Manchester United’s quest to extend their winning league run, following a stunning comeback triumph over Aston Villa, was thwarted again as Erik ten Hag’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest, led by Nuno Espírito Santo, the former Al-Ittihad boss, on Saturday.
It marked Manchester United’s ninth league defeat of the season, placing them in the 7th spot at the end of the first half of the season. The Dutch boss shared his thoughts on the club’s season so far following the loss at the City Ground.
Erik Ten Hag talks about Man Utd’s poor performances
The Red Devils’ journey to Nottingham concluded in yet another disappointment; this season, they marked their worst-ever start to their league campaign. Having been earlier knocked out of the EFL Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League, they now have only the league to fight for.
The only positive in the match was Marcus Rashford finding the back of the net amid his goal drought, equalizing after Forrest opened the scoring. However, in the 82nd minute, Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike proved to be enough for his side to secure a victory over Manchester United.
In the post-match conference, after the defeat, Erik ten Hag highlighted the team’s struggling form, acknowledging the impact of injuries. Despite the challenges, he expressed confidence that positive results would come with the return of key players.
He said, “One thing is sure: every time you have to swap, the routines are not there and top football is going quickly, so you need communication in the split moment.”
“I believe that results will improve. I know when players return then I am sure this side will be stronger. That’s the job, you have to clinically analyze this, then you know where it’s coming from. We have a lack of routines, we have to work on that.”
Manchester United keep underperforming this season
During the Erik ten Hag era, Manchester United secured their first silverware in six years last season, eventually exceeding expectations from the former Ajax manager to deliver more success. Additionally, under his supervision, the Red Devils made a successful return to European competitions.
Unfortunately, all expectations fell short as nothing went according to Ten Hag’s plan, to the extent that his position was under threat of being sacked. The IENOS group, owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, successfully acquired a 25% share of Manchester United and will now have sporting control of the club.
Ten Hag has reiterated his belief that he has the support of the new owners, stating, “Of course, but they (INEOS) know me, and they know that with the squad I have available, the results will be there. We have already proven against top teams that we can go head-to-head.”
“So I am convinced and have a strong belief we get progress in this team, that we get more consistency at the moment. This is part of a project. We were overperforming last year, and this year so far we are underperforming. We have to do better, we have to step up and I have to lead that process.” he added.
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