After a 0-3 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the 6th round of the Premier League, Manchester United manager Jens Ten Hagar attended a press conference and answered reporters' questions on his team's performance, consecutive losses and the future of the team.
Tenhag began by analyzing the reasons for the team's poor start, noting that conceding a goal in the third minute had a major impact on the team's game plan. He said that the team failed to protect key areas well in defense and attacking transitions, leading to frequent mistakes and an inability to control the ball, and emphasized that the red card further exacerbated the team's woes. Nonetheless, Ten Hagar believes that the team still had chances in the game but failed to capitalize on them.
On the two consecutive 0-3 losses at home, Ten Hag said the team must learn from them and emphasized that as a team they must face challenges together. He noted that there are some mistakes that shouldn't happen in top level soccer and that the team must address them, but he also believes the team will bounce back.
When asked about the possibility of management having a different view on the team's performance, Ten Hag said he was not worried about that. He believes that the decisions made by the team in the summer were based on a clear assessment of what the team needed to improve and how to form the squad. He emphasized that the circumstances of the transfer window led to some players arriving late and needing time to integrate into the team, while the team is also dealing with some injuries. Ten Hag said they are all on the same page and in the same boat, including the management, the leadership team, the staff and the team of players, all working towards the future of the team.
Commenting on a goal his team conceded against Twente and a similar conceded goal in this game, Ten Hag said that he did demand 100% effort from his players, but it was clear that the players failed to deliver. He admitted that it was very disappointing and emphasized that this should not have happened.
In addition, Ten Hagar pointed out that the team had lacked pressure on the ball carrier and had been lax in possession before the red card came, which was one of the worst performances he had ever seen. He believes that the players became very nervous and made poor decisions after conceding the ball too early. Although the team had chances to play well again, they failed to capitalize on them.
In conclusion, Ten Hagar stated that he believes the team has more mental problems than tactical ones. He emphasized that the players need to stay calm, control the game and performance, stick together and stick to the game plan in order to be in a good position in the game. Despite the challenges, Ten Hagar believes the team will learn from them and bounce back.
