Premier League English

Man Utd’s shocking 4-0 defeat by Brentford caught Erik ten Hag by ‘surprise’

Erik ten Hag did not hesitate to rip into his Manchester United players, describing their appalling performance in a 4-0 defeat against Brentford as ‘rubbish’, despite the inclusion of the club’s top striker last season Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Dutchman found himself having to apologise to the club’s fans just two games into his tenure following a loss that leaves United bottom of the table after another catastrophic display, which leaves him looking absolutely silly as the first Red Devils manager to lose his first two matches in a century.

United conceded four goals in the first 35 minutes of a Premier League game for the first time, and when asked to explain the first half capitulation, the former Ajax boss said: ‘It’s quite clear it’s rubbish it’s poor and we need higher standards than that and it’s clear.

The loss left United bottom of the top flight for the first time in more than three decades and Ten Hag questioning the hunger of his players.

“For one, Brentford were more hungry, and two, we conceded goals with individual mistakes,” said the Dutchman.

“You can have a good plan, but then you put the plan in the bin.

“I think it’s nothing to do with tactics. The first two goals are about dealing with the ball and decisions.

“I think they follow my instructions but they make bad decisions. This is football, it’s a game of mistakes and we got punished.

“When the results are like this I can imagine (how the fans) are feeling. It’s no good that we show that clearly, and we have to change that. We need more hunger on the pitch as a team and individuals.”

‘I can bring up several things but that looks like excuses. And that is not there in the top we have to deliver and we didn’t do.

‘We have to change that’s quite clear we have to start better both games we have to stick to the plan and from the first start we have to switch on and that’s what we didn’t do

‘You start the game and you make individual mistakes but you make sure one mistake can happen but a second, third mistake is not acceptable. Players must know that.

‘Pressure is always there I know that I have to analyse and find solutions, that’s my job.’

Ten Hag stressed in a subsequent interview that it was the players who needed to assume responsibility for the defeat while claiming he was surprised by the severity of the loss. He did however admit that he would assume responsibility also for the cataclysmic defeat.

He said: ‘Difficult for me and a surprise. The team has to take the responsibility and I feel sorry for the fans, we let them down.’