Erik ten Hag was questioned on whether he thinks his Manchester United players ‘switched off’ following their Carabao Cup final win.
Since lifting the trophy at Wembley in late February, the Red Devils are winless and goalless in the Premier League.
The first match following the final saw United lose 7-0 to their biggest rivals, Liverpool, at Anfield. After a tightly contested first half, Liverpool went into the interval with a one-goal advantage, but then went on to find the net a further six times in the second half to round off an absolutely dreadful day for Erik ten Hag, his players and the fans.
Next up was a stalemate with relegation candidates Southampton. Despite several chances for both sides, neither were able to break the deadlock and the Saints were handed a valuable point in their quest for survival, though United’s woes were doubled when not only did they drop two points, Casemiro was shown his second red card of the season, ruling him out of four games.
The past weekend saw the Reds offer a dismal display on Tyneside in a crucial top-four battle with Newcastle United. Two second-half goals were enough for the Magpies to leapfrog United into third place.
Ten Hag on United’s mentality
Ten Hag was quizzed on his side’s form and mentality during his pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s clash with Brentford (via the club website).
“Do you think after that experience of winning the Carabao Cup, the players maybe switched off mentally and lost their focus after winning the trophy?”
“I don’t think so but we had a tough programme. Now they have had their rest. It’s unacceptable and I don’t accept it. So we are now in the final stage of the season so you have to be mentally and physically fit and that’s the responsibility everyone in the team has to take, then stick together, stick to the plan no matter what.”
