Under-pressure Erik ten Hag defended his tactics and his players’ character as Manchester United look to bounce back from a pair of humiliating home defeats.
The misfiring Red Devils are under intense scrutiny after Sunday’s meek 3-0 derby defeat against Manchester City at Old Trafford was compounded against Newcastle.
United lost by the same scoreline as the Carabao Cup holders went out in the fourth round on Wednesday, with their eighth defeat in 15 matches making this the club’s worst start to a campaign since 1962-63.
Defiant Ten Hag said he was a “fighter” immediately afterwards but there have been suggestions that his players lack the same desire to dig themselves out of this current hole, starting with Saturday’s league trip to Fulham.
“That’s not right,” the United said when doubts about his players’ spirit was put to him. “You can’t say that.
“Remember only the fight we showed against Brentford, that (2-1) comeback? If there wasn’t spirit in the dressing room, if there wasn’t characters in the dressing room, you can’t do this.
“I have a good squad and I am convinced of the players in this dressing room.
“These players, we have seen last year, can do a lot better but that is up to me to let them play better.
“I have to take the responsibility to let them play better and I will put every effort in to get this done.”
Ten Hag brushed aside talk of January reinforcements as ownership speculation continues, saying United have already “constructed a good squad” before pointing to their injury issues.
Casemiro has joined the list of absentees after sustaining a hamstring injury against Newcastle that United say will keep him out for several weeks.
Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are among others already lied low and Victor Lindelof will join them unless he can shake off an illness.
“(Raphael) Varane is ready to play, so he will travel with the squad,” Ten Hag said after the 2018 World Cup winner missed the Newcastle match through illness.
“Victor Lindelof has some illness. We have to see if he is ready for tomorrow.”
Absentees have unbalanced United and led Ten Hag to be more pragmatic than he would like this term.
A lot was expected of the Dutchman tactically when he arrived last year after securing success in style at Ajax, but he said after the City defeat that it was impossible to play the same way.
“I thought the explanation from my point of view was totally wrong,” Ten Hag explained. “But I can’t play like Ajax because I had different players.
“So, I came here with my philosophy based on possession but also to combine it with the DNA of Manchester United and combine it with the players, with the competences, the characters of the players.
“That you combine and I think last year we have seen what that was. I think we played very good football last season.”
Ten Hag said “this season the philosophy is not different” as he gave a full explanation of his approach when it was put to him that onlookers have not seen clearly, if at all, in recent games.
“I don’t want to say that,” the United boss said. “I think that is too strong.
“The intention is clear but definitely it is the case that the execution isn’t there but in the moment with so many changes every game.
“We can’t line up the same line-up two or three games after each other. Every time we have to swap.
“Last season was the same with one player, but now we miss often players in the back four and every time we have to adjust.
“That doesn’t help in your routines. Now also the midfield we have to adjust, missing Casemiro, an important player.
“But I never brought up this team (issue). You know why? We have to win and I don’t want to find excuses if we are not winning.
“We have to be more pragmatic but still we have to win. That is the demand and I don’t walk away from that.”
Tuchel and Bayern fume at 'absolute disaster' after contentious offside call
Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich were left fuming after Matthijs de Ligt's contentious late strike was disallowed in their semi-final defeat to Real Madrid.
Bayern crashed out 4-3 on aggregate at Santiago Bernabeu after a dramatic double from substitute Joselu saw the hosts snatch victory to advance to the final on June 1.
Tuchel's side thought they had forced extra-time when De Ligt had the ball in the net, but the referee had already blown his whistle after the linesman raised his flag, so VAR could not intervene.
The replays showed that the original decision was closer than first thought, and the head coach bemoaned the lack of consistency after Madrid's second goal was awarded following a VAR review.
"I think it's pretty clear and there is no doubt that is against the rules of modern football," he said. "A disaster. An absolute disaster.
