Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag opened up on his fury with the manner of his side’s Europa League exit at Sevilla but was happier with the FA Cup success vs Brighton
Erik ten Hag lamented how he “did not recognise” his Manchester United side in their painful Europa League exit at the hands of Sevilla – but praised how the team has responded to that setback.
United were outclassed in an error-strewn performance against a side in the lower half of La Liga as their impressive European campaign ended with a whimper in the Andalusian city. Just three days later, Ten Hag’s side showed their resilience as they beat Brighton in their FA Cup semi-final.
The Seagulls were hugely impressive in an evenly-balanced encounter which could have gone either way, but neither side were able to find the net. United were almost unrecognisable from their loss in Seville, putting in a performance of balance and coherence.
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The calamitous showing in Spain was not the first time United endured a horror show this season, with their four-goal loss at Brentford, 6-3 defeat at Manchester City and most notably, their seven-goal defeat at Anfield. Yet on each occasion they have bounced back, and the same was true on Sunday as they progressed to their second domestic cup final of the campaign.
“On Thursday I saw a team I didn’t recognise but today we went back to usual,” Ten Hag told BBC Sport after Sunday’s game. “I could see determination and resilience. We fought for every yard and competed in every battle. We had good chances.”
The loss in Seville was particularly hard on goalkeeper David de Gea, who inadvertently played a role in all three of Sevilla’s goals. Yet he also responded against Brighton, keeping a clean sheet to help United progress.
Erik ten Hag points finger of blame at Manchester United players:
Erik ten Hag points finger of blame at Manchester United players: “It’s unacceptable”
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