Coach Erik ten Hag will talk to the team about what needs to be improved after the 0-1 loss at Newcastle in round 14 of the Premier League.
"When you lose, you are always disappointed," Ten Hag said after the game at St James' Park. "I will speak to the team about what we can do better. But I believe they are resilient enough to solve the problem and bounce back. We have experience and we have to be ready for the next game, not thinking too much about this defeat."
Ten Hag directs the match Man Utd lost 0-1 to Newcastle at Saint James' Park in round 14 of the Premier League on December 2. Photo: Reuters
Man Utd's three-game winning streak in the Premier League ended with a lacklustre display at St James' Park. The Red Devils had 41% possession and eight shots on target - compared to Newcastle's 22 and 4. The visitors' most notable moment came in the 89th minute, when substitute Antony's shot deflected off Harry Maguire and into the net. But the goal was ruled out for offside.
Newcastle's dominance was demonstrated by the fact that centre-back Fabian Schar had four shots by the 80th minute, more than the entire Man Utd team combined. The home side also wasted a series of chances, before midfielder Anthony Gordon scored the only goal early in the second half, from close range.
The defeat at St James' Park left Man Utd with a series of terrible statistics. Gordon's strike was the first goal Man Utd conceded since Phil Foden broke through in October. Ten Hag's team then suffered a 0-3 defeat at Old Trafford, with the remaining two goals scored by Erling Haaland.
The Red Devils have failed to win any of their last 13 away games against a top-eight club, drawing three and losing ten. The last time they took three points away from a top-eight club was when they beat Tottenham 3-0 in October 2021, when Cristiano Ronaldo and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were still at the club.
Man Utd also lost three consecutive matches to Newcastle in all competitions for the first time in 101 years. Before the 0-1 defeat at St James' Park on December 2, the "Red Devils" lost 0-3 to Newcastle in the fourth round of the League Cup in early November and lost 0-2 in the Premier League last season.
Asked about the statistic, Ten Hag admitted that Man Utd's home and away form had been inconsistent and needed to improve quickly. The Dutch coach was disappointed that Alejandro Garnacho missed an early chance, but admitted that Newcastle played better and were more proactive. "We had to defend deep, but they still scored a goal. At the end of the game, we came out strong, had two chances but couldn't get the points," he added.
Bruno Fernandes and Martial prepare to kick off after conceding a goal early in the second half. Photo: Reuters
Ten Hag said United had two good performances in the Premier League win over Everton and a draw with Galatasaray in the Champions League, and stressed that they always wanted to play perfectly in every game, but could not. "We have a lot of games in a short period of time, and we could have had a less convincing performance. Now we have to solve this problem," he said.
In the first half, Ten Hag argued with Anthony Martial - a striker who did not leave much of an impression - right on the pitch. When asked about this incident, the 53-year-old coach replied: "The problem is not Martial, it is the team. You try to energize and try to stimulate the fighting spirit of the whole team. We had a difficult period so in training I was a bit harsher and that is normal."
Another striker who had a poor performance was Marcus Rashford. The Englishman touched the ball 22 times - the lowest of the starters, only bettered by Anthony Martial's 17 - before being replaced by Antony in the 61st minute. "I will speak to Rashford, not the media," Ten Hag defended his player. "We support him and believe that Rashford will soon regain his form."
In the next two rounds, Man Utd will play Chelsea on December 6 and Bournemouth on December 9 at Old Trafford.
Hong Duy
Source link
Comment (0)