Manager Erik ten Hag has suggested that he informed his Manchester United players that it was unacceptable to find themselves 4-0 down by half-time during Saturday's crushing defeat to Brentford.
United, who had won their first and only previous visit to the Gtech Community Stadium, winning 3-1 last season, suffered their second consecutive defeat at the start the season, falling to a shameful 4-0 reverse. The damage was complete within the opening 35 minutes of the contest, with two David de Gea errors paving the way for a Brentford onslaught.
After Josh Dasilva and Mathias Jensen had each pounced on De Gea's mistakes, the Bees added to their tally through Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo. United had no answer for Thomas Frank's side and could have found themselves even further behind at the break.
On what he said to his players during the half-time interval, Ten Hag told MUTV: "It's not possible that you, as Man United, conceded four goals in 35 minutes. So the players will know that.
"Then we have a squad and we can sub. [Height] was nothing to do with it. I don't think he [Lisandro Martinez] was the issue. It was more to bring on three fresh ones. I could have changed others as well."
Ten Hag opted to make three changes at the break, bringing on Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia and Scott McTominay in place of Martinez, Luke Shaw and Fred. It made a slight difference, in the sense that United did not concede again, but they failed to muster up much of a threat in the hope of a remarkable comeback.
"I think we all have seen the game and I think Brentford was more hungry, one, and two we concede goals in individual mistakes," Ten Hag added. "You can have a good plan but we had to put the plan into the bin.
"I think it had nothing to do with tactical and that the first two goals, it's about dealing with the ball, that's one, and decisions. I think they follow my instructions but they make bad decisions and that's football, it's a game of mistakes and you get punished."
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