Erik ten Hag fires back at Jamie Carragher's Man Utd criticism

Erik ten Hag has responded to Jamie Carragher's criticism and has claimed the ex-Liverpool defender is 'very subjective' in his assessment of Manchester United.

Carragher highlighted a number of tactical flaws in Ten Hag's approach in, during Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, and questioned the balance of his midfield and a perceived over-aggressive approach to pressing and committing players in attacking areas.

The former defender also said United have no patterns of play and criticised the instructions players are receiving from the manager, particularly in relation to last weekend's loss to Fulham. But speaking in Tuesday's press conference, Ten Hag hit back at Carragher and implied their is a long-standing bias on his part.

"Some analytics are very objective in their comments and [offer] very good advice and some are very subjective," the Dutchman said ahead of United's FA Cup clash against Nottingham Forest. "Jamie Carragher is one of them. From the first moment he criticises and now he wants to make his point.

"Probably, in the first half an hour he had a point where Fulham, in their midfield set-up, there were a few surprises, we have to find the solutions. After half an hour we found the solutions.

"I was not pleased with the performance in defending, especially in the left side, how we did the pressing. They came in the first half and hour several times, that can’t happen. That has to do with willingness and spirit and passion.

"In previous weeks that was very good from this team and we won football games. I know footballers are not robots and they have bad days, but it can’t be - that it is unacceptable. We have to be better tomorrow, but in the weeks before we have done very well."

A passionate Ten Hag also defended himself in response to a question about his team selection at the weekend.

"First of all, I brought Kobbie Mainoo and everyone is questioning and we are now six weeks ahead and the same people who are questioning are now saying he should be in the England squad.

"I brought in [Alejnadro] Garnacho - ‘what is the manager doing?’ But, similar, they need time. Omari [Forson] came in and it’s not easy to come in as we didn’t play our best game. But he played a reasonable game and he can be a player for the future."