Feisty, strategic, scattergun, unwitting – Erik ten Hag was definitely disenchanted after Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Rosenborg on Monday. The manager seemed to take aim at Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Jonny Evans, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mason Mount who all played the first half of the pre-season friendly in Trondheim, the 15 academy outfield players deployed throughout, his coaching staff, his medical department plus, inadvertently and clumsily, himself.
“We play pre-season but at Man United the standard is you win games and definitely don’t lose,” the Dutchman told MUTV. “The performance is more important and the performance was below standards. We can make good on everything that was bad, but I am not that guy. As an individual you must make sure you are fit. I know you cannot be match fit, so we need these games. They [young players] are looking to listen and want to transfer that – it didn’t work.”