"With Real's second goal, they let the play continue. The clear rule is that the scene must continue. The first mistake was made by the linesman, the second by the referee."
Bayern had taken the lead through Alphonso Davies at the midway point in the second half, before Joselu's late intervention denied them a crack at a seventh title against compatriots Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
De Ligt said the linesman had apologised to him after the game.
"[It is] very difficult. Of course, as sportspeople, we accept it," Tuchel said. "But it is a semi-final, it's not for two such mistakes.
"Everyone has to be at their limit. The referees have to be there as well. That is what we expect, so the apology does not really help."
Super sub Joselu 'the perfect reflection of Madrid', hails Ancelotti after Bayern brace
Carlo Ancelotti saluted Joselu after the striker climbed off the bench and scored twice against Bayern Munich to send Real Madrid through to their 18th Champions League final.
Following Alphonso Davies' earlier strike at Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid trailed Bayern 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate when Joselu replaced Federico Valverde with nine minutes of their pulsating semi-final tie remaining.
The 33-year-old, who is on loan from second-tier Espanyol, turned the tie on its head with two dramatic late goals.
First, he pounced on a rare mistake by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer to stab in an 88th-minute equaliser, before volleying home Antonio Rudiger's cross in the first minute of stoppage time.
This was Joselu's eighth substitute appearance in this season's Champions League and Ancelotti praised the professionalism of his striker, who has now netted 17 times across all competitions, despite spending much of the campaign on the bench.
"He's a player who's contributed a lot this season, even if he hasn't played many minutes," the Italian said.
"But he's the perfect reflection of what this squad is: players who contribute a lot without losing confidence [if they're not playing] and the idea that they can offer the team something."
Ancelotti, whose side will play Borussia Dortmund in his sixth Champions League final as a manager on June 1, also hailed the character demonstrated by his players during another "magical" Madrid performance.
"It's happened so many times now, it's something inexplicable," he added. "It's happened again [thanks to] fans that push [us], a fantastic atmosphere and players who never stop believing that they can do it. It's something magical, there's no explanation for it."
Journeyman Joselu takes long, winding road to Champions League final
Real Madrid striker Joselu was in dreamland after he came on in the dying moments of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on Wednesday and turned the game on its head with two goals to snatch a stunning victory.
Joselu, whose journeyman career has included spells at clubs such as Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover 96, Stoke City and Newcastle United, only touched the ball a few times in their 2-1 second-leg win, but it was a night he is likely to remember for a long time.
He pounced on a rare mistake by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, stabbing the ball into the net to equalise for Madrid in the 88th minute, and just under three minutes later, he volleyed them into the lead from a cross by Antonio Rudiger.
"I don't know anything about being a hero, but I'm very happy... You can imagine," he said. "It was incredible, something spectacular. This team never gives up, it's in its blood to fight to the end and that's what we've done.
"You always dream of this kind of performance, but not even my most beautiful dreams are as big as what happened today."
On loan from second-division side Espanyol, Joselu's journey to becoming the semi-final hero has been long and winding in a career involving a dozen clubs across Europe.
He began his career at Celta Vigo before being bought in 2009 by Madrid, where he excelled in their B team but rarely made it to the first team.
He was sold to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in 2012 and then loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt before joining Hannover 96 in 2014.
In 2015, he moved to Premier League side Stoke City, playing 27 times and scoring four goals, before spending two seasons at Newcastle United. He returned to Spain with Alaves, where he scored 36 times in three seasons.
He signed as a free agent with Espanyol in the summer of 2022, and a year later was loaned to Madrid and has scored nine goals in 32 appearances this season in LaLiga.
Joselu, born in Stuttgart, Germany, made his debut for Spain aged 33, coming off the bench against Norway to score twice in two minutes in March 2023.
"I don’t think Joselu will be sleeping much tonight, he’ll be useless in training tomorrow!" team-mate Jude Bellingham said. "He deserves it all, he’s been an amazing member of the squad all season, and it’s his night."
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