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Erik ten Hag admits Manchester United must improve after a 3-0 home defeat by Tottenham branded “one of the worst performances I have seen” by former captain Gary Neville.
Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke all scored as Spurs took full advantage of United having Bruno Fernandes sent off before half time.
It was United’s third defeat already in the Premier League this season and followed a tepid midweek draw at home to FC Twente in the Europa League.
Pressure is building on Ten Hag despite the club doubling down on the Dutchman in the summer by handing him a new, improved contract and hiring new assistants.
“It’s a bad start to the game, we couldn’t get the right press and made many mistakes in possession,” said Ten Hag.
“But we could have come back in the game because we had our chances and then the red card of course changed the game.
“It was no good, it’s not possible that a centre-back can dribble through the whole team and cross. This can’t happen.
“Tomorrow is a new day, we have to learn and do better. I don’t want to talk about progress, we have to deal with this and show resilience. We close this game down, deal with it and move on.”
Neville, working as a co-commentator on Sky Sports, called United’s first-half display “one of the worst performances I have seen under Ten Hag – and that is saying something.”
Tottenham needed just three minutes to take the lead, when defender Micky van de Ven strode 60 yards past four players before squaring for Johnson to tap in at the far post.
Both teams had chances before the game’s next key moment, shortly before half-time, when Fernandes lunged at James Maddison and received a straight red card.
Spurs took full advantage just after the break when Kulusevski nimbly adjusted his feet to lift a deflected cross over advancing United goalkeeper Andre Onana.
United rallied despite their numerical disadvantage but Solanke killed off any hope of an unlikely comeback in the 77th minute when he touched in Pape Sarr’s flick on.
Fernandes insisted he should not have been sent off, calling his tackle on Maddison “a clear foul but not a red card”.
He added: “If this is a red card we have to look at many other incidents. I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t call the referee to the screen.”
The result lifted Tottenham to eighth in the table, three points above United, who lie 12th.
Earlier, £20m summer signing Liam Delap scored twice as top-flight newcomers Ipswich Town dented Aston Villa’s top-four ambitions in a 2-2 draw at Portman Road.
Delap gave the hosts an early lead but Morgan Rodgers and Ollie Watkins looked to have earned the points for Villa until the forward’s solo second 18 minutes from time.
