Erik ten Hag has acknowledged Manchester United’s lackluster performance in their 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Red Devils have struggled in the early stages of the 2024-25 season, managing just two wins from their opening six league matches.
This poor form has placed significant pressure on Ten Hag, with mounting criticism over his team’s performances.
Facing Tottenham at Old Trafford, United endured another difficult outing. Brennan Johnson broke the deadlock with a goal just three minutes into the match, setting the tone for a challenging afternoon for the home side. Spurs extended their lead in the second half, with Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke finding the back of the net, securing all three points for the visitors.
The defeat leaves Manchester United in 12th place on the table, already six points behind the top four—a concerning gap for a club with high ambitions. The result has raised questions about Ten Hag’s future at the helm.
In his post-match press conference, Ten Hag openly admitted that his side’s performance was subpar and stressed the importance of responding positively to the setback.
He urged his players to show resilience and improve. Reflecting on the defeat, he told reporters (via @UtdDistrict on X), “First, we have to deal with this and show resilience. This is not good enough. We have to accept this and get better. Focus on the next game and do things better than we did today.”
The loss to Tottenham adds to Manchester United’s growing list of disappointments this season.
In addition to their domestic struggles, the Red Devils had a rocky start to their UEFA Europa League campaign, drawing 1-1 against Dutch side FC Twente on September 25 in their opening group stage fixture.
Compounding the misery for United, captain Bruno Fernandes was controversially sent off during the match against Spurs.
The Portuguese playmaker was dismissed after a first-half tackle on Tottenham midfielder James Maddison. While attempting to win the ball, Fernandes slipped and made contact with Maddison’s shin, prompting referee Chris Kavanagh to show a straight red card.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Fernandes vehemently disagreed with the decision, stating that the challenge did not merit a red card.
“I don’t take him as everyone wants to see it. I don’t go in with the studs, I take him with my ankle, it’s a clear foul but never a red card,” Fernandes said. He further elaborated, “The contact is not that strong. If he wants to give me a yellow because it’s a counter-attack, I agree, and I don’t know why VAR doesn’t call the referee to the screen. For me, it’s not a good decision.”
With United now reeling from both on-field and disciplinary setbacks, Ten Hag and his squad must regroup quickly if they hope to turn their season around. The Dutch manager will be keen to see a more focused and disciplined effort from his team in the matches to come.
