Erik ten Hag admits Manchester United’s performance was “not acceptable” as Aston Villa claimed a 3-1 win. United were made to pay after a sloppy start to the game, with Villa coming out the brighter side. Leon Bailey bagged his fourth goal of the season, scoring the opener before Lucas Digne’s stunning free-kick doubled the lead. The visitors were trailing 2-1 at the break after Jacob Ramsey’s own goal – but the 21-year-old would later claim Villa’s third as new head coach Unai Emery got his reign off to the perfect start. Speaking post-match,
Erik ten Hag said: “We lost the game at the start of the first half, start of the second half – that’s not acceptable. You have to be ready for the game, we were not. We have to be more sharp, I said it was up to us. We didn’t keep the ball. We let them run at the start of the game, we didn’t get the right organisation but especially we didn’t follow the rules in defending and we lost battles. It’s not acceptable. A player has to take responsibility to be ready. It looked like they were fresher and that’s never acceptable.”
On Digne’s free-kick goal, ten Hag believes small details would have made a difference.
Erik ten Hag said: “I think the free-kick is stoppable because the wall is too far [over]. Ok, these small details, but small details make a difference in top football. The details are everything to us because we were not fresh. When you start the game, you always have the attitude and I think that was one of our best standards, as we were really on the front foot and ready to play in all the games to now. Today, we were not. The result is clear. That never lies. In football, you get your earnings. Today we were not good enough. You have to read the game. You have to get the right organisation and not concede two goals. That was totally unnecessary because then you have to stay together, compact and win your battles. Stay on the ball. It’s everything we didn’t do. It is a setback. This is a process and I know it will not only go up. Setbacks will come and we have to deal with that.”
