While United have had an underwhelming start to the season, Ten Hag has detailed his happiness with the progress of his young players.
Ten Hag said: "That is the choices (deploying young players) we have made the last two seasons. I understand the impressions many have for Manchester United, because the history is so big, but that is the choices we have made, and that has also to do with some financials, and other restrictions we have to deal with.
"We made a choice for young players, and the young players are not in the level, you can't expect them, we have to improve them, and they have to improve themselves. And we have to find a team that can be successful on a consistent base. And this team, in the last two years, they've shown they can do it, on occasions, and on occasions we can win trophies, but we have to get more consistent."
On his squad, Ten Hag continued: "First, we are where we are now, with this squad. But, I think with all the restrictions we've had, we've done good work. And now we have to work with the squad, we have now to improve the squad. As I just made arguments: we have a good squad.
"We have a good squad, but with young players. We have to improve, we have to improve the team. And then we have targets, we have high targets, we want to achieve those targets for this season, but also the years beyond."