Ten Hag: We have to accept it and learn
Erik ten Hag couldn’t fault his Manchester United players’ effort against Bayern Munich and rued our earlier Group A results as we bowed out of the UEFA Champions League.
Kingsley Coman’s goal for Bayern at Old Trafford, combined with FC Copenhagen’s 1-0 win over Galatasaray in the other group game, means there will be no continental football for the Reds in the new year.
But Ten Hag saw plenty of spirit from his players against the Bundesliga champions and wants them to take the positives from an up-and-down European campaign into the rest of the Premier League season, in the bid to secure a seat at the top table again next term.
Here are the key points from Erik's post-match interviews with official broadcasters…
Erik's post-match press conference
Erik ten Hag speaks to reporters at Old Trafford following our Champions League exit...
WE DIDN’T DESERVE TO LOSE
“We didn't lose today in the Champions League, we lost it before. We have to acknowledge that. I think we’ve had some good performances but then also we made mistakes, individual errors from players. In the end, it’s not good enough but I think, today, the performance was very good again and we didn’t deserve to lose.”
HAPPY WITH THE EFFORT
“The team did very good, we were very good in the defending organisation, we were very good in the pressing. We had many ball regains, especially at the start of the second half. I think the team very good together and there was good spirit. We won a lot of balls but didn't take benefit from it.
“Also we played against a strong side – Bayern is a good team and even if they are not in the game, they have individual class to use one moment and unfortunately, it happened.”
ABSENCES LIMITED MY OPTIONS
“That’s clear. The players gave everything – you saw the spirit and, as I said, I have to credit the team; big compliment for the way they worked together as a team against this good Bayern side. But, of course, when the game is going, you need energy from the bench, and especially in the frontline, the options were limited.”
MAGUIRE AND SHAW UPDATE
“I can’t say in this moment. Obviously, I have to wait 24 hours and then we have an assessment, a diagnosis, so we have to wait for it.”
WE WANT TO BE BACK HERE
“Football is always when you don't get the points, it's that you are not qualifying. You have to take that, as a coach and a manager, and you have to look at the performances. We had some good performances in the Champions League, with attacking football, but, at the end of the day, we don't have the points to qualify.
“We have to accept it and learn from it. We’ve played some good football in the Champions League; for example Rasmus Hojlund scored five times and that’s a very good performance, and he has to take that belief into the Premier League. I think that counts for the whole team.
“We know we want to be more consistent and me as a manager, I have to improve the team, the team’s progress, and I have to guide them, and the players have to take responsibilities, so we have to do that together. We want to be back again in the Champions League.”
OUR SPIRIT IS CLEAR
“We always have pressure. We want to win every game. You have seen today, against one of the favourites for the Champions League, we go and give everything to win the game. There was the belief. We had that before the game, you've seen the spirit of the team on the pitch and there will be at Anfield on Sunday.”