'Unnecessary' - Erik ten Hag sends message to Manchester United players after Brighton loss

08.08.2022 - 09:11 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Erik ten Hag wants his team to learn from their mistakes following their opening day Premier League defeat to Brighton.

Manchester United slipped to a deserved 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in Ten Hag's maiden match in charge, with the Seagulls putting in an inventive, composed and exciting display for their opponents to aspire to. Twice the visitors cut through United with sweeping moves before Pascal Gross finished them off with a goal.

A scrappy Alexis Mac Allister own goal in the second half gave United some hope but they were unable to find the leveller. Ten Hag believes both goals were unnecessary and could have been avoided if the players were more organised and stuck to their roles.

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"It wasn't the defending, we defend as a team, making pass mistakes unnecessarily in midfield and they take over," he explained to MUTV. "There we needed better organisation, we give appointments and they have to do the job that you get appointed to.

"That's not what we did and we then got punished. Same with the second goal, totally unnecessary. It was a ball that lose in the corner on the other side, so it's not good that you concede a goal.

"Yeah that is what we have to do," he continued when asked if a hard week on the training ground is incoming. "We have to deal with this setback. Learn from the mistakes and go forward."

Asked about his feelings on the result, Ten Hag added: "Disappointed, clear. We had, of course, other expectations but it happens you know also it's a process. Takes time. We have to work really hard but this result was unnecessary."

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