Erik ten Hag reveals thoughts on Casemiro error that led to Arsenal winner

Erik ten Hag discusses his thoughts on the Casemiro mistake that helped Arsenal win.
Man Utd lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday. Casemiro’s shoddy defending allowed Leandro Trossard to score the game’s only goal.
On the incident, Erik ten Hag has been candid.

Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, emphasized that his team has suffered all season long from lacking a reliable backline but refrained from criticizing Casemiro for his costly mistake in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal.

Ten Hag and his Red Devils team are under increasing pressure following yet another defeat, which puts them in danger of missing out on a spot in Europe. Less than a week had passed since Crystal Palace thrashed them 4-0. Their loss to Arsenal was due to this.

Despite being in contention to play earlier in the week, Ten Hag was forced to deal with persistent injuries and once again had to field a makeshift squad for the visit of Arsenal. Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford were both absent.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, Diogo Dalot, and Casemiro made up United’s starting back line. The latter was responsible for Leandro Trossard’s goal after playing Kai Havertz significantly onside during the build-up.

The Dutchman was quick to defend Casemiro, but he went on to explain that this kind of mistake is more common when one is unable to reliably rely on the same defensive unit.

It’s a minor detail; one layer erroneously opens up. We could have performed better in better positions and with better options prior to that while in possession. Details matter,” Ten Hag told BBC Sport.

“We’ve talked about this all season,” he continued. It is obviously better to have a backline that plays together on a regular basis and follows a routine.

“To play there, you need players with confidence. We have players in positions they are unfamiliar with, which leads to mistakes.

“You are penalized on a serious level. Alternately, you have to field ineffective players. That is the current circumstance. It still disappoints me. It makes no difference who we play against on the field; I want to win. We have to give it our all and win every game.”