Erik ten Hag is adamant Manchester United's humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday was caused by individual mistakes rather than it being a consequence of flawed tactical decisions.
United were hoping to bounce back from last weekend's 2-1 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion when they travelled to London, but they left with one of their worst defeats in Premier League history.
Brentford were 4-0 up at half-time, becoming only the third team to reach such a scoreline against United in the Premier League by the interval, while the Red Devils succumbed to a fourth successive league loss for the first time in 43 years.
As such, United finished the day bottom of the Premier League, something that has not occurred since the competition's second matchday ever in August 1992.
Part of United's problem seemed to be their persistence at trying to play out from the back, with Christian Eriksen twice robbed in compromising positions, the second such instance leading to Mathias Jensen making it 2-0 as the United player received a needlessly risky pass from David de Gea.
It was put to Ten Hag in his post-match news conference that United got their tactics wrong against a Brentford side that pressed high with impressive intensity, but the Dutchman refused to accept such an assessment.
"This is a conclusion, I will not admit that," he said. "They can and show already in pre-season this has nothing to do with that and it's about when you make the mistakes you make, every plan and strategy you can put in the bin.
"I think we all have seen the game and I think Brentford was more hungry, and we concede goals in individual mistakes.
"You can have a good plan but we had to put the plan into the bin. I think it had nothing to do with tactical and that the first two goals, it's about dealing with the ball, that's one, and decisions.
"I think they follow my instructions, but they make bad decisions and that's football, it's a game of mistakes and you get punished."
But while Ten Hag is keen for United to try and play out from the back, he was frustrated by the players' inability to adapt to a slightly different approach when aggressive nature of Brentford's pressing became apparent.
Quizzed on Eriksen twice being caught on the ball in deep positions, Ten Hag said: "Yes, but he didn't have to receive the ball there, because we give options and the players have to choose but we said play long, invite them and play long.
"I don't want to play from the back when it's not possible. It was naive how we played today; you have to play more direct. We attracted them, the space was high up the pitch, you have to do that option but that is what we didn't do.
"We will learn, we will have to learn, it's not good enough, clear, it's not the level and the standard how we want to act.
"It's not possible the opponent is more hungry than you are. I saw in the second-half a comeback but you have to start well and it's not good.
"When the results are like this, I can imagine that feeling, it's also no good. That we show that, clear, so we have to change that. We need more hunger on the pitch and show that as an individual and as a team."
Up next for Ten Hag and United is the visit of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to Old Trafford a week on Monday.
Ian Foster has "no idea" if New Zealand's 35-23 Rugby Championship win over South Africa on Saturday will be enough to save his job.
Foster has faced huge pressure as head coach of the All Blacks after a dismal run of five defeats in six Tests, but his team put in an impressive performance in Johannesburg.
Tries from captain Sam Cane and Samisoni Taukei'aho gave them a strong start, only for the world champions to fight back and take the lead with 12 minutes to go courtesy of scores from Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, as well as 15 points from the boot of Handre Pollard.
Beauden Barrett had been sent to the sin bin for New Zealand, but late tries from David Havili and Scott Barrett turned things around for the All Blacks and secured a defiant win.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Foster was asked if he thought the victory might allow him a stay of execution, to which he said: "I have no idea, I am just going to enjoy tonight.
"It's never easy when you are coming off a couple of losses, but [I am] so proud. Just so proud of the effort... they hung in and finished strong."
Three consecutive defeats saw New Zealand plummet to fifth in the world rankings after losing their Rugby Championship opener last weekend, their lowest point in history.
Foster said after that defeat in Mbombela that it had been his team's best performance of the year, despite being beaten by South Africa.
"I know I got a little bit mocked for saying that last week, after the loss, but we made a big shift last week through our forward pack," he added.
"The work [forwards coach] Jason Ryan has done out there was strong, and I really felt we were creating a few opportunities. We wanted it so much we were rushing things. Whereas today [Saturday], we were just more patient."
