Erik ten Hag admitted that Manchester United need to “look in the mirror” after losing their fourth game of the season on Wednesday evening.
The Red Devils were beaten 4-3 by Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League group stage game of the season as goals from Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane and Mathys Tel rendered strikes from Rasmus Hojlund – his first for United – and Casemiro (2) inconsequential.
Wednesday’s defeat to Bayern was the Red Devils’ fourth of the season already and second in four days – United were comprehensively beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 at Old Trafford in their last outing.
Speaking after the game to the press, Ten Hag lamented how easily his team conceded the four goals on the night, saying: “Disappointed and when you score three goals in Munich, at the least you have to take a point and we didn’t. And you have to look in the mirror because the goals were easy giveaways.
“We were in the first 25 minutes better in the game than Munich and then that goal, it was so easy and it was not only Andre [Onana]. If you see how easy Sane is going through and that has to do with determination, you don’t let players through so easy.
“That is the point – we have to cross the line as an individual and as a team to win games because it started there. That’s what I mean, you have to suffer, sacrifice in situations, to give everything and to stop that and only when we get that in are we going to win games.
“Of course, he [Onana] knows he has to stop the ball but the way [Leroy] Sane came through can’t be. And the second goal; it’s almost similar over the other side. How easy players come through our box and to finish, it can’t be.”
Ten Hag also bemoaned United’s inability to beat teams playing at the highest level – a problem that first reared its head last season as the club failed to win any games from home against teams in the top half of the Premier League.
“What you have seen on a very high level, it was against Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Brighton, all top-level teams,” he added. “We go head to head but they win.”
United’s chance to make things right comes on Saturday when they face newly-promoted Burnley at Turf Moor.
