Erik ten Hag refused to entertain a query about doubtlessly overseeing Manchester United’s worst Premier League season and has not given up on Champions League qualification.
Seventh-placed United suffered one other setback in an underwhelming marketing campaign after requiring a Bruno Fernandes brace to scrape a scarcely-deserved 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.
United have by no means completed beneath their present place because the league’s inception in 1992.
“I don’t touch upon that query,” replied Ten Hag as he walked out of his post-match press convention when requested concerning the prospect of ending beneath seventh place.
“That’s not vital in the meanwhile.”
Ten Hag’s males had been stricken by spectacular Bournemouth for a lot of an uninspiring outing at Vitality Stadium and twice trailed within the first half following objectives from Cherries pair Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert.
United, who’ve a prolonged damage listing, significantly in defence, sit 10 factors adrift of the highest 4 with solely six video games remaining on the again of only one win from seven matches.
Requested if the Champions League locations had been now past his crew, Ten Hag replied: “No. I didn’t say that.
“We give what we will however I’m additionally lifelike, so when the complete squad was there, I nonetheless would have mentioned I imagine.
A captain’s efficiency ©@B_Fernandes8 now has 5⃣ objectives in his final 5⃣ #PL video games.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/uH4mDTCRw6
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 13, 2024
“However we are going to hold preventing with the gamers who can be found and you may see there may be excessive potential.
“But in addition younger gamers they make errors. They’ve proved they will compete with the perfect groups on the best degree however now they must do it constantly. There’s all the time the following step for younger gamers.”
Solanke and Kluivert every capitalised on passive United defending to fireplace past Andre Onana, whereas Bournemouth additionally missed a bunch of first-half probabilities and struck the crossbar via Milos Kerkez.
Fernandes briefly levelled between these strikes and, having hit the bar from distance, equalised for a second time with a Sixty fifth-minute penalty after Adam Smith was punished for dealing with Kobbie Mainoo’s innocent deflected effort.
United regarded set to face a stoppage-time penalty earlier than respiration a sigh of aid when VAR intervened to rule Willy Kambwala’s problem on Ryan Christie was exterior the 18-yard field.
Ten Hag, who revealed centre-back Harry Maguire performed with an damage subject within the first half, dismissed the suggestion his gamers are missing motivation.
“I’ve been in soccer a really very long time and they’re very motivated,” mentioned the Dutchman.
“We’re motivated however the organisation wasn’t proper and we misplaced balls the place we shouldn’t and the strain of the opponent.
“However our gamers are higher than this.
“The nice factor is we returned twice from shedding positions. The spirit is nice, the resilience is nice.”
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola questioned the consistency of top-flight officiating after falling agonisingly wanting securing his membership’s first league double over the 20-time English champions.
The Spaniard felt Kambwala’s problem on Christie continued into United’s 18-yard field and deemed Smith’s handball “very harsh”.
“It’s not solely concerning the vital selections,” mentioned the Premier League’s supervisor of the month for March.
“It’s about Kobbie Mainoo diving within the first half, nothing occurs; Ryan Christie, with rather more contact, dives within the second half, yellow card. It’s about consistency.
“We’re secure, sure, however it’s a must to worth our factors, the identical means you worth United’s factors – in the identical precise means.
“The final determination, for the VAR to intervene for one thing that ought to be clear and apparent, the primary contact between the gamers might be one centimetre exterior, it needs to be clear, nevertheless it’s apparent he continues making the offence inside and doesn’t enable Ryan to complete the play.”
Talking of Smith’s handball, Iraola mentioned: “It’s very harsh. It’s coming from his personal team-mate, a rebound.
“You might be two metres away, you don’t have time to do something. They’re going in the precise means with the handballs as a result of at one second they had been calling all the things however as we speak they modified their means of refereeing.
“On the finish, one level towards United is all the time vital. But when anybody deserved to win as we speak, it was clearly Bournemouth.”