The All Blacks' next game is against Argentina in Christchurch, and it remains to be seen if Foster will still be at the helm when that takes place on August 27.
Argentina claimed a rare win over Australia as the Pumas emerged 48-17 victors in an entertaining Rugby Championship clash on Saturday.
Australia had only lost one of their previous 14 Tests against Argentina, but the depleted Wallabies were clearly second best in San Juan as Michael Cheika's side got their first points on the table.
A fast start had the Pumas 14-0 up by the seventh minute thanks to tries from Juan Imhoff and Thomas Gallo, and just when Australia looked to have the momentum, another quickfire double courtesy of Jeronimo De La Fuente and Juan Martin Gonzalez had the hosts back in charge.
The second half was a much tighter affair until Gallo's second try of the day, the Pumas ultimately romping to an emphatic victory with more late tries from Emiliano Boffelli and Tomas Albornoz.
A purposeful Argentina were helped to an early lead as a defensive mix-up saw the ball drop kindly in Australia's 22 for Imhoff, who darted over before a successful conversion.
They got their second try of the match in just the fifth minute as prop Gallo bundled over under the posts, with the extras added once again by Boffelli amid a ferocious start by the hosts.
Australia responded as James Slipper went over from close range following a well-worked lineout, and James O'Connor converted before also successfully kicking a penalty.
O'Connor looked to have put Australia in front with 21 thrilling minutes played, but an earlier infringement earned Argentina a reprieve that they duly took full advantage of.
De La Fuente beat two men and dotted down for a gutsy try after seemingly pulling his hamstring partway through his run, and another fine Boffelli kick opened up an 11-point lead.
The deficit was further increased five minutes later thanks to Gonzalez, who charged clear from outside the 22 following an O'Connor fumble, but Australia had a lucky escape soon after when Boffelli had a try harshly chalked off despite appearing to touch the line with the ball.
After a quiet start to the second period, the Pumas effectively put the game beyond Australia with 16 minutes to go.
Gallo again showed great strength to force his way over from close range, and Boffelli's conversion made it 36-10.
Len Ikitau quickly hit back with a try of his own and O'Connor kicked the extras, but Bofelli then touched down after chasing down a low kick and with the final action of the game, Albornoz ran in behind to cap a memorable win.
Gallo embodies Pumas' spirit
This was some performance from 23-year-old Gallo. The prop's power and sheer determination was routinely on display, and never more crucially than with his two tries.
The two efforts were very similar in style as he simply refused to be tackled, and the second of which essentially killed off any hope of an Australia comeback.
O'Connor frustrated
The mercurial fly-half was given the chance to impress in the absence of Quade Cooper, who suffered a serious Achilles injury in Mendoza last weekend, and he certainly had his moments.
One such instance was his disallowed try, a decision that looked pretty harsh at the time. But ultimately he just did not have the influence he might have expected, and was also the man caught in possession prior to Gonzalez dotting down.
Neymar scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain made it consecutive wins to start the Ligue 1 season with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Montpellier at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.
The champions started their title defence with a 5-0 win against Clermont last weekend in Christophe Galtier's first league game in charge, and they followed that up with a ninth success in their past 10 league games against Montpellier, despite a penalty miss from Kylian Mbappe midway through the first half.
The France international made amends soon after when his cross was turned into his own net by Falaye Sacko, before Neymar doubled the hosts' advantage from a second penalty of the game.
Neymar and Mbappe scored either side of Wahbi Khazri's goal for the visitors, while there were late efforts from debutant Renato Sanches and Montpellier's Enzo Tchato Mbiayi.
Denzel Dumfries scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Inter began their Serie A campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Lecce, as Romelu Lukaku scored on his Nerazzurri return.
Lukaku required just 82 seconds to head home the opener on his second Inter debut, but Simone Inzaghi's side looked set to make a stuttering start when Assan Ceesay levelled three minutes after the break.
