Erik ten Hag’s side were humbled 3-0 in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final, as they crashed out of the tournament with a 5-2 aggregate loss.
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Manchester United have an important game coming in the form of a FA Cup semi-final against Brighton. The game could not have come at a better time for the Red Devils following their mid-week humiliation in Spain. Erik ten Hag’s side were humbled 3-0 in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final, as they crashed out of the tournament with a 5-2 aggregate loss. Alarm bells started ringing following that disappointing performance, which was to be expected for a club of United’s stature.
However, the positive is that they quickly have an important game at hand to bounce back from the setback. Manager Erik ten Hag is optimistic about his team’s chances of putting up a good show following the mid-week fiasco. “The team showed character on several occasions this season, so we believe they can do it again. We have to do it again because of course we are not happy [about the Sevilla game], we were really disappointed and frustrated with our performance and level as this is not our standard. We want to act,” he told club media.
Asked what does he want to see from his players at Wembley, ten Hag replied, “First of all, bring your own performance. We will make a good plan and from there on, [try and] execute it. Then you have to manage the game and anticipate if the opponent can do different stuff. You have to anticipate these things and deal with the circumstances, make it your game. We can play football and we have shown this so many times, we beat all the big teams in the Premier League. We know we can do it but, in the moment, you have to do it.”
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The manager then shifted his attention to Brighton and praised their style of football. However, he wants his own players to dictate the game. “They have, they play good football, decent football and they have a good idea on how to play. But as I said, we have to make it our game and we are looking forward as it was a great pleasure to analyse them. It was also a pleasure to find some issues against them so we will give our best and I think that is what everyone can expect from us. It is not what we did [on Thursday], but it is what we have to do in every occasion, especially when you are playing in the semi-final of an FA Cup,” he explained.
This is the second time Manchester United will be traveling to Wembley this season following the EFL cup triumph against Newcastle United not so long ago. Erik ten Hag was asked what can the players draw from that day to take into this game. “It is only that we have the experience, to play in that ambience. For the rest, it is nothing because it is a new game and we have to prove ourselves again. This is what you have to do and for our routine, you have to do this in every game, every game is a test. You have to earn the shirt of Manchester United and that is how you must go into every game, and you need the team. Therefore, you have to stick together as a team and stick to the plan and then we will have a great chance of winning,” he explained.
