Erik ten Hag was left frustrated by Manchester United’s defending during the closing stages in their defeat against Fulham (Picture: Hayters TV)
Erik ten Hag lamented his team’s lack of coordinated pressing in the build-up to Fulham’s shock late winning goal against Manchester United.
The Red Devils lost ground in the race for a Champions League place after seeing their four-game winning run come to an end in demoralising fashion with a 2-1 defeat.
After an uneventful first-half, the Cottagers took a deserved lead when Calvin Bassey lashed the visitors ahead shortly before the midway period in the second half.
To their credit, United forced an equaliser in the closing stages when Harry Maguire pounced on an error from Bernd Leno to plunder his first Premier League goal in two years.
Ten Hag’s side threw caution to the wind thereafter in their search for a winner and were caught cold when Adama Traore powered away from Christian Eriksen and Maguire to tee-up Alex Iwobi.
Alex Iwobi scored Fulham’s late winner against Manchester United (Picture: Getty)
The United boss was far from impressed, however, by the way in which Fulham were able to launch an attack which started near their own corner flag with a throw-in.
‘It was a throw-in [for Fulham] in the corner, we had them under pressure and we have one player in the wrong position,’ Ten Hag told the BBC.
‘As a team we should manage that and make sure everyone is in the right position. We let them escape and it is avoidable.’
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In an earlier interview with beIN Sport, Ten Hag said: ‘We lost the game with one loose moment, we forgot to press when the ball was in the corner from a throw-in. That had big consequences.
‘I think it’s bad positioning. We should push each other there more. It can’t happen when the opponent has a throw-in in the corner we should close them down and not allow time to break.
‘There is only one player in position. The team has to make sure the positions are good and for the detail we get punished.’
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