Erik ten Hag has insisted Brighton will face a different Manchester United in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final from the one they came up against on the opening day of the season. That encounter ended in a 2-1 defeat for United at Old Trafford and Ten Hag is proud of the progress his players have made since then, but admits they still have “steps to go” in building a winning mentality.
Ten Hag leads United into a second domestic semi-final still furious with how they performed in their Europa League quarter-final second leg against Sevilla on Thursday. He reiterated his view that the 3-0 loss – which led United to exit the competition 5-2 on aggregate – was “unacceptable”, mainly because of how the team capitulated after going behind inside eight minutes to Youssef En-Nesyri’s first of two goals at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
“I was really mad,” Ten Hag said. “If you play a quarter-final in the Europa League you give everything and we didn’t. For any club, for any team, that is unacceptable. As a manager I can’t accept that my team is not giving its best. I will never accept it. I make them [the players] aware what my feelings about the game were; that they didn’t match the standards [I expect].
“I hope everyone sees that we have made progress [since the opening day of the season]. We are a different team now. And none of the team will always play at the highest level, but even if you don’t play the highest level you still have to win. That is what we have to learn: how to deal with setbacks in a game. We have to carry on, we have to stick to the plan, we have to stick to the game and we have to keep the confidence. So yes, we have steps to go.”
Ten Hag is prepared “to teach” his players how to have a stronger winning mentality, but as the 53-year-old nears the end of his first season in charge of United it is clear there is only so much he is willing to tolerate. Up to 15 players could leave the club this summer as part of a major overhaul, with Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire among those who are seemingly under threat.
That is for the future. For now the focus is on Sunday and, for United, a second appearance at Wembley inside eight weeks, after their 2-0 triumph over Newcastle in February’s Carabao Cup final. Victory will not be easy against Brighton who arrive at the national stadium having won six of their last nine games, most recently away to Chelsea when Roberto De Zerbi’s men delivered a brilliant display in and out of possession. Brighton have also won their past two games against United, beating them 4-0 at the Amex Stadium last May before their success at Old Trafford three months later.
Ten Hag is aware of the danger his team faces and is planning to select his strongest possible lineup. That, in all likelihood, means Bruno Fernandes returning to midfield alongside Casemiro and Christian Eriksen having missed the defeat in Seville due to suspension. For various reasons the trio have not played regularly together this season, something Ten Hag admits is a source of frustration.
“I’ve said before one of the things that we didn’t have is the opportunity so often to play the same team, in the midfield department but also other lines, because of injuries and suspensions,” he said. “Also when you play a lot of games, and the load is getting higher, you need to rotate because you have to keep the players fit and fresh.
“But in this moment, when you play a semi-final, you only have one opportunity [to win], so you’re looking for the best team in that moment.”
