Erik ten Hag slams Manchester United players' lack of hunger vs Brentford

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Erik ten Hag lambasted Manchester United players for showing a lack of hunger in their 4-0 trouncing by Brentford and said he would have changed the entire team at half-time if he could have.

United stooped to a new low in their recent history by heading into half-time 4-0 down at the Community Stadium after a four-goal glut in 25 minutes.

Ten Hag has become the first United manager to lose his first two games since John Chapman in 1921 and his management has already come under intense scrutiny. Read more: United player ratings vs Brentford The decision to play Christian Eriksen as a holding midfielder backfired, particularly when Eriksen was robbed of the ball inside his own area by Mathias Jensen, who scored to make it 2-0.

However, Ten Hag denied United's defeat owed to his tactics. "I think we all have seen the game and I think Brentford was more hungry, one, and two we concede goals in individual mistakes," Ten Hag said. "You can have a good plan but we had to put the plan into the bin. "I think it had nothing to do with tactical and that the first two goals, it's about dealing with the ball, that's one, and decisions. "I think they follow my instructions but they make bad decisions and that's football, it's a game of mistakes and you get punished." When a reporter remarked Eriksen has seldom played as a holding midfielder, Ten Hag replied: "Yes, but he didn't have to receive the ball there, because we give options and the players have to choose but we said play long, invite them and play long. "I don't want to play from the back when it's not possible.