Erik ten Hag insists he did not panic over Manchester United's chastening start to the season as it was "part of the process".
United lost 2-1 at home to Brighton in their first game of the campaign and were thrashed 4-0 at Brentford six days later, a performance so abject Ten Hag ordered the players in for training the next day for a punishing run in 30-degree heat.
Ten Hag has transformed United within six months and the club ended a trophy drought that had strayed close to six years with victory over Newcastle in the League Cup final on Sunday.
Also read: Ten Hag targeting two major signings in summer
United host West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday, take on Real Betis in the round-of-16 in the Europa League next week and are third in the Premier League.
"I know from experience from previous jobs it takes time before you get into a way of playing," Ten Hag explained, "before you get into the rules and the principles, you get routines into a team and, time is not always going with the right results.
"So when the right results weren't there at the start of the season. I didn't panic because I knew it was part of the process. You find out, you learn a lot in those weeks, when you lose it's not nice, you hate to lose.
"But you also get some good lessons and you get a view of what are the opportunities, what are the deficits and you can work on that and the way you play."
Ten Hag ensured academy players Radek Vitek, Brandon Williams, Rhys Bennett, Zidane Iqbal and Kobbie Mainoo were in the United dressing room for the post-match celebrations at Wembley to recognise their involvement in training sessions during United's triumphant run in the League Cup.
With rotation inevitable against West Ham, Ten Hag reiterated it has been a squad effort this season. "Let's make myself clear: we didn't win with 11 players, we did win with a squad.
"And I think the squad the whole season is so important and every time players come in if it's for a whole game, minutes, a couple of games, also during games we can change the dynamics, we do it with many more than 11 players.
"So I count on them and I know they will be ready. Because every time they play they take responsibility and it's about that but you also have to fight for your position. There can be great months ahead of us and great games and everyone wants to play games. The players who form the best teams will play, so it's also for Maguire. When he plays well he can come into the team.
"It was not my perspective from the celebrations, I think everyone was involved, everyone was happy, and everyone had the idea we did it collectively, not individual or one, two, three players did this. It was the performance of the whole team, the whole squad."
READ MORE:
