Erik ten Hag has insisted Brighton & Hove Albion will face a different Manchester United in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final from the one they came up against on the opening day of the season.
That encounter, Ten Hag’s first league game as manager, ended in a 2-1 defeat for United at Old Trafford and the Dutchman is proud of the progress his players have made since then, but admits they still have “steps to go” in building a winning mentality.
“I hope that everyone sees what I hear, from many of you and also from all the experts and fans, that we have made progress, that we have developed, we are a different team now,” Ten Hag replied when asked what has changed for United between that August game and now.
“We made progress. But also we know we have to face we have steps to go, that’s quite clear, we speak after [defeat in] Seville and it’s quite clear but also some other games.
“None of the team will always play the highest level I know, but even if you don’t play the highest level you still have to win.
“That is what we have to learn, how we deal with the setbacks in a game and that we have to carry on, we have to stick to the plan, we have to stick to the game, we have to keep the confidence. We have steps to go.”
United come into a second domestic semi-final this season following a surprising 3-0 loss against Sevilla on Thursday, which saw them knocked out of the Europa League with a 5-3 aggregate result.
The team’s latest implosion, coming after humbling defeats to Brentford (4-0), Manchester City (6-3) and Liverpool (7-0), shows the need to strengthen the squad beyond the first-team.
Ten Hag added that he made the United players aware of his feelings about their performance, which “didn’t match the standards” for a club of United’s standing.
“I can tell you I was really mad, for me it was so unacceptable,” Ten Hag continued. “You can make a mistake but you have to carry on.
“If you play a Europa League quarter-final, you give everything and we didn’t. That is for me, so for any club for any team it is unacceptable.
“As a manager, I cannot accept that my team is not giving its best, the team, individuals. I will never accept it.”
'We need our best team to get to final'
United will attempt to regain their late-season momentum by booking a place in the FA Cup final, where City await the opposition. This is United’s second trip to Wembley inside eight weeks, after their 2-0 triumph over Newcastle United in February’s League Cup.
However, victory will not be easy against a Brighton side who have won six of their last nine games, most recently away to Chelsea, and have been credited as one of the best-performing teams in the league this season — particularly since Roberto De Zerbi took charge in October.
Ten Hag, therefore, plans on selecting his strongest lineup. That, in all likelihood, means Bruno Fernandes returning to midfield alongside Casemiro and Christian Eriksen having missed the Sevilla defeat due to suspension.
For various reasons the trio have not played regularly together this season, something Ten Hag admits is a source of frustration.
“I’ve said before one of the things that we didn’t have is the opportunity so often to play the same team, in the midfield department but also other lines, because of injuries and suspensions,” he said.
“Also when you play a lot of games, and the load is getting higher, you need to rotate because you have to keep the players fit and fresh.
“But in this moment, when you play a semi-final, you only have one opportunity [to win], so you’re looking for the best team in that moment.”