Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has dismissed criticism from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher and accused the former Liverpool defender of a lack of objectivity.
Carragher, along with former Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy, offered a scathing assessment of United’s defending in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham on Sky’s Monday Night Football.
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They highlighted United’s openness in and out of possession, also suggesting they were employing a high press, low block tactic that both Carragher and Clichy felt was impossible to execute.
In response, Ten Hag said Carragher may have had a point initially but suggested he had been overly critical.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round trip to Nottingham Forest, the Dutchman said: “Some analysts are very objective and some are very subjective. Jamie Carragher, from the first moment, has criticised and now he wants to make his point.
“Probably in the first half an hour he had a point, Fulham’s midfield set up surprised us and we had to find solutions and after half an hour we found them.
“I wasn’t pleased with the performance in defending, especially on the left. Fulham came out several times on the left side. That has a lot to do with willingness and passion.
“Manchester United defend like a team I’ve never seen before” 🤬
A scathing review of Manchester United’s defending from @carra23 and Gael Clichy 👇 pic.twitter.com/XPqKyDgJ6e
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 26, 2024
“In previous weeks it was there from this team and therefore we won games. Footballers aren’t robots and sometimes they have bad days.
“But it can’t be, it’s unacceptable, we have to do better tomorrow but in the weeks before we have done very well. It can’t happen when they have a throw-in in the corner. How we managed it as a team is no good.”
