Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insisted “this is not us” after his team suffered a 3-2 defeat in the Champions League against a Galatasaray side that had not won away from home in the competition since 2013.
Despite United taking the lead twice and Galatasaray’s Mauro Icardi missing a penalty, the hosts left empty-handed and now sit bottom of Group A without a point from their opening two games.
The result increased the pressure on Ten Hag, but the Dutchman is adamant things will improve.
He said: “We are in a very difficult period, but we come out together, we fight together, we stick together – and that is me, the directors, the team.
“This is not us. We know we will do better.
“I have seen a team that was really connected, with a great spirit, and they played in stages of the game fantastic – twice up, totally in control.
“And all of a sudden, we made a mistake. I know football is a game of mistakes, but I have to give coaching instructions on how we deal with such situations, and we got punished.”
Boos rang around Old Trafford at full time, but Ten Hag hopes the players can use the current frustrations as “fuel” to improve.
He added: “Yes, I can understand [the boos]. In this moment, we don’t get the results, and they are disappointed; I can understand.
“We have to do better, but as I said, I have seen a team with a great spirit, and also a team was backed by a crowd from the start to the end and, in the end, the fans are disappointed as we are, but it has to be fuel.”
United goalkeeper Andre Onana suffered another calamitous evening, his sloppy pass prompting Casemiro to commit a foul that saw him red-carded.
Onana has endured a woeful start to his United career, but Ten Hag insisted he was happy with the Cameroonian.
He said: “We are happy with our goalkeeping group, definitely with Andre.
“Andre has been in one semi-final of the Champions League [with Ajax], he was in the final last season [with Inter], so he has the capabilities to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and he has shown that.
We have already seen in games his great capabilities and also his personality. He will bounce back.”
