Erik ten Hag laments some of Manchester United’s defending as “unacceptable” after his team’s mid-season friendly loss to Cadiz.
On Wednesday night in Spain, a mostly backup United team that was looking to win over their manager ended up losing 4-2 to the La Liga underdogs.
With two poor goals allowed in the first 15 minutes, the Red Devils were especially bad, and Martin Dubravka, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, and Brandon Williams all appeared to be running very slowly.
It was still a very poor performance, even though some rustiness could be excused given the players’ lack of playing time this season—outcast right-back Wan-Bissaka has played just four minutes under Ten Hag so far.
It was evident they weren’t awake in the first 15 minutes, the manager told MUTV after the game.
In transition, they posed a danger. We had a bad rest defense in the second goal, especially in the midfield, and we were run off. It is unacceptable and not possible.
Additionally, you gave up the first goal due to a set play, poor organization, and lack of discipline. After that, we started to get into the game, but we were unable to tie the score before the break.
The initial 15 minutes cannot and should not occur. That doesn’t meet our criteria. We’ll talk again tomorrow. Because this cannot happen again, draw a line and move on.
At halftime, Ten Hag made ten substitutions, replacing more seasoned players with younger ones. The result was a noticeable improvement, but it was not enough to turn the game around.
Ten Hag continued by expressing their dissatisfaction with the match. Although there are always some advantages to losing, today’s situation has more drawbacks.
They expended energy. Runaway and combatants. They may not always be on the right team, and they may make mistakes, but they are not accustomed to competing at this level.
It served as a good reminder that even seemingly minor errors can have significant repercussions. As a result, the game is over and you lose.
On Saturday, United will play Real Betis in its final World Cup-related friendly.
On December 21 against Burnley in the Carabao Cup, they will play their first competitive game since Qatar 2022.
