Erik ten Hag was unhappy with Man United’s lack of discipline in their failure to hold on for a point in their 3-2 defeat at Arsenal.
Erik ten Hag berated the Manchester United players after their late defeat to Arsenal and ordered them to change their mentality.
Eddie Nketiah pounced in the 90th minute to secure a vital 3-2 victory for Arsenal as United conceded in stoppage-time for the second game running.
Ten Hag was unhappy with United’s defending for all three goals and accused the players of lacking the discipline to secure a point at the Emirates Stadium.
“Maybe in the next couple of hours we realise we are in a good position, realise we are in a good development, a good process, but at this moment I am annoyed,” Ten Hag stressed. “I also told the players if you want to win trophies, titles, we have to change our mentality.
“Because it’s not possible you are in a top game, you’re making three such big mistakes where you concede goals. Especially the last goal, you have to feel the game on that point. A point was the maximum and then you have to take the point and you can’t give such a goal away like we did on top level. Then you can’t win trophies.
“I think [the mentality changes] with coaching, I think we can change that, we have already seen how the mentality from the players has changed over the last couple of months but we also have to notice today we have a way to go to be on top level.”
When asked about the specific “mistakes” Ten Hag had lamented, he replied: “I think it’s too much to talk about but it was like a pack of cards with the goals we concede, starting with the corner and then we make mistakes.
“We didn’t show the discipline and rules we have there, and you concede goals.
“I said before, the team who wants the most will win today. Of course, we had a game in the week, we had some disadvantages, but excuses are not possible at the top level.
“You have to be in the reality, the reality is we have to perform. In some occasions we didn’t do, otherwise we would win this game, or minimum draw this game.
“We have to make improvement on that mentality. The players have to realise the game is finished when the referee whistles for the three times.
“Until that point, they have to do everything right, 100 per cent focus, you sacrifice, you do the suffering, follow the rules and the principles.
“When you are 1-0 up and so easily to give 1-1 away, because when you are long in 1-0 up spaces will come, with our qualities we could have taken benefit from it.”
