{"id":301924,"date":"2023-12-09T21:24:13","date_gmt":"2023-12-09T21:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=301924"},"modified":"2023-12-09T21:24:13","modified_gmt":"2023-12-09T21:24:13","slug":"manchester-united-not-good-enough-to-play-consistently-claims-erik-ten-hag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/manchester-united-not-good-enough-to-play-consistently-claims-erik-ten-hag\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester United \u2018not good enough\u2019 to play consistently, claims Erik ten Hag"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Exasperated Erik ten Hag admitted Manchester United are not good enough to play on a high level consistently after Bournemouth made history with their first-ever Old Trafford win.<\/p>\n
This has been a challenging second season in the dugout for the Dutchman, whose side collapsed in humiliating fashion just three days after impressively beating Chelsea.<\/p>\n
Star man Dominic Solanke put Bournemouth ahead after five minutes on Saturday, with Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi headers securing a 3-0 Premier League triumph that could have been worse for United.<\/p>\n
Andoni Iraola\u2019s ever-improving side became the first Cherries team ever to win at Old Trafford, where the hosts were booed having been outplayed and outfought in embarrassing fashion.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, annoyed and disappointed, definitely,\u201d United boss Ten Hag said. \u201cI expected something different.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hoped before the game you can build on the performance and result from Chelsea, so then it\u2019s very disappointing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat (consistency) is of course the question, but I think we have to always be ready for the game, so I have to take the responsibility for that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to prepare my team so that they are ready for the game, so from my point of view I\u2019m very disappointed the way we started so I have to do the things better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erik ten Hag\u2019s Manchester United suffered a home defeat to Bournemouth (Martin Rickett\/PA)<\/p>\n
Ten Hag shouldered much of the responsibility after this season\u2019s 11th defeat in all competitions, with United\u2019s slow starts and knack at conceding costing them once more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are really inconsistent,\u201d the Dutchman said. \u201cWe have the abilities to do it, but you have to do it every game and every third day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if consistency was key to being an elite team, Ten Hag added: \u201cI think as a squad we are not good enough to be consistent and we have to work as a squad to improve that.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was an eye-catching remark at the end of a week that began with reports that some United players had grown unhappy with the manager.<\/p>\n
A key Champions League match against Bayern Munich and Premier League trip to rivals Liverpool now follows for a Jekyll and Hyde team incapable of performing reliably.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a group, we have to improve,\u201d Ten Hag said. \u201cThat\u2019s a fact. We have to get tougher, that we are ready for the game and from the start.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said on Friday, it can\u2019t be in this league that you are not playing on the highest levels because you get killed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what happened in the five minutes and then you are following facts and especially against them, such a good transition team, you make life easy for them. They have the perfect conditions to play in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you see the team fighting, battling, put a lot of effort in for a long period to return in the game, but it can\u2019t happen that you so easily concede a goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
United will dominate the post-match discussion but this was Bournemouth\u2019s day having achieved one of the greatest results in club history.<\/p>\n
Iraola and his players were serenaded after a famous win that underlines just how far the Cherries have come this term.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel it was really great, obviously,\u201d summer appointment Iraola said. \u201cToday we had a really good performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the team suffered when they had to suffer. We defended really well and we knew that probably in transitions we would have our chances and we took them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked how this win compared to his victories as Rayo Vallecano boss at Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Cherries manager said: \u201cIt\u2019s a difficult comparison. I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is probably the best result in England. I think it\u2019s nice to win in this kind of a stadium with this kind of performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you look it\u2019s 3-0, we could even have scored the fourth one.<\/p>\n
\nI think for us was the key to defend well and then to be dangerous in transitions<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cBut we\u2019ve had moments to suffer also in the first half because they were more on the ball, we were defending quite well.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut with the quality of the players they have, you never know when they can make the difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think for us was the key to defend well and then to be dangerous in transitions.\u201d<\/p>\n