Manchester United boss ErikTen Hag reacts to United's worst performance from not following the plan and script
Selhurst Park, London, UK
Selhurst Park, London, UK
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00:00 The performance and the result, Leon, how do you imagine?
00:03 Yeah, it's, as you say, very disappointing.
00:10 Underperforming, definitely.
00:13 Worst defeat, we should have done better.
00:16 So, yeah, there were many things.
00:18 There was a team performance that was not correct,
00:22 making big mistakes, not following, say, the plan and the script and the rules we have.
00:28 Of course, also individual mistakes, but then we should cover each other,
00:33 and we didn't do that, we let each other down, and then you get a worse defeat.
00:38 Individually, does that come down to individual performances as well?
00:43 Some of the performances clearly are not up to the standards that they would expect.
00:51 Absolutely not, that's the truth.
00:54 Also, we know not all the players are positioning in their favourite positions
01:00 because we have huge problems, but then we have to help each other.
01:05 You mentioned it's your big defeat,
01:09 you say it's your low point of the season too, what's been a bad season for you?
01:17 Yes, it was very poor, how we gave the goals away,
01:24 especially when we prepared a team and then conceded the first goal.
01:29 That is very disappointing, how easy giveaways should happen,
01:38 and especially not in the circumstances we are in.
01:42 Because we have problems, but then you have to help each other out.
01:47 In spite of the injuries, you haven't been huge,
01:50 but was that performance and result you saw coming at all?
01:55 Was that out of the blue, basically?
01:58 Actually, yes, because this is the fourth defeat in 2024 so far,
02:06 and you have always seen a team that was playing and following a script,
02:11 and that's why we didn't have a lot of wins, it was hard to beat.
02:17 Today, we were easy to beat.
02:20 Looking at that form start, it was quite stark,
02:24 are you confident that all the players are playing together,
02:27 that they all commit to it, doing as well as possible?
02:30 Yes, I'm sure they had the right intention to come on,
02:37 and they were eager from the start, but once we were playing,
02:43 we didn't perform. Individuals didn't perform and as a team we didn't perform.
02:50 Was Joey Evans' lack of fitness, did that compromise your plans
02:54 before the game even started?
02:56 He wasn't going to start and leave Harry in the spin?
02:59 No, definitely not.
03:01 Huge respect for Joey that he stepped in,
03:04 he wasn't ready to go into this game and he only had two days training.
03:09 That is one example, but he played for 90 minutes,
03:14 and it was really a reward that he did this.
03:22 But, of course, he can't play to the levels he can normally do.
03:29 After the result against Coventry City, you said Manchester United
03:34 need to have the lead of the remaining games,
03:37 and play teams like Manchester City.
03:39 At a time like this, where is your belief coming from that things will improve?
03:43 Because, as I said, we had only 40 defeats so far,
03:49 and we had all season big problems,
03:52 and especially the last week we had big problems in the back line.
03:56 But all the time there was a team with a fighting spirit,
04:00 and it was a team that was hard to beat.
04:02 As I said, today we were easy to beat.
04:04 Is there something that you are seeing behind the scenes
04:08 that you'd like fans to see more of in the future?
04:11 You have seen the fans, they are begging us.
04:14 From minute one to the end, we are behind the team.
04:17 So I guess they see the problems we have,
04:21 and I really have been pleased with their support,
04:26 and the team is really pleased with it.
04:28 We should have taken their fighting spirit into the pitch.
04:33 Last question.
04:35 You said about players fighting like the fans,
04:38 and not being able to follow their instructions.
04:40 How worrying is it for you when a professional footballer...
04:43 I didn't say instructions, I said the script,
04:46 and I said following the rules, I didn't say the instructions.
04:49 You said in another interview that you didn't follow the instructions.
04:53 There was a script, and they should follow that, and they didn't do it.
04:59 How worrying is that in terms of professionals?
05:02 Professionals shouldn't allow this,
05:06 because it was such an easy give-away goal,
05:09 I have five players over the ball, and they have a throw-in.
05:13 It's not the first time this season this happens.
05:16 I know we have young players,
05:19 but even young players should learn that when they play in the first team,
05:23 they should take responsibility.
05:25 OK, thank you very much.
05:27 [BLANK_AUDIO]