A Match of the Day pundit has questioned Erik ten Hag’s tactics after Manchester United’s draw with Brentford.
United looked to have grabbed a late winner through Mason Mount’s goal in west London before an almost immediate equaliser from Kristoffer Ajer. The point moved the club eight points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth, damaging United’s hopes of achieving Champions League qualification.
Ten Hag’s side had celebrated an uplifting and dramatic cup win over rivals Liverpool before the international break but there was no sense of that momentum in the team’s latest display. Brentford had a remarkable 31 shots on goal and Match of the Day pundit Stephen Warnock slammed the United for their contrasting performances and questioned Ten Hag for not changing his tactics.
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“You can’t go from beating Liverpool and then be poor,” Warnock said. “Their style of play, they went long ball, time after time. If you’re the manager, correct that on the pitch. Is he strong enough to do that? He didn’t show it today.”
United appeared to have turned a corner at the start of 2024, winning four of their first five league games. However, the team have since only won one of their last four in the league, losing ground on Aston Villa and Spurs in the race for a Champions League place. In his post-match interview, Ten Hag admitted that his side would have been fortunate to earn three points.
“We didn’t deserve to win but if you’re winning you have to take this,” Ten Hag said. “I would say normally we are good in such circumstances if we score before time.
“We showed resilience all through the game but in points of aggressiveness Brentford were better, we should show more passion and desire in many moments in the game. But when you are winning you should bring it over the line.”
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