Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was not a happy man after the home defeat to Manchester City.
Erik ten Hag has now suffered a depressing reality faced by all of his Manchester United predecessors in the post-Fergie era, and the great man himself; a home defeat to Manchester City.
The 3-0 loss was a painful one, not totally unexpected, and helped along by a soft penalty decision. But that did not make it any easier to take or experience.
Ten Hag was spiky in media interviews after the loss about his tactics, and there are questions piling up about his decision making.
Ten Hag reaction to derby loss
Erik ten Hag was in a glum mood after the loss, and you can’t blame him. The misery was shared by millions of United supporters around the world, and the manager wanted the players to really let the feeling resonate.
According to The Sun, in the dressing room after the game, Erik ten Hag ordered his players to sit in silence.
The purpose of this was so that the squad would have to listen to City’s players celebrating, and their supporters chanting. He wanted it to be a painful experience for them.
The report describes: “The Manchester United boss was raging over the way his team fell apart in the second half.”
It is also claimed Ten Hag cancelled a ‘bonus day off’ on Monday for the players, ordering them into training. Clearly he was not happy, and he was right to – they had not earned an off day.
Ten Hag is hoping that the defeat, and listening to City’s celebrations, will have hurt Manchester United’s players enough to spring a reaction.
This is not the first time Ten Hag has done this. The Mirror reported in March that he made his players listen in silence to Liverpool celebrating at Anfield after their humiliating 7-0 win. This treatment is a sign he takes the home defeat to City every bit as seriously as that record-breaking defeat.
United play Newcastle in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday night at Old Trafford. The players dare not lose.
They bounced back from the Liverpool loss with a 4-1 midweek win over Real Betis, so here’s hoping for the same result this week.
Marcus Rashford heads to nightclub
Whether the message got through, is another matter. While largely an isolated case compared to the rest of the squad, The Mail reports Marcus Rashford was seen at a nightclub on Sunday night, with Tyrell Malacia also in attendance.
Rashford attended training as scheduled on Monday, the report adds.
It’s not a good look for Rashford, who has not scored for Manchester United since the start of September and has just one goal all season.
While he’s not the only underperforming forward, his struggles are noticeable because of his strong form last season. He’s been a major disappointment, and fans have been calling for him to be dropped against Newcastle.
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