Erik ten Hag ripped into his Manchester United stars, describing their display in a 4-0 defeat against Brentford as ‘rubbish’.
The Dutchman was forced to apologise to the club’s supporters just two matches into his tenure after a defeat that leaves United bottom of the table after another poor display.
United conceded four goals in the first 35 minutes of a Premier League match for the first time, while Ten Hag becomes the first Red Devils manager to lose his first two games in a century.
Asked to explain the first half capitulation, the former Ajax manager said: ‘It’s quite clear it’s rubbish it’s poor and we need higher standards than that and it’s clear.
‘I can bring up several things but that looks like excuses. And that is not there in the top we have to deliver and we didn’t do.
‘We have to change that’s quite clear we have to start better both games we have to stick to the plan and from the first start we have to switch on and that’s what we didn’t do
‘You start the game and you make individual mistakes but you make sure one mistake can happen but a second, third mistake is not acceptable. Players must know that.
‘Pressure is always there I know that I have to analyse and find solutions, that’s my job.’
In another interview meanwhile, Ten Hag stressed that it was the players who needed to assume responsibility for the defeat while saying he was surprised by the severity of the loss.
He said: ‘Difficult for me and a surprise. The team has to take the responsibility and I feel sorry for the fans, we let them down.’
