"Thank you for the lesson" - Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag sends message to Manchester City after derby loss
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag thanked Manchester City for giving his team a lesson during the Manchester derby.
Ten Hag's side suffered a devastating 6-3 loss at the hands of Pep Guardiola's side. They conceded four goals in the first half. While Antony scored a beautiful goal and Anthony Martial managed a brace during the second half, those goals turned out to be mere consolations.
Speaking to the media ahead of his team's clash against Omonia in the UEFA Europa League on October 6, Ten Hag said (via The Guardian):
Now we get a reality check with Man City, we know we have to step up. So thank you for the lesson, Pep and City. We will take that and we have to understand we have to do things much better.
Ten Hag also raised eyebrows when he decided to bring on Anthony Martial to replace Marcus Rashford in the second half rather than Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese legend was subject to a move away from the club throughout the course of the summer transfer window. The 37-year-old has started only one out of seven league games so far this season.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been subject to speculation of a January move away from Manchester United. On this, Ten Hag said:
"I can’t see that relation, that he’s not coming on when we’re 4-0, 5-1, 6-1 down, I don’t bring him on out of respect, it’s nothing to do with what’s happening for the future or January or next year. I don’t see he’s unhappy, he’s happy, he’s training well, he’s enjoying it."
Erik ten Hag acknowledges Cristiano Ronaldo is not happy to be not starting for Manchester United
When Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United from Juventus last summer, he certainly didn't do that to be a substitute. However, since Erik ten Hag's arrival, he has used the five-time Ballon d'Or winner mostly from the bench till now.
Ten Hag continued:
"He’s not happy that he wasn’t playing Sunday, but that wasn’t the question, the question was about how he is on the training pitch, his mood when he’s around, and he’s happy. Of course, he wants to play, he’s pissed off when he’s not playing,. He’s really competitive, as we all know. He’s not happy when he’s not playing.”