But substitute Dumfries was on hand to convert from a corner deep into stoppage time as Inter made a winning start to the new campaign.
Having watched champions Milan beat Udinese in their own season-opener early on Saturday, Inter ensured they matched their rivals' exploits at the outset of what is likely to be another thrilling title race.
Erik ten Hag claimed Manchester United's need for new signings was "clear" following their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Brentford, though he noted the Red Devils are underperforming given the quality already present in their squad.
Having watched his side slump to a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion last week, Ten Hag became the first United manager to lose each of his first two games in charge since John Chapman in 1921.
An embarrassing performance saw United go 4-0 down within just 35 minutes in London as Brentford scored with each of their first four shots on target.
United, who are bottom of the Premier League two matches into the Ten Hag era, have been linked with further additions in the transfer market, with Juventus' Adrien Rabiot a reported target amid their struggles to attract Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.
Speaking to BBC after the chastening loss, Ten Hag said: "You have to be ready for a game and be ready for the battle as individuals and as a team. We have to push each other and bring the demands in because it is not good.
"It is clear we need players, but I don't want to think about that in this moment. The good players we had should have been better.
"I hoped for a better start, I have to believe because I have seen good things, but the two games from now are disappointing.
"We will analyse and we will move forward, but one thing is quite clear, we have to do things better.
"This team is good enough to beat Brighton and Brentford which we didn't, so we have to question ourselves."
Brentford's victory represented their first over United in any competition since a 2-0 FA Cup win in February 1938, and ended their seven-match winless run against the Old Trafford outfit.
And while United were plagued by individual mistakes throughout a torrid first half, Ten Hag accepted responsibility for another dismal performance.
"It's difficult for me. It's surprising when you start the game like this; in 35 minutes you concede four goals," he told Sky Sports.
"The team has to take responsibility. I feel really sorry for the fans – they did everything to support us, but we let them down.
"You have to take responsibility on the pitch as a team and as individuals, that's what we didn't do. What I asked them to do is play with belief and take responsibility for the performance. We have to work on that.
"The manager is responsible as well. He has the main responsibility and I'll take that and work on that."
David de Gea described Manchester United's 4-0 defeat to Brentford as "horrible" and says he was responsible for his side not leaving London with a win.
De Gea allowed Josh Dasilva's tame shot from 25 yards squirm through his grasp to give Brentford the lead, before the goalkeeper's poor pass out to Christian Eriksen led to a second from Mathias Jensen.
Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo then ensured Brentford became only the third side to put four past United in the first half of a Premier League game.
It meant United lost four consecutive league matches for the first time since February 1979, while they have also lost seven successive away league games for the first time since losing 10 on the bounce between September and December 1936.
"I cost three points to my team today, to be honest," De Gea told Sky Sports.
"It was a poor performance from myself. After the first mistake and the second, it was very tough for the team to get playing. It was a horrible day.
"We should react better. I should save the first shot and probably the result would be different. It just depends on how the game is going, sometimes I maybe have to read the game better and go long [for the second goal].
"I tried to play when I shouldn't have to Christian. We are not like other teams conceding first and winning 5-1 or 6-1. This is why I cost the team three points
"It was an easy save. We have to react much better and be capable of scoring goals. It was a poor performance. It's easy to play in pre-season when you play for nothing.
"When you play the games that matter, you need bravery and to be proper players. That wasn't the case. We have to keep working, head up, it is the beginning under a new manager and a lot to improve."
United are next back in action a week on Monday when Liverpool visit Old Trafford.
Milan recovered from conceding just two minutes into their Serie A title defence to beat Udinese 4-2 at San Siro on Saturday.
The opening game of the season in the Italian top flight for the Rossoneri saw a penalty from Theo Hernandez, two goals from Ante Rebic and another from Brahim Diaz guide them to three points, despite conceding twice to the visitors through Rodrigo Becao and Adam Masina.
