Ten Hag Bemoans United's Finishing in Europa League Draw
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed his frustration with his team's finishing after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Spanish side Real Sociedad in their opening Europa League group stage match at Old Trafford.
United dominated the match with a flurry of chances, but struggled to find the back of the net consistently. Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring for the Red Devils in the 17th minute, but Brais Méndez equalized for the visitors just before half-time.
"I think we had the game under control. We had so many chances, we should have scored more," said Ten Hag in his post-match press conference. "We are not clinical enough, not ruthless enough."
"We created many chances, we had good control of the game, but we didn't finish our chances. It's a problem we have, not just tonight, but in the past few games," he added.
Ten Hag acknowledged the need for improvement in their attacking play, highlighting the importance of seizing their opportunities. "We have to be more clinical. We have to learn to finish our chances," he stressed.
The draw sees United drop points at home and creates a challenging outlook for the rest of their group stage campaign. Their next Europa League match is against Sheriff Tiraspol on September 21st, where they will be aiming to bounce back and secure their first win in the competition.
Key Takeaways:
- United dominated possession and chances but struggled to convert them.
- Ten Hag expressed frustration with the lack of clinical finishing.
- The manager acknowledged the need to improve in the attacking third.
- United will need to improve their finishing to compete effectively in the Europa League.
It remains to be seen if United can overcome their finishing woes and compete for the Europa League trophy. This draw serves as a reminder of the challenges ahead for Ten Hag's side, especially considering their ambitions to compete on multiple fronts this season.