What they did yesterday, I won’t forget even in a hurry…I instructed all the whole team but THREE of them disobeyed”: Erik ten Hag names THREE players who ignored his order and did exactly opposite which led to Man United defeat yesterday

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed his concerns over the defensive errors that led to Brighton’s late winning goal at the Amex Stadium. During the post-match interview, Ten Hag specifically highlighted the role of three of his players in allowing Simon Adingra the opportunity to make a decisive play. The defending has come under heavy scrutiny as Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, and, to a lesser extent, Kobbie Mainoo, failed to prevent Adingra from cutting in and delivering a dangerous cross.

In the closing moments of the match, during the fifth of seven minutes added on in the second half, Adingra’s cross found its way perfectly to Joao Pedro, who headed the ball past Manchester United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana, leaving him with no chance to make a save. Ten Hag did not mince words about the defensive lapse, pointing out the trio’s failure to steer Adingra away from his preferred right foot and force him down the line, which could have prevented the cross.

“We failed to stop the cross,” Ten Hag said after the match. “There were three right-footed players who should have forced him down the line, but instead, they allowed him to get the cross in. This is something we need to discuss as a team, how we handle such situations.”

Earlier in the match, Manchester United had been breached in the first half when Danny Welbeck, a product of their own academy, latched onto Kaoru Mitoma’s low cross and put Brighton in the lead. Although Ten Hag’s side managed to equalize around the hour mark with a goal from Amad Diallo, their efforts were ultimately in vain. United thought they had secured victory when Alejandro Garnacho found the back of the net in the second half, but VAR ruled the goal out, citing an offside position by Joshua Zirkzee, who had influenced the play.

The late winner by Joao Pedro left Ten Hag frustrated, as he reflected on what he perceived to be a performance marred by multiple errors. “It wasn’t just one mistake,” he noted. “We have to analyze this game closely. We were in a position to win, and losing should never have been an option.”

Ten Hag was particularly critical of his team’s defending, describing both of Brighton’s goals as “soft” and avoidable. He acknowledged some positive aspects of their play but emphasized that there was still much room for improvement, particularly in maintaining control during key moments of the game. “Early in the second half, we needed to assert more control. We have to be more clinical and aggressive in both penalty areas,” he concluded.Erik ten Hag expressed significant frustration after Manchester United’s 2-1 loss to Brighton, particularly highlighting defensive errors that led to Brighton’s late winner. He pointed to Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, and Kobbie Mainoo for their roles in allowing Simon Adingra to deliver a dangerous cross. Ten Hag criticized the trio for failing to force Adingra down the line, which contributed to Joao Pedro’s decisive header.

Ten Hag also noted other critical moments, including Danny Welbeck’s opener and a disallowed goal by Alejandro Garnacho due to offside. Despite some positive play and an equalizer from Amad Diallo, Ten Hag described both of Brighton’s goals as “soft” and stressed the need for improvement, particularly in controlling the game and being more aggressive in both penalty areas.