ten Hag realizes to being perplexed by Man Utd players following the "unacceptable" damage to Man City.
Man Utd came into the derby riding a four-game winning streak in the Premier League, only to be demolished by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Erik ten Hag admitted he was "surprised" by Manchester United's "lack of belief" in their humiliating defeat to Manchester City. City thrashed their local rivals 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scoring hat-tricks. It only took eight minutes for Foden to capitalize on United's slow start to put the hosts ahead, and they were 4-0 up by halftime, prompting many fans in the away end to leave the stadium.
The Red Devils actually outscored their opponents in the second half, thanks to Antony's long-range strike and Anthony Martial's double, but these goals only served to make the scoreline more respectable. The city was richly deserved.
"It was an absence of faith," United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports. "I'm surprised we didn't bring that up during the pitch. I've witnessed a different team, a different spirit, and a different battle... In possession, we were not brave. It is never easy to find out.
"The players are aware that they can do better. If you don't fight, you'll struggle against a team like Manchester City. This is not the same as the 4-0 defeat at Brentford. We did not dash there. We wanted to do it today, but we didn't follow the rules. "It was a lack of faith." I'll demonstrate to the team that we could have been on the offensive. We win the ball and then turn it over for the first goal. Following the transition, we make poor decisions. We are undisciplined because we do not follow the rules. It's not going to happen. It's not acceptable.
"It is a procedure. It is only one game. Problems may not arise against other teams, but they will against Manchester City. I want to change the team's mindset and attitude. In the second half, there was a reaction. We were more daring, scoring three goals. You can only learn from your mistakes." United's defeat drops them to sixth place in the Premier League standings, with four wins and three losses. Meanwhile, City is closing in on leaders Arsenal, sitting one point behind the Gunners in second as they look to defend their title.
Pep Guardiola, City manager, commented on the outcome: "It was fantastic [in the first half]. We scored four goals and had the opportunity to score more. It became more difficult after halftime. It was a great victory, a great game, everyone was happy in the stadium, and we were enjoying ourselves against our opponents. We had a pleasant afternoon."
blogpay
Total Comments: 0