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Ten Hag bemoans Manchester United's 'complacent' approach to draw with Twente | Manchester United

Ten Hag bemoans Manchester United's 'complacent' approach to draw with Twente | Manchester United

Erik ten Hag criticised Manchester United for not “fighting for every metre” unlike Twente, who played “the game of their lives” in their 1-1 Europa League draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.

United took the lead in the first half through Christian Eriksen's strike and looked to be in control at half-time, but in the 68th minute Bart van Rooij was able to burst from deep in the Twente area and outpace Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martínez and Harry Maguire. When Manuel Ugarte tackled the defender, the ball fell to Eriksen, but the Dane dawdled and Sam Lammers took the ball, burst forward and equalised.

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An unhappy Ten Hag said: “You could see that it was the game of their lives. They fought for every metre and we didn't. And 99% is not enough. You have to give 100%, you have to decide the game, you have to finish it. We are leading 1-0 and then a bad mood sets in in the team. You have to aim for the second goal and then you decide the game.”

Eriksen was also scathing. “We are disappointed as a team. We wanted more, but in the end it was nowhere near good enough,” he said. “They seemed to want it more than we did, and that can't be right. When you score a goal, you think it will decide the game, but it goes the other way.”

Ten Hag was asked about Eriksen's criticism of the team's mental attitude. “It's definitely a cause for concern,” he said. “Especially because we are very ambitious and when you are ambitious you have to perform and prove your point. Especially today in the second half we were too complacent, we didn't get it over the finish line and as a team you have to do that.”

“I think the mentality of this team is often very good. I have seen in many games how high our work performance is, and it is often very good. Today I have some points of criticism. It is not just the team that needs to look in the mirror, I am part of it.”

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