After The 2-0 Loss To West Ham, See what Ten Hag Said About It

Ten Hag Reflects on Manchester United’s 2-0 Loss to West Ham: A Call for Responsibility and Improvement

Following Manchester United’s 2-0 loss to West Ham United, manager Ten Hag shared his thoughts on the disappointing result.

The match, which ended in a 0-0 draw in the first half, took a turn in the second half as West Ham made crucial changes, scoring two quick goals to secure victory.

In light of this setback, Ten Hag emphasizes the need for collective responsibility and addresses key areas for improvement.

Manager’s Perspective: Ten Hag acknowledges the lackluster performance from Manchester United, particularly in the aftermath of West Ham’s decisive goals.

He emphasizes the importance of staying calm, sticking together, and adhering to the team’s plan.

The manager reflects on the team’s recent successes, winning a cup in 2023, but notes that the current underperformance requires a united effort to rectify.

“At Man United, everybody has to take responsibility. We have to be calm, stick together, stick to the plan, we have to do it together. In 2023, we won a cup, and we did very well. Now we are underperforming. We have many injuries, so the team will be better.“

Injuries Impacting Performance: Highlighting the challenge of numerous injuries within the squad, Ten Hag expresses optimism about the team’s potential improvement once injured players return.

He stresses the necessity of patience and unity, urging everyone associated with the club to work together to overcome the current difficulties.

“There are reasons for it [underperforming]. We have many injuries, so the team will be better if the injured ones return. We have to be calm, stick together, stick to the plan; we have to do it together.“

Analysis of the Match: Ten Hag analyzes the match, pointing out missed opportunities in the first 72 minutes and identifying a moment of defensive lapse that allowed West Ham to capitalize. Despite a solid defensive performance, the team failed to convert chances into goals, a trend that has persisted over several games.

“I think it was a decent 72 minutes where we didn’t take our chances. We should’ve gone in the lead, but we didn’t, and then it was one moment of switching off.“

Defensive Standards and Goal Drought: Reflecting on past successes, particularly in the match against Liverpool, Ten Hag sets a defensive standard that he believes should be consistently applied in every game.

He acknowledges the team’s struggle in front of goal, highlighting a lack of scoring for over six hours and a meager 18 goals in 19 league games this season. The manager expresses concern over the embarrassing goal difference of minus five.

“There [Liverpool], we defended very well for 90 minutes; that has to always be our standard, like what we did there. You have to bring that to every game on the pitch.“

Closing Remarks: Ten Hag concludes by emphasizing the team’s need to regain control, both in possession and out of possession.

While acknowledging the solid aspects of the performance, he underscores the importance of converting chances into goals. The manager remains optimistic about the team’s potential but stresses the urgency of addressing the ongoing goal-scoring challenges to climb the league standings.

“We were in total control in and out of possession. We gave them nothing until the 72nd minute, when we switched off. It was a solid performance, but we didn’t score.“