Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has reacted to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag’s claim that his team were “okay” in their Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich. The ex-England international believes the Dutchman’s comments hint toward the Red Devils’ lack of ambition.
Ten Hag Is Not Dissatisfied With Manchester United’s Defeat Against Bayern Munich
Manchester United fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on Tuesday night (December 12). The defeat — their fourth in the UEFA Champions League this season — confirmed their elimination from Europe, as they finished rock bottom in fourth place with only four points on the board.
After the game, Ten Hag did not appear dissatisfied with his team’s performance, as he lauded his players for keeping Bayern from creating clear-cut chances. He said (via GiveMeSport):
“I think the team performance was okay. The defending and pressing organization was good, we brought Bayern problems, we kept them away from our box, they didn’t create many chances.
“We have to acknowledge that we also didn’t create many chances, but we did create some in the first part of the second half. I have to say that the performance was okay, but if you want to win a game then of course you have to score a goal, and you have to have more shots on goal.”
Carragher Criticizes Ten Hag For His Post-Match Comments
Liverpool icon Carragher did not enjoy Ten Hag’s comments and suggested it showed a lack of ambition.
When CBS Sports host Kate Abdo asked him “If [Ten Hag] says the team performance was okay, is the bar too low?”, Carragher responded:
“Yeah. You are playing one of the top teams in Europe. You are missing injured players, so I think it’s almost a case of, because you haven’t been beaten three or four nil, 1-0 actually feels okay. He’s probably watching the game thinking ‘okay, we’re still in this game’ and it’s almost like it’s a slight feel-good factor.
“But, because you lose 3-0 to Bournemouth and you are now playing one of the giants of European football and you only lose 1-0, he’s trying to take something from it to then get to Sunday, because I’m sure that will be the message tomorrow when he sees the players: ‘That wasn’t all bad. You are playing one of the top teams in Europe. It was 1-0. Anything could have happened. Right, we have to go to Anfield now and try to produce some sort of performance. A result looks really tough on paper. I just think that’s a manager trying to clutch at straws.”
Having capped off their worst-ever Champions League campaign, Ten Hag’s side will travel to Anfield for their Premier League Matchday 17 clash with Liverpool on Sunday evening (December 17).
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