Manchester United coach Ten Hag made a comprehensive and detailed comment on the team's performance in an interview after the opening match of the new Premier League season. He started by highlighting the key role of the substitutes in the game, noting in particular that it was the substitutes who scored the winning goal at the crucial moment that helped Manchester United get off to a strong start to the season by beating Fulham 1-0 at home. Ten Hag was pleased with the excellent performance of the substitutes and believed it fully demonstrated their importance, while also reminding all players of the need to be ready at all times, whether starting or not.
When talking about the course of the game, ten Hag said that the game against Fulham was always challenging, but Manchester United's defensive and pressing tactics were executed brilliantly. He mentioned that the team quickly found the rhythm of the game after the opening, and continued to put pressure on the opponent, creating many offensive opportunities. However, ten Hag also pointed out the problem of the team's mistakes in the penalty area, saying that this is an area where the team needs to improve. He stressed that when Manchester United have a stable four-back defense, the team's defensive ability will be significantly improved.
In addition, Ten Hag also evaluated the performance of the new aid Mazrawi. He thinks Mazrawi is an excellent defender, but because his physical condition has not fully recovered at present, he has not been able to play his full strength. Ten Hag said he believes the defender will be able to contribute more in the game as Mazraoui's fitness improves.
Ten Hag spoke highly of Zirkze, who scored the winning goal. He believes that scoring goals is crucial for strikers, but Zirkze is not just a striker, he also has the ability to connect the frontcourt in series. Ten Hag said that Zirkzee needs to find the right balance between scoring goals and attacking in tandem to better integrate into the team's tactical system.
Finally, Ten Hag also talked about the situation of Maguire who was replaced. He revealed that Maguire was not injured, but had to be replaced due to some problems in the game. Ten Hag said that although winning is very important, he is more concerned about the health of his players and is glad that no player was injured in the game today.
