Man United boss Erik ten Hag insists he has the backing of his team after the Red Devils’ 1-0 win over Fulham – and calls for ‘hunger, passion and desire’ from his players

• Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage time winner secured a vital win for Man United 
• Victory at Craven Cottage temporarily relieves the pressure on Erik ten Hag 
• Is Erik ten Hag out of his depth at Man United? Listen here to It’s All Kicking Off 

Erik ten Hag insists his Manchester United players after fully behind him after they eased the pressure on their under-fire boss with a crucial win at Fulham.

Captain Bruno Fernandes’ late 90th minute winner clinched a morale-boosting victory at Craven Cottage following a largely uninspiring performance from the crisis club.

Following two successive 3-0 losses, the victory – at least temporarily – alleviates the scrutiny on Ten Hag’s job.

After the game, the Dutchman said: ‘I think always we go from game to game. This week we were definitely not happy with our standards.

‘Today we improved. Everyone knows that. Every game you have to bring that level and attitude. To show hunger, passion and desire.

Erik ten Hag insisted that his side remain fully behind him after their late win against Fulham

There had been pressure mounting at Old Trafford on Ten Hag after successive 3-0 defeats

Your browser does not support iframes.

‘That can be the foundation. It’s a good win, with a solid performance. But we know every game we have to win. I knew they are playing (for me).

‘It’s a good dressing room that fights for each other. They know the standards.’

Fernandes’ position as captain has been questioned in recent weeks but Ten Hag said: ‘So often from the moment I made him captain he has done this.

‘He sets the example, he is absolutely the example. He is taking responsibility all the time. He always wants the ball and wants to create.’

Meanwhile, Ten Hag insisted Harry Maguire was not suffering with concussion after receiving lengthy treatment for a hefty blow to the head in the opening minutes.

United say Maguire was assessed for concussion but cleared to carry on. The England defender appeared to receive further head-related treatment in the second half, but that was due to hand injury and not related to the first-half blow.

Maguire produced an imperious performance to emerge as one of United’s heroes, and Ten Hag – who revealed Marcus Rashford missed the game after complaining of pain following Friday’s training session – added: ‘He was playing a massive game a very good performance. He showed leadership in and out of possession. I’m very pleased.’

Fulham boss Marco Silva said: ‘Frustration. In our dressing room, it’s disappointing what happened in the last minute of the game.

Te Dutchman claimed that captain Bruno Fernandes is taking responsibility and is the ‘example’ to his team-mates

Marco Silva admitted his disappointment at the late timing of Man United’s winning goal

‘We were on the front foot, we created our chances. We should have created a little more and it was a moment for us to score. 

‘If you arrive in danger areas, you have to score. We didn’t. It’s not unlucky, you have to be there until the last second of the game.

‘Three players, four players making mistake after mistake (that led to the goal) is difficult to understand for us. 

‘We have to grow as a team. It’s emotional control we lost in that moment.’

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Source: Read Full Article