Erik ten Hag has issued a warning to his Manchester United players following their disappointing draw with Premier League strugglers Leeds United. A win for the Red Devils would have put them five points ahead of Newcastle United, despite having played one more game than Eddie Howe’s team..
However, a raucous away end at Old Trafford propelled managerless Leeds United to a two-goal lead, only for Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to ensure a share of the spoils at full-time. The Whites’ aggressive playing style, buoyed on by their fans, left the Red Devils stunned..
At full-time, Ten Hag downplayed the impact of the away fans, but he also issued a warning to his players ahead of the Carabao Cup Final against Newcastle later this month. Howe and his team will return to the home of English football after a two-decade absence.
Newcastle fans will be out in force, backed by 32,761 supporters in Wembley’s West End, hoping to cheer on the Magpies to victory. The Toon Army is known for their fervent support, and Howe will be hoping for them to act as a 12th man in the Final.
Ten Hag’s message about the traveling away support at home to Leeds will, no doubt, be the same at Wembley later this month..
When asked about the raucous Whites’ atmosphere, the Reds boss told the Manchester Evening News: “We’re not playing against the fans, you’re playing against the XI who are on the pitch.
So come on, accept responsibility, and first deal with the ball – that was the first mistake – because we have good football players. But we also need to make sure we’re in the right formation because there was an issue with the first goal; there was a bad decision made by one of the players..
“Second, win your battles. You must win your battles. Then you cannot concede such goals as we did. The third point is about the rules. Make sure you follow the rules, and it will be too easy for us to concede goals.”
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