Manchester United was out-played, out-worked, and out-shot by a wide margin at Brentford, but found itself leading in stoppage time when super subs Casemiro and Mason Mount combined to shock the Bees.
All of the silver lining presented by that would-be smash-and-grab was good for very little within two minutes, as Kristoffer Ajer gave Brentford a deserved point and sapped plenty of juice from United’s flailing top-four hopes.
[ MORE: Brentford 1-1 Manchester United ]
“We were winning in the end,” said Ten Hag, whose Red Devils conceded 31 shot attempts to the Bees. “Maybe it wasn’t deserved but then you have to take the three points and then it is very disappointing when you draw the game.
“Brentford were better than us today. They showed more passion, desire, determination than we did. If you win, that’s the quality of this team — they hang in the game and they fight for it but we have to show more. We scored the goal but then throw it off the line.”
Erik ten Hag reaction — ‘Never’ acceptable to show less passion than opponent
Ten Hag’s frustration found the next level when he succinctly opened his answer to whether being out-hustled was acceptable for Man United.
“No, never,” Ten Hag said, via the BBC. “We showed [passion] against Liverpool. We showed it in many games. There are always reasons, but we have to bring it on the pitch. There were players and we fought but in the small things — second balls —Brentford were more focused and more aggressive than us and it should be the other way round.”
“It’s mental. It’s psychological and I can’t tell. I can think about reasons like we are returning from international break but also Brentford had players on international duty. We should bring more. We make a winning goal and then we give it away. That’s very disappointing. ... They are human beings and they are not always in the levels of Liverpool. I know that but we have to do it more often.”
Ten Hag said he hopes for one other silver lining, that the point against Brentford may just matter in the end. After getting out-attempted 31-11 and producing just 0.50 xG, there are few other positives.
