Coach Erik ten Hag apologised to fans and admitted Man Utd were in a bad situation after losing 0-3 to Newcastle in the League Cup round of 16.
"We know that the performance was not good enough," Ten Hag said in his post-match press conference at Old Trafford. "We have to take responsibility for that. I have to take responsibility for that. I have to apologise to the fans because we performed below standard and we have to improve."
Man Utd easily beat Newcastle 2-0 in the League Cup final at Wembley last season thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Casemiro. But the "Red Devils" showed a lackluster performance in the rematch at Old Trafford on the evening of November 1.
Man Utd players were disappointed after losing 0-3 to Newcastle at Old Trafford in the League Cup round of 16. Photo: Reuters
The home team controlled the ball 62%, but did not create many clear chances, and the defense played loosely. In the 28th minute, after losing the ball to Alejandro Garnacho, Valentino Livramento passed the ball to Miguel Almiron, who covered Diogo Dalot and then shot diagonally past Andre Onana. In the 36th minute, it was Harry Maguire's turn to make a mistake when he headed the ball poorly, creating an opportunity for Lewis Hall to volley the ball diagonally to the inside of the post to double the gap. In the second half, the Man Utd defense allowed Joe Willock to dribble freely in front of the penalty area and then shoot low into the right corner to seal the score at 3-0.
Last weekend, Man Utd also lost 0-3 to Man City in round 10 of the Premier League at Old Trafford. This was the first time the "Red Devils" had lost two consecutive home games by three or more goals since October 1962, and they also suffered their heaviest home defeat to Newcastle since a 4-7 defeat in September 1930. Man also suffered their eighth defeat in the first 15 games of the season, their worst opening run since nine defeats in 1972, and they also lost five of their first ten home games since the 1930-1931 season.
"I will continue to fight," Ten Hag stressed. "At the moment, we are in a bad situation. I understand that when we have bad results, there will be doubts. But I am confident that I can turn things around. I have done it at every club, and I did it last year."
Coach Ten Hag directs Man Utd players during the 0-3 loss to Newcastle in the 1/8 round of the English League Cup at Old Trafford. Photo: Reuters
The Dutch coach stressed that Man Utd have a quality squad, there is no excuse, they need to continue to unite, show a strong mentality, raise standards and stand up together. "You will have confidence when you get good results. That can only be done when you follow the rules, principles, fight and win," Ten Hag said. "You have to do it as a team. The only way is to stick together, but you have to be disciplined, everyone has to cooperate and take responsibility."
Ten Hag revealed that Casemiro was injured and was replaced by Sofyan Amrabat after the break. The 53-year-old coach does not know how long the Brazilian midfielder will be out for, but he will definitely sit out the away match against Fulham in the 11th round of the Premier League on November 4.
Hong Duy
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