Erik ten Hag wants his Manchester United players to turn into “robots” to ensure they clinch a top-four finish and a Champions League place.
Ten Hag admitted his players fell back into “old habits” in their “unacceptable” 2-0 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday, with United down to fifth in the table. United will return to third spot with victory over Brentford on Wednesday night, with Ten Hag demanding his players perform like machines to stop their season from malfunctioning completely.
“We returned to old habits but I also know there are fluctuations, people are not robots,” said Ten Hag. “But we have to act as robots, as machines, we have to expect and demand from our players that they match the standards.
“So when we're not doing that we're disappointed, because that's our job. We returned to bad habits and then you get hammered. They know this, the players know this, they talk with each other and they know this is not the standard for a Manchester United team.
“We had a tough programme but it is unacceptable and I don’t accept it. We are in the final part of the season and everyone must stick together."
Despite his anger, Ten Hag said his task was to cut through the emotion of the defeat and ensure his players get back on track – as they have done already this season after setbacks.
“I know how football is, taking in the emotion after one defeat, but we are in the right position,” said Ten Hag. "You can talk about deficits - and every squad has deficits - but I trust my players to give good performances and get the best results.
“They have shown it so many times - Arsenal at home, Liverpool at home, Manchester City home, Barcelona twice, so they can do it. So I trust my players. We are in the right position. We had a bad start to the season and you can go to Newcastle and deliver far below the standards we expect.”
Christian Eriksen, out since late January with ankle ligament damage, returned to full training on Tuesday and could be on the bench for Saturday's home game against Everton. Luke Shaw, who signed a new contract until 2027 on Tuesday, is set to start and the left-back opened up on why he decided to extend his United career.
“I’m thrilled to be extending my stay," said Shaw. "I’ve grown immensely since coming to Manchester all those years ago, both as a person and as a player - I know what is needed to succeed at a club like this. We’re at the beginning of our journey under the manager and his coaching staff. We’ve been successful already this season, but we want much more.
"There’s a great opportunity to create something special here, and I’m going to give everything to be part of that.”
