While reflecting on Manchester United’s 2-0 loss to West Ham on Saturday afternoon at the London Stadium, Erik ten Hag lamented the crucial moment when his team ‘switched off’ before they conceded the two goals.
Ten Hag says a momentary lapse in concentration allowed Jarrod Bowen to break the deadlock in the 72nd minute, shifting the game’s control away from the Reds.
Just six minutes later, Mohammed Kudus, a player familiar to Ten Hag from their time together at Ajax, capitalized on another uncharacteristic error to double the Hammers’ advantage and pile more pressure on the Manchester United tactician.
This rapid succession of goals left United on the disappointing end of an away defeat, on a day when debutant Willy Kambwala and the seasoned Jonny Evans formed the club’s 10th different center-back partnership of the season.
“Our performance was telling me it’s a game [that was] not alive. I think we were controlling the game,” Ten Hag said.
” I think we performed very solid, controlling the game in possession. Also, we didn’t give chances away, not on transition, but then we had to score.
“We had opportunities and we didn’t do it. And then I think with one moment of switching off, we conceded a goal.”
The Reds have now suffered their eighth league loss this season and slip to eighth on the log. They trail fourth-placed Manchester City by six points with an extra game played.
With also this loss, United have now lost 20 times this year, their worst tally in 34 years.
In their next games, Ten Hag’s will host high-flying Aston Villa on Boxing Day Infront of their fans before travelling to the City Grounds to face Nottingham Forest on 30th December in their last game of the year.
