Erik ten Hag annoyed by reporter’s question after Manchester United’s woeful defeat to Tottenham

Erik ten Hag appeared irritated when asked whether Manchester United were guilty of making the same old mistakes in the wake of his side’s dismal 3-0 defeat to Tottenham.

The Red Devils were aiming to bounce back from a disappointing goalless draw at Crystal Palace last time out in the Premier League but went behind after only three minutes, with Brennan Johnson directing home Micky van de Ven’s pinpoint cross to silence Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes was sent off for a reckless challenge on James Maddison in the 42nd minute and United’s crisis worsened in the second half as goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke put Spurs out of sight.

Ten Hag cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as the visitors held firm to secure victory, a result that propelled Ange Postecoglou’s men to eighth in the Premier League table.

United, meanwhile, remain stranded down in 12th place after six games, already eight points adrift of league leaders and reigning champions Manchester City.

‘It’s a bad start to the game. Tottenham were dominant, we couldn’t get the right press and we also made many mistakes in possession,’ Ten Hag said in his post-match interview.

‘We couldn’t find the spare man, we couldn’t pass over the press, we made wrong decisions but we could have come back in the game.

‘We had chances with [Joshua] Zirkzee and with [Alejandro] Garnacho on the post and then the red card, of course, changed the game.’

On United’s first-half display, the Dutchman added: ‘It was no good.

‘It’s not possible that a player from the back can dribble through the whole team, a centre-back of the opponent, and then put a cross in.

‘You stop that first and also on the counter-attack and we made very clear before the game how we should defend this so this can’t happen.

‘Then we lost a bit of confidence and we were also poor in possession. We can do better there and all the players know this.’

Ten Hag appeared on the verge of losing his cool when Sky Sports’ Patrick Davison asked whether United were guilty of ‘familiar failings’ on his watch.

‘I don’t think… I’m not aware what you are thinking. What do you mean?,’ Ten Hag replied to which Davison responded: ‘I mean turning the ball over when you’re trying to play out, I mean the press not looking entirely coordinated…’.’

The United manager went on to concede that his players had displayed ‘very bad decision-making’ throughout the contest.

‘The press was no good in the first half, that I agree with,’ he continued.

‘But how we concede some counter-attacks after we counter, we make very bad decision-making, we had a lot of space and that’s then also, I would say, the form of the form of the day.’

Ten Hag went on: ‘It is always a new day and I told them in the dressing room, “Come on, tomorrow is a new day”, but, yeah, definitely we have to learn.

‘We have to do things better, we have to be better at pressing, especially also better on the ball.

‘We have to learn situations where we could have played better, to find the spare man or play over the press, to keep the ball and play from there and we didn’t do that.

‘Of course that is disappointing.’

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