Erik Ten Hag praised Manchester United’s “dominating” efficiency towards Chelsea however mentioned the state of affairs surrounding his aspect has by no means felt like a disaster this season.
United took factors from a top-half opponent for the primary time this season with a deserved 2-1 win over Chelsea at Previous Trafford, having endured days of experiences of dressing-room disharmony on the again of Saturday’s poor defeat at Newcastle.
Ten Hag dropped Marcus Rashford for the go to of Chelsea in a daring transfer however was rewarded with a efficiency of endeavour and spirit from his aspect, who may simply have received by extra.
After the sport, he insisted the problems surrounding the membership this season – together with their worst begin to a season from their first 15 video games in six many years, in addition to varied off-field issues – had by no means reached disaster level regardless of the noise coming from outdoors Previous Trafford.
“We started very well, very dynamic, brave and proactive,” he mentioned. “We created plenty of possibilities in that second, and will have been two or three up.
“We dominated the opponent out and in of possession. It was very pleasing how the staff performed right this moment.
“It hasn’t felt like a disaster for us. We have stored calm, labored on the method and we all know the place we have now to construct and what we have now to construct on.
“We’re going in the right direction, we don’t get distracted from criticism around us, we are very critical on ourselves and know we are not quickly satisfied, we want to do better.
“If we do issues badly, we wish to put that proper and wish to hold going within the course of. The season is lengthy, we have now to enhance loads if we wish to achieve success, however this staff is able to that.”
Scott McTominay’s double took him to 5 Premier League targets for the season, already his finest tally in a Manchester United shirt with greater than half of the marketing campaign nonetheless to play.
The Scottish midfielder has been handed a extra superior position at instances by Ten Hag, who praised his “smell” for targets and mentioned he needed to see the 26-year-old within the opposition field much more.
“McTominay has the skills, when he is arriving in the right moment,” he mentioned. “He has the smell. Then he has a very good finish, but dynamics, sometimes he’s deep and sometimes he is further forward.
“In our techniques and our planning, it is typically that we wish him to be excessive, so the staff has to make it occur that he can come into these positions the place he is round a striker after which he has an excellent odor of when to reach and he is a very good finisher too.
“It’s the plan, it’s not hard – it’s a matter of organisation. That’s our job to get the players in the right position, but it means other players have to play deeper.”
Pochettino: We could not match Man Utd’s power
Mauricio Pochettino mentioned he was not upset by Chelsea’s defeat, regardless of the outcome leaving them solely a degree nearer to fourth-placed Manchester Metropolis than the relegation zone – and having misplaced as many video games as in the entire of the 2021/22 season already.
He defended his gamers’ lack of power and mentioned that they had been affected by taking part in for greater than half of Sunday’s 3-2 win over Brighton with 10 males due to Conor Gallagher’s purple card in that recreation.
“I’m not worried because there’s too many circumstances which need to explain why we didn’t perform,” he mentioned.
“To play with Brighton with one less for so long may have affected the energy, and we need to recover too many players from injury, to have different options and be more competitive.
“That is not an excuse, solely that they had been higher. During which share? Possibly 10 per cent, however we have to be centered, recuperate the gamers and prepare for Sunday.
“We miss players, we played nearly with the same players we faced Brighton with, and we were a man down for 60 minutes. Manchester United had a day more to prepare, and we had many young players on our bench. It’s not an excuse, but that’s the reality.
“I am not upset as a result of we gave all the pieces, however we did not match the power or aggressiveness. We created possibilities, perhaps sufficient to attract the sport.”