Erik ten Hag begged supporters to exercise patience after Manchester United’s misfiring team lost to relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday, frustrating supporters at Old Trafford by blowing a late lead.
Brazilian winger Antony gave United the lead in the 79th minute, but Zeki Amdouni, a replacement, scored eight minutes later from the penalty spot after Andre Onana had fouled him.
United, now sitting in sixth position in the Premier League, is fighting for a Europa League spot after withdrawing from the race for Champions League spots.
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The FA Cup final against Manchester City next month presents an opportunity to cap off a disappointing season on a positive note, but with ambitious new co-owners INEOS, that might not be enough to keep Ten Hag in the position.
At Old Trafford, boos greeted the final whistle. Earlier, they reverberated even more when Scott McTominay took Kobbie Mainoo’s place as part of a double switch that also saw Rasmus Hojlund removed in the second half.
United has suffered greatly in recent weeks as a result of their tendency to waste winning opportunities, and Saturday’s game followed a well-known trend.
Ten Hag, however, defended his decisions and urged composure, claiming he had to shield the development players from harm.
“We have some very young players and that’s why we built this club back,” said the Dutchman.
“That takes time, and we build this by bringing in young players.
“Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo – they are all in the first season of the Premier League and the Premier League gets more intense year by year.
“We have seen the data and it’s much more intense than last season, especially when you see over the last four or five seasons. Those players have to adjust and that takes time.”
Ten Hag, who won the League Cup last year in his first season with the club, said he was “sorry for everyone”.
“I am very impatient but there we need patience and fans they need patience,” he said.
“We built here a team, and they need experience.
“The mental (side), when you get fatigue you have to keep focus until the end.
“Also, this season there was an extra effect that they do extra time (added on).
It is often seven, eight, nine, 10 minutes so bringing more minutes in the game, to keep tempo in the game as well.”
Ten Hag thinks that this challenging season will pay off in the future.
“The great Manchester United team, we forget they were also built,” he said.
“I have seen I think in 2004/05 they also didn’t play that great football.
“They were building, and it takes time, but everyone forgets, even the players who were by that time in the team, they forget they were struggling and that they needed time to progress.”