New signings Charles de Ketelaere and Divock Origi were named on the bench for Stefano Pioli's side, with the former introduced for the final 20 minutes and the latter for the final seven in front of their new fans.
It was a losing start for new Udinese head coach Andrea Sottil, though he will have been buoyed by his team's ability to keep Milan honest in a game that was more open in the first half than Pioli would have liked.
It was far from an ideal start for the hosts as Udinese took the lead in just the second minute when Becao headed a Gerard Deulofeu corner in at the near post.
That advantage did not last long though as a VAR check led to a Milan penalty being awarded on 10 minutes after Brandon Soppy was judged to have fouled Davide Calabria, with Hernandez calmly dispatching the spot kick.
The champions were in front just four minutes later when neat play from Diaz gave Calabria the chance to cross to Rebic, who swept the ball past Marco Silvestri.
Deulofeu made a mess of a chance when in on goal, but Udinese were level just before half-time when two more former Watford players combined, with Roberto Pereyra crossing for Masina to head in at the far post.
If Milan made a slow start in the first half, Udinese managed to trump it in the second as Nehuen Pereza and Masina made a mess of a Hernandez cross from the left, allowing Diaz to prod the hosts back in front just 34 seconds after the restart.
Diaz had been a thorn in Udinese's side all game, and won the ball inside the opposition's box on 68 minutes before squaring to Rebic to lift his finish into the roof of the net to seal the win.
Manchester United suffered one of their worst defeats in Premier League history as Erik ten Hag's side barely laid a glove on Brentford in a 4-0 defeat on Saturday.
Ten Hag was looking for a response to last weekend's 2-1 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion and was able to hand Cristiano Ronaldo a start, but all United got was a humiliation.
David de Gea was at fault twice as Josh Dasilva and Mathias Jensen put Brentford two up inside 18 minutes, before Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo ensured Brentford became only the third side to put four past United in the first half of a Premier League game.
While the Bees could not inflict further misery on Ten Hag and United, it mattered little as the damage was already done.
United gave Thomas Frank's men a helping hand for the opener as De Gea inexplicably let Dasilva's 25-yard effort squeeze into the bottom-right corner after Ronaldo had been robbed.
The floodgates then opened.
Shortly after United escaped a similar situation, Christian Eriksen was dispossessed inside his own box following an ill-advised pass from De Gea, and Jensen applied a disguised finish with 18 minutes played.
The off-balance Mee nodded in at the back post as United failed to cope with the hosts' physicality, and by the 35th minute it was 4-0 – Dasilva racing onto a clearance to play an exquisite pass into the box where Mbeumo held off Luke Shaw to score.
Ten Hag made three changes at the break and that at least helped stem the flow of goal concessions.
United improved as an attacking threat, with Ronaldo presented with a couple of half-chances and Eriksen testing David Raya with a header.
But still Brentford eased to a famous victory.
What does it mean? Urgency of United's squad rejuvenation laid bare
The Brighton loss was bad. This was simply embarrassing. The issues with United's squad were obvious last season, with Ralf Rangnick suggesting they needed 10 new signings to be competitive.
While Rangnick was ultimately cut loose from his deal to become a consultant, it is difficult not to look back on those comments now given how bad United have been in their first two games of the season, and the fact only three new players have come in.
Granted, there remains a bit of time in the transfer window, but if United cannot make significant improvements over the next eight days, Liverpool could enjoy another Old Trafford mauling.
Thomas Frankly exceptional
While Brighton won the midfield battle against United last weekend, they did not do what Brentford did. Frank set his team up to press with such intensity and it worked a treat.
Dasilva's goal was fortunate but was the result of pressing Ronaldo, and then Jensen's strike was a product of pressuring United as they attempted to play out from the back. The visitors proved they are way off being able to play Ten Hag's brand of football.
