Erik ten Hag thinks that the players of Manchester United showed their bad side on Sunday. ‘The Red Devils’ went down 2-0 at Newcastle United, leaving the battle for a Champions League ticket completely open again.
“I was surprised that we couldn’t show the same eagerness and passion as Newcastle,” Ten Hag said at his press conference. “We knew what to expect. If you want to win big games, you have to show maturity. But I didn’t see that on the field.”
United struggled all game at St. James Park, falling behind in the 65th minute through Joe Willock. Ten Hag tried to achieve something with offensive substitutions, but Callum Wilson decided the game five minutes before the end. Newcastle thus took revenge for the lost League Cup final in February.
“We should have known that Newcastle would now be very eager because of that lost final,” said Ten Hag. “There was no underestimation, but their players rose above themselves. We should have shown the same mentality. We didn’t get into the enemy’s penalty area much and they got into ours too easily.”
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Ten Hag laughs at the question about the lack of goals
Due to the defeat at Newcastle, United’s last Premier League win still dates from February 19. Although it must be said that the Ten Hag team has only played three league games since then and was successful in the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa League in between.
Ten Hag therefore thinks it is too early to speak of a dip in form, even though United has already failed to score three Premier League matches in a row. “I always laugh at such questions, because you want to whip something up unnecessarily. We have scored a lot in other games. This time we didn’t create many chances, but I know this team has enough quality to score goals.”
Manchester United is still fourth in the Premier League, but the difference with number five Tottenham Hotspur is only one point. The best four teams will be allowed to participate in the group stage of the Champions League next season. The number five must enter the Europa League.
United can also conquer a Champions League ticket through another route, if it does not work out in the competition. The team of Wout Weghorst and Tyrell Malacia must then win the Europa League. United will play against Sevilla in the quarter-finals.
Top vijf Premier League
- Arsenal 29-72 (+43)
- Manchester City 28-64 (+45)
- Newcastle United 27-50 (+22)
- Manchester United 27-50 (+4)
- Tottenham Hotspur 28-49 (+12)
