After a promising pre-season, things are unraveling quickly for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United and he is now under increasing pressure to get it right after two defeats in as many games.
The loss to Brighton was ugly but forgivable – the same can’t be said to describe this weekend’s thumping at the Brentford Community Stadium.
David de Gea, who was at fault for Brentford’s opening two goals, was the first player to apologise for the ordeal and now, the manager has admitted that United’s ‘rubbish’ performance shows they need higher standards.
🗣️ "It's rubbish. It's poor. We need higher standards than that, that's clear."
👀 Erik ten Hag doesn't hold back when assessing @ManUtd's 4-0 defeat to @BrentfordFC. #beINPL #BREMUN #MUFC pic.twitter.com/A05ztejI5m
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) August 13, 2022
Read more: Erik ten Hag admits Man Utd need new players after Brentford humiliation
“It’s quite clear – it’s rubbish, it’s poor,” Ten Hag told BeIN Sports when he was asked about United’s first-half performance against Brentford. “We need higher standards than that, that’s clear.
“I can bring up several teams why but that looks like excuses and excuses are 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 team, stick to the plan. From the start, we have to switch on and that is what we didn’t do today.”
The pressure on Ten Hag is unlikely to let up anytime soon. Next up, he will be welcoming Liverpool to Old Trafford – a third consecutive defeat in the Premier League could be catastrophic.
