Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has warned that Nottingham Forest’s City Ground will be a hostile territory as his side prepares for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Ten Hag spoke to reporters today and warned that his players must rise to the occasion and not be intimidated by the atmosphere.
United have not played at Forest’s ground since an 8-1 Premier League win in February 1999. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer famously came off the bench and bagged four goals.
Ten Hag said, “Well, it’s a long time ago that United played there. We like that, to play in front of a fanatical audience, it’s nice to play. It will be a good atmosphere, I think it will motivate their players and we have to get ready for that.”
The United boss was not shy about his team’s chances of winning the Carabao Cup and bringing the club’s trophy drought to an end.
He insisted that United must return back to winning ways and challenge for top honours.
“It’s about that, it’s about winning trophies. We have a good opportunity but we have to go from game to game. So now we play Forest, two legs, so focus on the first leg and don’t think further ahead because that will distract. So the aim for tomorrow is to win that game.”
“It was the best feeling what you can have, winning a trophy,” he said.
“I had the luck in my career to win some trophies and it was magnificent, especially for the fans. It’s so great.”
The Dutchman added that winning trophies is not a new objective at Old Trafford and that supporters, especially the older ones, know what it means to be successful.
He finished off by issuing a rallying call to his players to ensure that they do not let the opportunity to lift the Carabao Cup slip.
Steve Cooper’s men will however also be relishing the chance to cause a massive upset and guarantee their place in the final.
Whichever team wins on aggregate between United and Forest will face the winner of Newcastle vs Southampton’s two-legged tie.
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