Erik ten Hag criticises Manchester United as Christian Eriksen makes alarming Europa League admission

Evening Standard

·25 September 2024

Erik ten Hag criticises Manchester United as Christian Eriksen makes alarming Europa League admission

Red Devils boss unhappy with draw at Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag was critical of his Manchester United side after they slipped to a 1-1 draw with FC Twente in the Europa League.

OneFootball Videos

Christian Eriksen opened the scoring but gave the ball away in a crucial area to allow Sam Lammers to equalise.

And Ten Hag pulled no punches in his assessment of United after the game, telling TNT Sports: "We kept them alive, 1-0 up, controlling the game you have to be consistent and keep going. In the second half we dropped the level, gave the goal away.

"We didn't finish it off, we had to go for the second goal and so they stay alive and we get punished with a mistake from ourselves.

"The goal it’s team, a player of Twente can dribble through the pitch without stopping. We can't give a goal away like this.

"We have seen again you have to keep going for the whole game, once 1-0 up you have to keep going, go for the second.

Christian Eriksen scored but later made a mistake for Manchester United against FC Twente

Getty Images

"It’s the first game, it’s very important you get a win."

Eriksen even suggested that their Dutch opponents ‘wanted it more’ than United did at Old Trafford.

"I think mostly disappointed as a team, we wanted more in the end, far from good enough,” he said. “They looked like they wanted it more - that can't be right."

"I think everyone is looking at themselves, everyone is a professional footballer, they know what to do, what can't happen. We don't lose but it feels like a loss."