Erik ten Hag claimed Manchester United’s need for new signings was “clear” following their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Brentford, though he noted the Red Devils are underperforming given the quality already present in their squad.
The Hag, who watched his side slump to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion last week, became the first United manager to lose each of his first two games in charge since John Chapman in 1921.
A disgraceful United performance saw them go down 4-0 in just 35 minutes in London as Brentford scored each of their first four shots on goal.
United, who are two games into the Ten Hag era at the bottom of the Premier League, have been linked with further additions in the transfer market, with Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot a reported target amid their struggles to lure Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
The Hag told the BBC after the punishing loss: “You have to be ready for the match and be ready for the battle as individuals and as a team. We have to push ourselves and make demands because it’s not good.” .
“Obviously we need players, but I don’t want to think about that at the moment. The good players we had should have been better.”
“I was hoping for a better start, I have to believe because I’ve seen good things, but the two games from now are disappointing.
“We will analyze and move on, but one thing is very clear, we have to do things better.
“This team is good enough to beat Brighton and Brentford, which we didn’t do, so we have to ask ourselves.
Brentford’s win marked their first win over United in any competition since a 2-0 FA Cup victory in February 1938 and ended their seven-match winless run against the Old Trafford outfit.
And while United were plagued by individual errors throughout a thrilling first half, The Hag accepted responsibility for another dismal performance.
“It’s difficult for me. It’s surprising when you start a game like that; you concede four goals in 35 minutes,” he told Sky Sports.
“The team has to take responsibility. I really feel sorry for the fans – they did everything to support us but we let them down.
“You have to take responsibility on the pitch as a team and as individuals, we didn’t do that. What I asked them to do is play with belief and take responsibility for the performance. We have to work on that.
“The manager is also responsible. He has the main responsibility and I will take it and work on it.”