Erik ten Hag, the Manchester United manager, defended his team against criticism regarding the number of shots Everton had during their recent encounter, emphasizing that the Toffees’ chances were of “low-quality.” Despite Everton’s 23 attempts, only six were on target, as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford, extending their winless streak to 11 Premier League games.
The Red Devils secured victory in the first half through penalties converted by Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, both earned by Alejandro Garnacho.
Ten Hag attributed United’s success to a strategic adjustment in response to Everton’s high pressing. He commended his players for executing the game plan, dropping Bruno and Scott McTominay, and exploiting the spaces behind Everton’s defense.
Ten Hag highlighted the effectiveness of their approach, stating:
“I think the lads did a very good transfer of the game plan by dropping Bruno and Scott [McTominay], and then get in the runs in behind from Garnacho and Rashford.
“We expect the high press from Everton, with their double six goes to our double six and then we created the spaces in behind. I was pleased with that and from there we scored the goals, the penalties, we took benefit from, the way of play, from the pressing.
“We do it already for a longer time in many more games. If you see their xG [expected goals] is not that high and ours is much higher.
“It is their gameplan, obviously. We have players who feel comfortable to defend low but you have to be disciplined and you have to incorporate it very well. It was a team performance, especially our back four with the keeper and Casemiro. They have done very well.
“That’s not true (United will concede lots of goals) because they are low-quality chances. You see the chances, they had some, also I think the way we defended set-plays was very good.
“We were really organised and we were focused – everyone did their job. There was one or two second phases where they had some opportunities but all over we did quite well.”
Contrary to concerns about United conceding many goals, Ten Hag argued that Everton’s chances were low-quality. He pointed out that the defensive set-up was successful, and the team remained focused and organized throughout the match. While acknowledging one or two opportunities for Everton in second phases, Ten Hag credited his players for their overall performance in managing and limiting the quality of the opposition’s chances.
The manager’s analysis underscores the importance of defensive discipline and strategic adjustments in achieving success on the pitch. As Manchester United navigates the season, Ten Hag’s emphasis on defensive organization and effectiveness against specific opponent strategies will likely influence their approach in future matches.