Erik ten Hag has issued a stern call for his Manchester United squad to sharpen up their ability to see out games, following another late collapse.
United suffered a crushing 2-1 defeat against Brighton, conceding in the fifth minute of stoppage time. This marks the second time in two weeks that the Red Devils have faltered in the dying moments of a match. Just recently, they allowed an 89th-minute goal in the Community Shield against Manchester City, which forced penalties, ultimately leading to a 7-6 loss to their rivals.
According to stats from Squawka, United have a troubling record of conceding late goals, having lost more Premier League matches to goals scored in the 90th minute or later than any other team since the start of the 2022/23 season—a total of six games.
This bad habit is something Ten Hag is keen to stamp out. Despite the attacking promise shown by players like Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho, the team’s recurring lapses in concentration are undermining their efforts and could put Ten Hag’s position in jeopardy.
“We have good potential, but we have to keep going until the end,” Ten Hag emphasized after the Brighton defeat. “In the Community Shield [against Manchester City], we conceded almost in stoppage time. Now, again in stoppage time, we concede a goal. The game is only over when the referee blows the final whistle, and that’s something we didn’t manage well. We need to improve our game management.”