David de Howler
It feels a little unfair to focus on one particular United player because so many of them were poor, but De Gea's error for the opener was truly horrific and he needlessly put Eriksen in danger for the second with a pass that was not on. Those goals gave them a mountain to climb.
What's next?
Ten Hag's hunt for a first win as United boss continues a week on Monday with the visit of bitter rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford. Brentford go to Fulham two days earlier.
Mikel Arteta hailed Gabriel Jesus for raising standards at Arsenal after the Brazilian scored two goals and registered two assists in a thrilling win over Leicester City.
Arsenal made it two wins from two Premier League matches with a 4-2 victory over the Foxes at Emirates Stadium on Saturday as Jesus recorded his first competitive goals since arriving from Manchester City for £45million in July.
In doing so, Jesus became the first player to score more than once on his home Premier League debut for the Gunners, while the 25-year-old is also the first Arsenal player to double up for goals and assists in a league game since Theo Walcott against Newcastle United in December 2012 (three goals and two assists).
The signing of Jesus, a four-time Premier League champion, was lauded as a coup for a side that missed out on Champions League football last term, and Arteta has been delighted by his strong start.
"I think it lifts the standards with the way that he's training every day and the way that he's talking," said the Arsenal boss.
"I think it's very natural, but at the same time it's pretty impressive to do it that quickly, but then we are asking other players to score goals as well.
"If you want to be at the top then we're going to have to score a lot of goals and we cannot rely on two or three players.
"We know what Gabby can do. He scored two and assisted two and he's still disappointed in the dressing room because he said he could have scored four.
"That's the standard, that's the mentality that if you want to go to a different level, you need that mentality.
"I wouldn't like to play against him. I have never been a defender, but I can imagine that they don't enjoy it. He's so mobile, so intuitive and is always sharp and proactive to play in any moment and any phase of the game and he's a real threat."
Jesus' opener made him the 12th Brazilian player to score for Arsenal in the Premier League, the most of any club in the competition's history.
The forward only made 21 Premier League starts during his final season with City, but has assumed a central role since heading to the Emirates.
And Arteta recognises the importance of managing his workload, adding: "We are going to demand him to start a lot of games, so we have to manage that load and the way that we train is different.
"We have to be on top of that and hopefully we are."
Ian Foster may have been given a lifeline at Ellis Park as New Zealand stopped the rot with a thrilling 35-23 Rugby Championship win over South Africa.
All Blacks head coach Foster has faced huge pressure after a dismal run of five defeats in six Tests, but his side appear to be behind him on the evidence of their impressive performance in Johannesburg on Saturday.
They opened up a 15-point lead following tries from captain Sam Cane and Samisoni Taukei'aho, but the world champions fought back to take the lead with 12 minutes to go courtesy of scores from Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, as well as 15 points from the trusty boot of Handre Pollard.
New Zealand were also a man down with Beauden Barrett in the sin bin, but late tries from David Havili and Scott Barrett stunned the Springboks to deliver a vital victory.
Richie Mo'unga scored 15 points from the tee as the holders secured a battling victory for the under-fire Foster.
South Africa lost Damian Willemse to the sin bin for a ruck infringement early on and Jesse Kriel was unable to return after a head injury assessment, but they prevented New Zealand from scoring when they were a man down.
A scrappy Test burst into life after Mo'unga's 25th-minute penalty, as Cane finished in the corner following an incisive break from Caleb Clarke and Taukei'aho crashed over for a try that Mo'unga converted brilliantly.
The Springboks quickly reduced the arrears when Am showed power and pace to round off a slick move on the right wing and Pollard cut the gap to five points with a mammoth penalty on the stroke of half-time.
Mo'unga was on target again after Pollard's second successful penalty early in the second half and the All Blacks fly-half put his side eight points up when he sent another kick between the posts after Mapimpi had a try disallowed for obstruction.
