Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag makes strong complaint after Wolves Premier League win
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Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag believes his side were sloppy during Wolves Premier League win
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Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag believes his side were sloppy during Wolves Premier League win
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has complained his side gave the ball away too much during his side's 1-0 win over Wolves on Monday night.
The Red Devils got their Premier League campaign off to a positive start, with Raphael Varane scoring the only goal of the game at Old Trafford.
But United weren't at their swashbuckling best and were fortunate to avoid conceding a late penalty when Andre Onana grappled with Sasa Kalajdzic inside the box.
Now, speaking after the contest, Ten Hag has complained about his side's performance.
Raphael Varane scored the winner on Monday night as Man Utd beat Wolves
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"We gave away too many easy giveaways," said the 53-year-old, whose side lost their opening league game to Brighton last season.
"That was not good. But you have to get into the season and we will improve on that fact.
"When you see giveaways, then you give them the opportunity to counter and then you have to follow [them].
"But I think we matched the runs and we dealt with it.
"The clean sheet, that tells [you] everything, and that we, again, have been here in Old Trafford and we have a clean sheet, which is good. Now we have to be better on the ball."
Ten Hag also defended Onana, saying the decision not to give a penalty against the Cameroon international was the correct one.
"It's difficult," he said. "I think he's really brave, has come out and the ball was touched before Andre dived in, so I don't think he had an influence on the touch from the opponent.
"So the VAR [looked] and it was on our side. So we are happy with the points."
Wolves had gone into the game with many dubbing them a crisis club.
Julen Lopetegui left just days before the game with United, with Gary O'Neil drafted in as a late replacement.
Wolves were outstanding on the night, however, managing 23 shots - with six of them on target.
And Ten Hag praised O'Neil's side, adding: "They were very relaxed today on the ball. I think Wolves played very well.
"You know, when you see their performance in the spring and when you see the performance during the pre-season, when you follow that, it's a good team.
"Ultimately, [it was] the way we battled and continued to battle, especially late on in the game. I think there was definite energy with the subs, which was good.
"I saw data from last season and we were the team with the most subs scoring goals, which is very good. You need that spirit because it's not about 11 players. It's about a squad."
As for O'Neil, the Wolves boss revealed he received an apology from referees' manager Jonathan Moss after the contest.
“Moss came out and said it was a blatant penalty and apologised,” he stated.
“He thought it was a clear and obvious error.”
On his side's display, he added: “To come here and have 23 shots after four days of working with a group who’ve been through a tough spell with some negativity outside. The group deserve huge credit.”
Wolves will be hoping to bounce back from their defeat to United when they lock horns with Brighton on Saturday (3pm).
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Wolves boss Gary O'Neil was left unhappy after Man Utd Premier League defeat
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United, meanwhile, are next in action against Tottenham that same day (5.30pm).