Coach Ten Hag complains about Man Utd's effectiveness

Coach Erik ten Hag wants Man Utd to take advantage of the opportunity to settle the match earlier, after defeating Wolves 2-0 in round 36 of the Premier League.

"We missed great chances," said Ten Hag after the win at Old Trafford. "We have to meet the highest standards to win games. But Man Utd don't do it easily, that's in the team's DNA. Once again, we made the opposing goalkeeper the best player of the match."

At Old Trafford, Man Utd had 27 shots with nine on target, while Wolves only had five and all missed the target.

The home side opened the scoring with Anthony Martial's tap-in in the 32nd minute. They then squandered over a dozen good chances, and only managed to seal the deal in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Alejandro Garnacho beat the offside trap to meet Bruno Fernandes' through ball and fired into the near corner, hitting the inside of the post.

Coach Ten Hag chatted with Garnacho after the match at Old Trafford last night, May 13. Photo: AFP — Coach Ten Hag chatted with Garnacho after the match at Old Trafford last night, May 13. Photo: *AFP*

According to Ten Hag, after two consecutive defeats against Brighton and West Ham, Man Utd took the initiative to play slowly, patiently and relieve pressure with Martial's opening goal. The Dutch coach emphasized that his students must be more careful and take advantage of better opportunities to quickly resolve the match, but was satisfied with the result.

The 2-0 win over Wolves helped Ten Hag reach 38 wins in all competitions this season - a record for a Man Utd manager in his debut season. Ten Hag has the opportunity to further break this record with Man Utd having four remaining matches. The "Red Devils" will face Bournemouth on May 20, Chelsea on May 25, Fulham on May 28 in the Premier League and the FA Cup final against Man City on June 3.

The previous record belonged to Jose Mourinho - who had 37 wins in the 2016-2017 season, winning three titles: the League Cup, the Community Shield and the Europa League. Following him were David Moyes (27 wins in the 2013-2014 season), Frank O'Farrell (24 wins in the 1971-1972 season), Wilf McGuinness (23 wins in the 1969-1970 season), Louis van Gaal (23 wins in the 2014-2015 season).

More importantly, the victory over Wolves helped Man Utd move closer to a Champions League ticket next season. The Old Trafford team is currently fourth with 66 points, equal with Newcastle, four points ahead of Liverpool and needs to win two of the remaining three matches to secure a place in the top four.

"Today's win means nothing if we are not in the top three or four," added Ten Hag. "We have to stay calm, focused and look forward to the next game. We have to keep the right energy levels to fight and get over the line. Tiredness can never be an excuse. As a Man Utd player, you always have to perform well, meet high standards, perform and take responsibility as an individual and as a team."

Asked about his transfer plans for next season, the 52-year-old replied: "That's not up to me, it's an aspect of the club that others deal with, the owners. I have to develop the squad and of course plan. I'm aiming for high standards and I'm planning a Man Utd squad with high standards next season. Then the people at the top will decide on the financial side."

Hong Duy

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