Mapimpi was not to be denied moments later, though, taking a brilliant pass from Willemse and touching down for a score that Pollard expertly converted from the left touchline.
Pollard booted the Springboks into the lead for the first time with 12 minutes to go after replacement Beauden Barrett was yellow-carded for obstructing Jaden Hendrikse.
New Zealand dug deep to win it despite being a man down. with Havili going over in the corner following a brilliant break started by Rieko Ioane and Scott Barrett putting the icing on the cake from close range - with Mo'unga adding the extras for both scores.
Kevin De Bruyne feels Erling Haaland must continue to adapt to the Premier League with Manchester City, while hailing the forward's efforts against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Norway international teed up an opening assist for Ilkay Gundogan in a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium, but otherwise struggled to influence proceedings.
Even as De Bruyne and Phil Foden added further goals, Haaland cut a peripheral figure for the hosts, and ultimately had just eight touches throughout the entire match.
De Bruyne still feels that the Leeds-born attacker is bedding into life in a different league, however, pointing to the differences between the English top flight and the Bundesliga, where Haaland has arrived from.
"He played really well," the Belgian said. "Obviously, it's so tight. I don't think in Germany, he played a lot of games where teams were so defensively narrow, so it is something he will have to adapt to.
"With Gundogan, he finds him perfectly, and he set us up for the win. If he plays that way, he will be good."
The New York Jets and their fans can breathe a sigh of relief after an MRI on Zach Wilson's right knee showed a healthy ACL, avoiding the worst-case scenario.
The scans showed that the second-year quarterback is dealing with a bone bruise and torn meniscus, according to multiple media reports. Wilson will undergo arthroscopic surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the preseason.
His status for the Jets' season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 11 is in question, but there is some optimism that he could suit up.
Wilson suffered the injury Friday night while scrambling in the Jets' preseason opener against the Eagles.
Wilson made an awkward cut during the 7-yard rush and fell to the turf. Given the non-contact nature of the injury, Jets fans and pundits feared he had torn his ACL, which would have ended his season.
The second overall pick in the 2021 draft, Wilson went 3-10 as a starter in his rookie campaign, throwing for nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Gabriel Jesus merely wanted an opportunity for regular football as he sought a move away from Manchester City to Arsenal.
Jesus opened his account for his new club in style on Saturday, scoring twice in a 4-2 victory over Leicester City.
The Brazil forward, who cost Arsenal a reported £45million in July, also assisted his side's other two goals.
He finished with statistics of seven shots, with three on target, and three chances created.
Jesus moved on from the champions in search of guaranteed game time, and he will no doubt get that at Arsenal should this form continue.
"A lot, a lot," Jesus told Premier League productions when asked how much he was enjoying his role at Arsenal.
"I was not unhappy at City, I just wanted to play and the club understood, and the manager.
"Sometimes players want to play, I’m the same. Here I come, train every day, with Eddie [Nketiah], who has a lot of quality and confidence to play as well. I think Arsenal have two good strikers."
Jesus also detailed his frustration at missing some gilt-edged chances – including an open goal late on – to net a hat-trick.
"Of course, for sure! I work all day every day to score goals, to help [the team]," he said when asked if he was disappointed not to get a third, referring to a brilliant chance he engineered for himself late in the second half after taking down Aaron Ramsdale's pass, only for Wilfred Ndidi to intervene.
"The ball from Aaron, I did well, and then I got to shoot, but the defender came back quick, and after I had another chance to score, so I am a little bit sad because of this.
"But I'm so happy, not just because of the goals but the way the team has played. In difficult moments, we conceded two goals, but we played well and tried always to score."
Jesus became the 12th different Brazilian player to score a Premier League goal for Arsenal, while he is the first player to score more than once on his home debut for the club in the competition.
With two assists as well, he was the first Arsenal player to both score and assist two or more goals in a Premier League game since Theo Walcott against Newcastle United in December 2012 (three goals, two assists).
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