Erik ten Hag has admitted Manchester United’s new-look midfield must click quickly after a stuttering start in Monday’s victory over Wolves.
Raphael Varane’s 76th-minute header gave United three points at Old Trafford, but Wolves were worth at least a point after registering 23 shots at goal and being denied a stoppage-time penalty that even Premier League referees’ boss Jon Moss later acknowledged should have been given.
Much of the focus was put on an underwhelming display from United’s engine room after the match. Ten Hag disputed suggestions that Casemiro had been left isolated as both Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount pushed forward, but he admitted much better is needed away to Tottenham on Saturday.
“It’s a new midfield and we have step up there,” he said. “We have to improve in possession. We were absolutely not good.
“It had to do with our rules and principles and we did not match those rules and principles in possession and then you do not get a good game.
“Also the players made so many unforced errors and we were below our standards from what we are used to and what our players are capable of.
“We have already seen in pre-season we can do much better and we’ve seen last year they can do much better so I’m sure they will improve quickly.”
Making his Premier League debut for United after a £60million move from Chelsea, Mount struggled to make an impression and was replaced by Christian Eriksen in the 68th minute, with the Dane providing more defensive cover alongside Casemiro.
But Ten Hag believes Mount, who played in advanced positions for Chelsea, can adapt to a deeper role in much the same way as Eriksen did after joining from Brentford last summer.
“I think he can and already we have seen it in pre-season,” Ten Hag said. “We have to work on many facts of our game, the midfield and the cooperation in how we have to set it.
“I’m sure we will get it. It’s not coming overnight but if it was easy, everyone could do it.
“Christian Eriksen came in and had the same thing, it was the first time in his life he played in a deep role. That was the ambition from Christian and it’s also the ambition from Mason to be more multi-functional.
“It will not come overnight. There is a process we have to go through but I’m sure with his game intelligence, he has the technical abilities and also he is efficient with the ball. He knows how to deal with the ball.
“He has the dynamics and he has the mentality. All the ingredients are there to do it.”
New goalkeeper Andre Onana emerged from his Premier League debut with a clean sheet, but was lucky not to concede a penalty when he clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic without claiming the ball late on.
But Ten Hag said he had no problem with the Cameroon international’s approach to the game.
“I think he is very proactive and that is what we want,” he said. “We want proactive players but of course he has to manage himself as well, when to be proactive and when to be more passive.
“I will encourage it, I like it when players are proactive, to be on the front foot. That is the type of player we need.”
Long-term view: Boyz coach Steve McClaren reflects on lessons learned in Nations League defeat
As the dust settles on Jamaica's Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal exit at the hands of the United States, Head coach Steve McClaren remains resolute in his vision for the Reggae Boyz.
While their 2-4 loss in the second leg and, by extension, the 5-2 aggregate scoreline is a bitter pill to swallow, McClaren views it as an essential part of the team's growth and a stark reminder of the work needed to elevate Jamaica's football to the next level.
The Boyz failed campaign, which has now left them to contest a preliminary round to get into next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, was a tale of two contrasting performances, as a 0-1 loss in Kingston last Thursday left them chasing the tie heading into the away leg in St Louis, Missouri.
However, the doggedness that they displayed at the National Stadium was nonexistent at the Energizer Park on Monday, particularly in the first half, as they found themselves overwhelmed by a clinical United States team that raced to a 3-0 lead by halftime.
Christian Pulisic (13th), Di’Shon Bernard’s 33rd-minute own goal, and Ricardo Pepi (42nd) set the tone for the United States win, which was capped by Timothy Weah (56th). Demarai Gray (53rd, 68th) placed some semblance of respectability on the scoreline for the Boyz.
“We concede that they were the better team. In the first half, we were passive defensively, and we didn’t deal with the ball well. They punished us in transition, caused problems in the build-ups, and three goals made it a mountain to climb,” McClaren said in his post-match assessment.
Despite the early setback, McClaren found positives in his team’s second half response, as they scored twice in what he believes was a show of resilience and determination, though the United States’ superiority proved insurmountable.
“We could have folded at halftime, but we didn't. I told the players we had to win the second half. We changed the shape, personnel, and attitude, and we were more aggressive. That gave us opportunities, and we scored, but we were always vulnerable on the transition, and then the fourth goal was a kick in the teeth. But still, we came back. I mean, that's character, that's courage, and that's what the team has got, so we have to build on that by being tactically and technically better because that's what the USA were,” McClaren reasoned.
On that note, McClaren emphasized that the team’s struggles stem from the same principles he’s determined to instill—building from the back and maintaining composure under pressure.
“We want to build a team that can deal with the ball under pressure. That’s modern football. The principles are you have to be aggressive, you have to defend properly, and you have to be able to deal with the ball,” McClaren declared.
“That is what our strength normally is; we are aggressive, we defend well, but we need to improve in being able to deal with the ball better, build from the back better, with more composure, and have more courage, which we showed in the second half. The USA pressed aggressively, and we didn’t handle it well enough, but that’s a lesson we’ll take forward,” the Englishman added.
With their main target being the 2026 Fifa World Cup, McClaren sees the loss as part of a necessary process, as their immediate future now involves navigating the Gold Cup preliminaries, a step back from their automatic qualification ambitions.
“This process is ongoing. Sometimes things work, and sometimes they don’t. But we learn, adapt, and move forward. I believe in this team and in our ability to achieve something special. The real test is against the top teams, and we’ve come up short,” the tactician noted.
“But these are the games where we learn the most about our weaknesses and what we need to improve. We’ve used 37 players across three camps, experimenting and identifying talent... it doesn’t bode well for consistency, but it’s vital for the bigger picture. We need players who can defend, press, and deal with the ball under pressure,” McClaren ended.
Rogers pens long-term Aston Villa deal
Morgan Rogers has signed a new contract to keep him at Aston Villa until the end of the 2029-30 season.
Rogers, newly minted as a full England international after making his debut against Greece last week, joined Villa in February from Middlesbrough.
He swiftly established himself as a regular in Unai Emery's set-up, and has played 22 times in the Premier League, making 19 starts.
The 22-year-old has netted six goals and provided three assists in the top flight.
Rogers has also started each of Villa's four Champions League matches this season.
His tally of nine chances created in the Champions League is the most of any player in Villa's squad, five more than next-best Ollie Watkins.
Cuba overturn deficit in 5-2 aggregate Play-In win over St Kitts and Nevis to book Gold Cup prelims spot
Cuba booked their spot in the Concacaf Gold Cup prelims after they turned the tables on St Kitts and Nevis in their Concacaf Nations League Play-In tie on Monday.
Needing to overturn a deficit from their 1-2 first-leg loss, Cuba did just that in commanding fashion as they blanked St Kitts and Nevis 4-0 in a lopsided return-leg encounter at Estadio Antonio Maceo in Santiago de Cuba.
After bossing possession for most of the first half, Cuba inevitably broke the deadlock when Onel Hernandez produced a decent solo run on his way to driving home a right-footer from the top of the penalty area to level the series on aggregate at that point.
But the hosts were far from done and doubled the lead on the stroke of the break as Yosel Piedra also converted from close range in the 45+3 to make it 2-0 at the break and 3-2 on aggregate.
With St Kitts and Nevis offering very little resistance on the resumption, Cuba extended their lead in the 50th courtesy of Luis Paradela’s close-range finish.
Maykel Reyes then converted an 87th-minute penalty to cap the win as Cuba continued their march towards making the cut for next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup. A win in the preliminary rounds would see them achieving that feat.
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