Erik ten Hag has assured Manchester United supporters he will not tolerate anything remotely comparable to their second half performance at Liverpool on Sunday.
United trailed Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield at the interval but were annihilated 7-0 in what was their biggest defeat since 1931 and Ten Hag read the riot act to the players in the away dressing room after the thrashing.
Ten Hag arrived at United's Carrington training complex almost two hours before the players reported the following day for a debrief and the United manager believes they learnt two critical lessons at Liverpool.
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In his programme notes ahead of the Europa League round-of-16 first leg with Real Betis, Ten Hag wrote: "There are some performances and results which cannot be quickly forgotten, and our defeat at Anfield is an obvious example of this.
"It is not acceptable for Manchester United to lose in that fashion to any team, but especially not to Liverpool.
"I want to make clear to you, our fans, that I share your bitter disappointment about the result, and the players have been left in no doubt that we cannot tolerate what we saw in the second half on Sunday. Me, the staff and all the players have to take joint responsibility and learn from what went wrong.
"For the players, the two main lessons are clear. In the first half, we saw what happens when you don't take big chances in tight games, and when you lose concentration for just a moment. In the second half, we saw what happens when you don't stick together and keep your discipline as a group.
"We forgot all the rules and principles which have been delivering good results for us since returning from the World Cup, and we were punished harshly.
"The only good thing about such a result is that it removes any complacency that might have been creeping in after recent positive results and shows us the hard work still needed to get this team to the level we want to be at."
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