Korean winger Yan Min-Hyuk, who will join the squad in January.
"It's a difficult time," Postecoglou said on the transfer window. "This is the part of the season where I've probably got the least control over decisions, and I've learned to stay disciplined and make sure that we do what we set out to do.
"We've added the two young guys [Gray and Bergvall], but I also think there's been growth from other guys from last year, which naturally makes us stronger this year.
"We obviously still have a hand in this window, but I think we'll go beyond this one. This wasn't just tinkering around the edges when I took over, it needed a big shift from where it was.
"We've already done a hell of a lot, and we don't need to do as much, but I still think it's not just about having success one year. What you're trying to build is another, hopefully, another cycle of success, and I think that'll take a bit longer."
Security Forces FC win SKNFA Division 1 title
Security Forces FC are the 2024 SKNFA Division 1 Champions after drawing 1-1 against Molineux FC on Friday July 26, 2024 at the National Bank Group of Companies Technical Center in St. Peters.
Dion Dolphin gave Security Forces an early lead in the 3rd minute of the match, but Ronald Williams ensured Molineux were not going down without a fight with a 88th minute goal.
Still, the result was enough to give Security Forces the Division 1 title, with 42 points at the top of the table. Coach of Security Forces Iroy Jeffers lauded his players for the accomplishment. He recalled taking over the team halfway into the season with an unbeaten record, and his experience in guiding them to the title.
“It was a difficult decision to make but after talking to my daughter, she gave me the go ahead to challenge myself. I went (to training) for the first time and saw the players. They are respectful, loving willing to learn, which is the most important thing and everything (took off),” Jeffers said.
Despite winning the title and earning a place in the National Bank Group of Companies Premier League for next season, Jeffers said it will not be easy and they will have to work exceptionally hard.
“In the premier level, its better players, better coaches, better referees. You have to be hungry and learn as quickly as possible,” Jeffers surmised.
Meanwhile, Keith King, the goalkeeping coach for the team, spoke about the work and effort in improving the Security Forces defense ahead of the season. Security Forces conceded only 15 goals all season, less than all the teams in Division 1.
“One thing we tried to focus on is improving defensively. People say goals win championships and if you don’t give up goals, you technically can’t lose. We try to install in the players how important it is to keep the ball out of the back of the net, how important it is to work with each other as a defensive unit and make sure the opponent has a hard task getting past the defensive line,” King disclosed.
Security Forces still has one more match to go before ending the season, which will be played this Tuesday at the Technical Center.
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