“The reason Fulham won was because we allowed them” — Ten Hag

Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag breaks his silence on the shock defeat to Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday to mark the Red Devils’ 8th on the famous home turf.

According to the Dutchman, the Red Devils were their own demons in the 1-2 defeat to the Cottagers whose victory was ensured by the Super Eagles duo of Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey.

Reflecting on the match, Ten Hag pointed out a crucial mistake in his team’s defensive strategy during the closing stages, particularly in the build-up to Fulham’s decisive late goal.

“It was a throw-in [for Fulham] in the corner, we had them under pressure, and we have one player in the wrong position,” Ten Hag explained to the BBC.

He expressed disappointment over the lack of coordinated pressing from his players, which ultimately allowed Fulham to capitalize and secure the victory.

The game saw Fulham take the lead in the second half through Calvin Bassey, only for United to equalize thanks to a goal from Harry Maguire. However, as United pushed forward in search of a winner, they were caught off guard when Adama Traore broke away from Christian Eriksen and Maguire to set up Alex Iwobi for the winning goal.

Ten Hag stressed that United had the opposition under pressure but failed to maintain defensive discipline, allowing Fulham to exploit the situation and ultimately escape with the win.

“As a team, we should manage that and make sure everyone is in the right position. We let them escape, and it is avoidable.”