Erik ten Hag has shared his thoughts on Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Red Devils were not at their best but got off to a winning start, courtesy of Raphael Varane’s second goal for the club, after a fine header from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross saw the hosts take all three points.
There was late drama when VAR checked a challenge by Andre Onana on Sasa Kalajdzic but no penalty was awarded. Ultimately, after 10 minutes of extra time, the final whistle from referee Simon Hooper received huge roars of relief from the Reds’ faithful.
Ten Hag praises United’s resilience against Wolves
“They were more aggressive, as we were, but then still, we have to find a way to win the game. That is what we did and then you see the spirit of the team and the willingness to win. And we’re happy. I was really pleased with the win, of course, and it was a fight. It’s all about [getting] back into the season. We know we have to fight for our points and on the ball. It wasn’t a great game outside but we had to fight. We have to find a way to win and that’s what we did.”
“We are back at Old Trafford. The fire is back! The connection between the fans and the team is there and we know every game is tough. You don’t get your points for nothing. But we fought for it. People already have seen last season and also with pre-season but you see pre-season is different and, frankly, the league is different.”
Ten Hag also admitted that Wolves were formidable opponents while adding on what must be improved on by his side.
“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,” he added.
“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.”
“We gave away too many easy giveaways. 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.”
