Erik Ten Hag Calls for “Control” After Manchester United and Aston Villa Played to a 2-2 Draw in Perth this afternoon.
Erik ten Hag expressed his displeasure after Manchester United’s inconsistent performance in Perth.
It would be difficult to find a better game to illustrate Ten Hag’s use of the word “control” during his brief tenure as Manchester United manager.
In a game that had two distinct halves, United easily jumped out to a two-goal lead and controlled the game at the break. The story changed in the second half.
The Reds came out as a different team, and Leon Bailey’s assertiveness on the right helped Aston Villa pose a threat as soon as the second half began.
Despite numerous substitutions from both teams, United nearly managed to hold on for the victory, but a late Calum Chambers header made sure that Aston Villa kept their perfect preseason record.
Ten Hag was quick to praise the first half of the game when asked about his impressions before saying that the team must take lessons from the second half.
“Good performance in the first half; two goals up. We returned from the locker room in the second half knowing that we needed to control the game, but we lost it. That’s bad, so there’s a lesson there,”
Erik ten Hag faces a challenge in altering these players’ mentality, which has been an obvious issue in recent years, in addition to how they play the game on the field.
Even though ten Hag is still getting to know his team, he has seen improvement since becoming Manchester United’s manager.
“I believe that the team and the players have advanced significantly. There are many positive aspects, as well as some negative ones, but this is typical for the season. You need to handle it.
Even though there were positives from the trip, Ten Hag will be looking for even more progress in the final two friendlies, which will both be against Spanish opposition, before the season opener against Brighton on August 7.
The Dutchman will be looking to use the final friendlies to hone his approach before he takes charge of his first competitive match at Old Trafford. The preseason has seen a variety of styles and systems deployed.
“We used different systems and a different style of play, and I anticipate that will continue [against Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano].” We’re up against two Spanish teams. a different strategy.
“We want to play football that is proactive. We want to play independently. Attacking football is what we want to play. I believe that today we have observed for a considerable amount of time, but in the end you must control the game, which is what we failed to do.
Ten Hag’s philosophy is already showing signs of success in preseason, but the key is to apply it consistently for the full 90 minutes of a game, not just for a half or a few minutes here and there.
Ten Hag will be looking for more control against Atletico Madrid on Saturday, which will likely be United’s toughest test so far in preseason.
