“What they did today, I won’t forget even in a hurry…I instructed all the whole team but THREE of them disobeyed”: Erik ten Hag names THREE players who ignored his order and did exactly opposite which led to Man United defeat today
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says he and his squad will ‘talk about’ the defending that led to Brighton’s late winner at the Amex Stadium, with three players called out for allowing Simon Adingra to cut in and cross.
The back-post ball from Adingra landed flush on the head of Joao Pedro in the fifth of seven added second-half minutes, with goalkeeper Andre Onana left helpless. United’s defending has been widely criticised as Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and, to a lesser extent, Kobbie Mainoo all allowed Adingra onto his favoured right foot.
And Ten Hag did not hide his feelings on the trio in question after the full-time whistle.
“We didn’t stop the cross,” he said. “There were three players, right-footed players, who should have sent him down the line and not allowed the cross. We have to talk about this, how we act in that situation as a team.”
United were breached in the first half when their former academy product, Danny Welbeck, slid in to convert Kaoru Mitoma’s low cross, though Ten Hag’s side levelled the scores through Amad Diallo on the hour mark.
The Red Devils looked to have won the tie through Alejandro Garnacho in the second period, but his finished was judged by VAR to have hit Joshua Zirkzee on its way into the net, who was in an offside position.
Then came Pedro’s winner, which left Ten Hag to rue a performance which, he felt, was littered with errors. “There was more than one mistake,” he explained. “We have to talk about it. We were close to winning this game, but definitely shouldn’t lose the game.
“Both goals are very soft goals. We should have done better. I have seem some good parts in the game and other parts. Early in the second half we should have more control of the game. In both boxes we should be more clinical and aggressive.”
