Ten Hag not afraid of using Sir Alex’s approach at Manchester United

Manchester United were their own worst enemies against Sevilla, as they crashed out of the Europa League quarter-finals with a 5-2 defeat on aggregate.

The Red Devils gifted Sevilla four goals over the two legs. At Old Trafford, the ball flicked off Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire and flashed past David de Gea on two different occasions to cancel out Marcel Sabitzer’s brace. What should have been a thumping win considering United’s dominance in the first five quarters, turned into a coin-toss affair.

In Seville, United picked up where they left off a week earlier. Maguire and De Gea’s poor link-up play opened the doors for Youssef En-Nesyri to find the opener. The Spaniard goalkeeper’s attempt at controlling the ball in the second half was even more embarrassing and fell into the Sevilla striker’s path for a finish into an empty net.

Ten Hag was furious with the generous display of his players. In his interview after the 3-0 defeat, he insisted United lacked fight and their performance was “unacceptable.”

Ten Hag gives his thoughts on Sir Alex’s approach at Manchester United

One wonders how Sir Alex Ferguson would’ve reacted in the dressing room after such a performance. Certainly, more than one star would’ve found himself at the end of his hairdryer treatment.

When asked about using strict measures to get his message across, Ten Hag said: “Sometimes, yeah, I can go strong in certain situations. But it’s a tool and it’s about the timing of when to use [it]. As a coach, with your communication style, you can pick many styles, and this is one of them.”

The FA Cup semi-final clash against Brighton and Hove Albion at Wembley provides United with a perfect opportunity to show what they’ve learned from the defeat at Sevilla.

Any player who hides on Sunday should not only receive a similar treatment to Sir Alex’s infamous approach but Ten Hag should also reconsider their future at Manchester United come the end of the season.