Before his struggling team’s Premier League trip to Fulham, Erik Ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, who is under siege, lost his cool during a Friday grilling by the media.
Following eight losses from 15 games across all competitions—United’s poorest start to a season since 1962—the Dutchman has come under heavy criticism.
While Ten Hag’s underperforming team has drawn criticism, his methods have also come under fire, with some speculating that the loss at Craven Cottage may result in his dismissal.
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Despite suffering back-to-back 3-0 home losses to Manchester City and Newcastle United, Ten Hag is unflinching and stated that the team’s attitude was to make amends.
“They’re positive and they want to put this right. We know the standards here and we have to make the standards every day,” Ten Hag told reporters at United’s training ground.
“We had two big setbacks. But this squad is strong, the staff is strong and this manager is strong to put this right.”
Eighth position United has dropped five of its first ten home games across all competitions and half of its Premier League contests.
“I’m convinced about the players in the dressing room,” Ten Hag, who has spent 400 million pounds in the transfer market since taking over in the summer of 2022, said.
“We have seen last year they can do a lot better.
“But that is up to me to let them play better and I take the responsibility for that and I will put every effort in to get this done. When players are available and return from injuries we will play better, definitely.”
Ten Hag was questioned about remarks he made after his former Ajax club lost to City, in which he seemed to imply that his United team could not play the passing game.
“I thought the explanation (of my comments) from my point of view was totally wrong,” said Ten Hag, who enjoyed an impressive first season at Old Trafford with a League Cup triumph and third place in the Premier League.
“We want to press and we want to press from different blocks and then go direct because we have the players like Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford and Anthony and Bruno Fernandes.”
Ten Hag accepted that his players were struggling to execute the game plan.
“We can’t line up the same two or three games in a row,” he said.
“Every time we have to adjust and that doesn’t help your routines.
“But I don’t want to make excuses. We have to win and we have to be more pragmatic.”
Due to a hamstring injury, United’s midfielder Casemiro will be absent on Saturday; however, defender Raphael Varane may make a comeback following illness.