Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag pulled no punches after Monday's friendly defeat to Rosenborg. The Dutchman said his players were 'not good enough' as they slumped to a 1-0 loss against the side sitting 11th in Norway's top division.
"The result is not secondary," Ten Hag told MUTV. "We play pre-season, but it's the standard at Manchester United to win games. Definitely don't lose them. The performance is important but it was below our standards."
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro and Mason Mount were among the senior stars to feature. They were all taken off at half-time before a killer blow was landed by Noah Holm with virtually the last kick of the game against a team of United youngsters.
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The Red Devils' faltering display saw Rosenborg dispatch 22 shots. Seven of them landed on target, with reserve goalkeeper Radek Vitek putting in a fantastic individual performance to keep all bar one of them out.
"Let's say he had the opportunity to shine thanks to the team's performance, which was not good enough," added Ten Hag. United have less than a month before they're in competitive action, against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Fans will hope a wave of new backroom staff appointments can aid Ten Hag in his fight to propel United up the Premier League table. Rene Hake has been named one of the new assistant managers, alongside United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy.
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"He is a very ambitious manager," Ten Hag said of the former Premier League marksman. "He has a great skillset as a manager, so he will help the team. He will help individual players too, but he will also help all the team functions, mainly attacking-wise."
Van Nistelrooy already has experience in a top job, having held the reins at PSV Eindhoven between 2022 and 2023. The 48-year-old is set to hone his craft working under Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
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Benni McCarthy had previously been assigned to work with United's attackers as part of Ten Hag's coaching team, but the South African left United last month upon the expiration of his contract. "Football was stressful last season," McCarthy wrote on X. "Next chapter is a decent holiday."
United's next pre-season venture will see them face Scottish giants Rangers on Saturday at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium.
