Most people noticed the yawning gap between midfield and attack as Manchester United were picked apart by Manchester City in the first half of Sunday’s derby.
The hosts were allowed to show the peak of their talents as a result and United found themselves 4-0 down at the break. On the surface, it looked as though Erik ten Hag had got his tactics wrong.
But after the game it became apparent that the team had in fact failed to have the confidence to carry out the instructions Ten Hag had laid out. "I am very disappointed, especially at the lack of belief. I didn't expect it,” he said.
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“We take the wrong decisions in transition on the left side and all of a sudden we don't follow the rules, we're undisciplined and we're 1-0 down. That cannot happen and it is unacceptable.”
One thing that's certain is that Ten Hag does not lack belief in his own tactical plans. He held a team meeting at Carrington on Monday to dissect what happened in the 6-3 defeat 24 hours before, and his players' performances.
During it, he might have repeated comments he made to media after full-time. In his reaction to the result, Ten Hag underlined that his team did not follow his instructions.
The Dutchman explained that when they did do so against Arsenal and Liverpool, they came away with three points. He said: “It's clear we did well against top teams like Liverpool and Arsenal, when we were disciplined and we followed the rules and principles, we had belief to play and we were on the front foot defending.
“Then you can bring a good performance and that can bring a result. When you don't, when you are not on the front foot, when you are not brave to play, you get the result as today."
United can show they have heeded Ten Hag’s lesson with performances against Europa League minnows Omonia in Cyprus on Thursday and then at Goodison Park against Everton on Sunday.
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