Erik ten Hag criticised Manchester United for not “fighting for every yard” unlike Twente, who played “the game of their life” in the 1-1 Europa League draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
United led through Christian Eriksen’s first-half strike and appeared in control at the break. But on 68 minutes Bart van Rooij was able to run from deep inside Twente territory, passing Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martínez and Harry Maguire. When Manuel Ugarte tackled the defender, the ball went to Eriksen but the Dane dawdled and Sam Lammers took the ball, dashed forward and equalised.
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An unhappy Ten Hag said: “You saw it was the game of their life, they fought for every yard and we didn’t and 99% is not enough; you have to give 100%, you have to kill the game, you have to finish it off. We are leading 1-0 and then there comes an atmosphere [poor approach] in the team. You have to go for the second goal and then you kill the game.”
Eriksen was also scathing. “We’re disappointed as a team. We wanted more but it was far from good enough in the end,” he said. “They looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right. Personally, you score a goal, you think it’s going to be a matchwinner but it goes the other way.”
Ten Hag was asked about Eriksen’s criticism of the team’s mental approach. “Definitely a concern,” he said. “Especially as we are very ambitious and when you have ambition you have to perform, prove the point and especially today in the second half we were too complacent, we didn’t bring it over the line and, as a team, you have to bring this.
“I think often the mentality is very good from this team, I saw in many games how high our work rate is and that is often very good. Today I have some criticism. It is not only the team that has to look in the mirror, I am part of it.”