Erik ten Hag sets challenge for Man Utd players after 2-1 win over Chelsea

Erik ten Hag insisted Wednesday’s win over Chelsea should act as the blueprint for how he wants his Manchester United side to play.

The Red Devils won 2-1 at Old Trafford thanks to Scott McTominay brace, but an energetic performance that resulted in 28 shots should have had a much more convincing scoreline. The one-goal win eases some of the pressure and spotlight on Ten Hag following Saturday’s loss at St James’ Park and the controversial decision from the club to this week ban four news outlets from attending the pre-match press conference.

But Ten Hag insisted he and his players are not listening to the outside noise and he feels the team are progressing under his stewardship. The challenge for United’s players is now to replicate the Chelsea display on a regular basis.

 “We are in a good direction, very good progressing and we are pleased with that,” the Dutchman said after the 2-1 win.

“I know sometimes you have bad performances but then you can still get result. That’s the next step we have to make when you stick together and have the right attitude and when you are fighting and even in the bad performances you have to collect points.

“That’s the next step and you see the style, how we play: so dominating the opponent in and out of possession. That’s how I want to play. I was very pleased and for me it was very enjoyable how the team played. The season is long and we have to improve a lot if we want to be successful, but this team is capable of being successful.”

"Always make sure you are cooperating as a team," he added, when asked how to repeat Wednesday's performance. "Good cooperation is about good communication and good organisation in and out of possession. Then you are going to play well because we have brilliant players who can make the difference.

"I am very pleased with the number of chances we created and I think it was very enjoyable for all of us and our fans to watch us play. That is what we want every game and I know it is not possible because we are not robots, but if you play poor then you still have to win."

Asked for his verdict on the performance, Ten Hag replied: “We could have made our lives much easier if we score three times in the first 30 minutes. But we started very good, very proactive, dynamic and brave. We created a lot of chances in that moment and we could have gone up by two or three goals.”