Erik ten Hag has cautioned Manchester United's stars that he does not want a recurrence of the referee request from Sevilla.
Manchester United were ahead 2-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final last week when Ten Hag was told by the referee that two of his players were on the verge of receiving second yellow cards; the Dutchman withdrew the pair, and United crumbled.
Erik ten Hag has advised Manchester United's players not to lose their cool tonight and jeopardize their hopes of winning the Europa League.
United enter the second leg of their quarter-final encounter with Sevilla tied at 2-2, having blown a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford with two late own goals.
Ten Hag was obliged to replace Bruno Fernandes and Antony in the first leg after the referee informed him that both were on the verge of receiving a second yellow card. Antony became caught in a spat with Sevilla's Marcos Acuna, with Ten Hag imploring his players to channel their emotions correctly rather than becoming agitated.
Ten Hag reiterated his advice to his players not to get engaged in personal grudge matches and to retain their focus on the aim of winning the tie.
"You have to use emotion as a tool, but you also have to control it," Ten Hag remarked.
"You have to use it at the right times, and timing is crucial, especially in big games, so you have to know when to use it and when not to."
"We did it last week as well, so focus on the game and play your best game as a team and as an individual."
United's injury woes have been alleviated by the return of top scorer Marcus Rashford, defenders Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, and midfielder Marcel Sabitzer.
However, United are still missing their first-choice central defensive combination of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, as well as midfielder Scott McTominay and winger Alejandro Garnacho.
With midfield midfielder Bruno Fernandes suspended today, the return of Sabitzer in particular is a significant positive for Ten Hag, who has been tight-lipped about his team selection.
"The players who have returned are available because that is why they were on the plane, but I will make my decision tomorrow," Ten Hag explained. "They trained today, so we'll see how they react and then make a decision."
"Marcus has only had one session with the team, but he has had some individual sessions before."
Ten Hag admitted that his players had learned a lesson from the first leg, which United dominated for an hour before succumbing to injury and Sevilla's late pressure.
"It's clear that it's a tie of two legs," Ten Hag stated. "We played well for 60 minutes and then became passive in the last 30 minutes, which is unacceptable."
"We know it, and you can see that when you play a game for only 60 minutes. We've learned our lesson."
Christian Eriksen, who made his first start in two months after returning from injury on Sunday, is looking forward to contending for huge awards at the end of the season.
blogpay
