Erik ten Hag told his Manchester United players post-match that it was unacceptable that his team allowed Newcastle to be “angrier” than them in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at St James’ Park.
Goals from Joe Willock and Callum Wilson saw the Magpies edge ahead of the Reds into third in the table on goal difference with the Reds in danger of falling out of the top four should Tottenham, who will have played two games more, beat Everton on Monday night.
United have now failed to score in their last three Premier League games and are consequently very much in a battle for a top-four spot. Their last league win came in February, four top-flight fixtures ago.
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Newcastle held United to a goalless draw in October’s meeting at Old Trafford before succumbing to them 2-0 in February’s Carabao Cup final. Ten Hag had earlier admitted that the hosts would have been out for revenge at the weekend but was appalled by his side’s lack of pushback against this.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, he said: “I said after the game in the dressing room, ‘It can’t be that the opponent is angrier than we are’. The race for the top four is going to be a fight, and you can only win that when you match the desire and passion of the opponent.
“Setbacks always you have to deal with, we have to leave this behind and only take the lessons from the determination, about the passion and desire.”
In his post-match press conference, Ten Hag gave a similarly scathing assessment of United’s fight during the 90 minutes.
He added: "They were more determined, more aggression and more desire, in many situations on the pitch and then you can’t win games. I was surprised that we couldn't match the determination and the passion of the opponent.
“And I think you know before when you travel to St James' Park and Newcastle what will be going on, especially after we won the cup. So if you want to win big games you have to be mature and I didn't see that today.”
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