The comments came on the back of an excellent question posed by Kerala-based supporters Arjun Menon and Arjun Balachandran at the pre-Aston Villa media conference, where fans were invited to quiz the boss.
They asked for Erik's view on how the squad will look in a couple of years' time and the importance of a transfer strategy, allied to looking towards the youth team for reinforcements.
The Dutchman was keen to stress that the biggest factor towards any success will be ensuring his coaching methods are instilled in the players.
“Yeah, yeah. I believe in that last [point]," Ten Hag explained.