{"id":295480,"date":"2023-10-07T23:25:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T23:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=295480"},"modified":"2023-10-07T23:25:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T23:25:50","slug":"erik-ten-hag-wants-man-utd-late-show-to-be-a-turning-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/erik-ten-hag-wants-man-utd-late-show-to-be-a-turning-point\/","title":{"rendered":"Erik ten Hag wants Man Utd late show to be \u2018a turning point\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United\u2019s stunning stoppage-time turnaround against Brentford has to be the \u201cturning point\u201d in their season.<\/p>\n
The afterglow from a promising first season under the Dutchman has long since dimmed, with the mood threatening to darken further before the international break.<\/p>\n
Mathias Jensen put Brentford on course for a famous Old Trafford win as United entered second-half stoppage time staring down the barrel of a fifth defeat in their opening eight league matches.<\/p>\n
But super sub Scott McTominay had other ideas. Introduced in the 87th minute, he fired United level in the 93rd minute and four minutes later headed home to seal a scarcely believable 2-1 comeback win.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has to be a turning point but also it has to be a restart because we have to get into higher levels,\u201d United boss Ten Hag said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the spirit is good, the belief is good, the team is together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have shown that, we have shown strong character and it can be the turning point in the season but it\u2019s up to us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose games give fuel to a dressing room. They know how far they have to go to get results.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can\u2019t be easy going and in football, it\u2019s eat or you get eaten.<\/p>\n
\u201cToo many times in the first half of the season we have got eaten by opponents who are more hungry, and this can\u2019t be. It has to go away.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery player, every second he is on the pitch, he has to deliver that. That is the demand and the standard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you do that, we have seen last season that you get a determined team.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were not always determined on every occasion in games and you get hammered for it and this has to change.\u201d<\/p>\n
McTominay was the fifth and final substitution made by Ten Hag as United desperately looked to avoid a third straight Old Trafford defeat in all competitions.<\/p>\n
The homegrown midfielder was linked with a summer move but stayed and came up trumps on Saturday, when he admitted he could not quite hear Ten Hag\u2019s instructions when bringing him on.<\/p>\n
McTominay reckoned his manager \u201cprobably said something like \u2018go on and score\u2019,\u201d but the grinning Dutchman said: \u201cI said score two goals!<\/p>\n
\u201cIt says a lot (about his mentality). He\u2019s Man United in everything, in his heart. He\u2019s playing for the badge, he gives his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re coming on and you give this to the team, that tells a lot. That also tells a lot about this dressing room, they are together.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd also I felt the whole afternoon a strong togetherness with the fans because even when we are losing they kept standing behind us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey kept us going, the team kept going and finally we get rewarded.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brentford were just moments away from a famous first Old Trafford win since 1937, only to be denied their second victory of the season at the death.<\/p>\n
Bees head coach Thomas Frank said: \u201cWhen you\u2019re leading 1-0 into three minutes injury time and then lose, I think that\u2019s unfair.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think if you were winning there you would all say \u2018well done, tough game for Brentford, deserved win\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they equalised, probably you could say \u2018OK, 1-1 is probably fair\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that we played close to a perfect first half, very aggressive in the high pressure, very brave on the ball, good on the counters, defended well.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it was a well-deserved 1-0 lead that first half.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecond half we get more under pressure. Of course, we\u2019re playing against Man United at Old Trafford. They have to win.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know when it\u2019s good for other managers. I\u2019m happy for Erik but of course not happy for myself that we didn\u2019t win, because I think he would probably have faced a pretty brutal room if he\u2019d lost.\u201d<\/p>\n