Poor on the ball, worse without it - where Man Utd went wrong v Spurs

I ever deliberation nan easiest point a head tin do successful shot is to prime and organise a squad that is tenacious and will springiness you everything - but that is not proving easy for Manchester United leader Erik 10 Hag astatine nan moment.

United were very mediocre erstwhile they were connected nan shot during nan first half of their 3-0 location conclusion by Tottenham connected Sunday, but they were moreover worse without it - and that should beryllium a overmuch bigger concern.

I was amazed erstwhile Ten Hag came retired aft Wednesday's Europa League tie pinch Twente and agreed that nan Dutch broadside "wanted it more" but I assumed that we would spot a guidance to that against Spurs.

Ten Hag was fundamentally telling his players that deficiency of hunger was unacceptable, and things had to alteration astatine nan weekend... but intelligibly nan penny has not dropped.

The slightest I expected against Tottenham was a really fired up United broadside but that mindset was missing astatine nan commencement of nan game, and things quickly sewage worse for them from there.

When I watch United, I tin astatine slightest spot what Ten Hag is trying to do erstwhile his squad person possession, but what they do without nan shot is conscionable arsenic important.

By that, I mean really organised they are, and really wished they are to support nan shot retired of their net.

People sometimes confuse that effort and exertion pinch pressing, but a squad tin group up successful each sorts of ways and still person nan determination and fighting tone they need.

So it is not arsenic elemental arsenic saying United struggled defensively against Spurs because they were not pressing aliases moving each complete nan place. They were not group up to do that, but that successful itself should not person been a problem if that's nan measurement they wanted to play.

They started pinch Bruno Fernandes and Joshua Zirkzee arsenic 2 mendacious nines, aliases 2 number 10s if you prefer, and asked them to capable nan abstraction successful beforehand of midfield truthful they were not dominated successful there.

By doing that, they gave nan shot up to nan Tottenham backmost four, which is not nan extremity of nan world.

Being switched connected and physically fresh for nan guidance is not needfully astir going aft nan shot and putting nan Spurs defenders nether pressure.

Instead, it is astir winning duels, search runners, not letting men get crossed you and spotting threat - moreover if it is wrong your ain half.

United's set-up meant they could still property connected occasions, specified arsenic successful nan wide areas erstwhile Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was connected nan ball, but nan thought was that successful wide play they made themselves harder to play through.

That lasted little than 3 minutes, because nan first extremity they conceded was a ridiculous one.

It was a superb tally by Micky van de Ven, but location was nary measurement he should person sewage that acold up nan transportation without being challenged aliases moreover manhandled.

It was phenomenal gait and power, not astonishing skill, and Van de Ven ran done immoderate immense holes earlier Diogo Dalot conscionable switched disconnected to let Brennan Johnson to tally disconnected nan backmost of him to get connected nan extremity of nan cross.

After going 1-0 down, United were losing nan ball, losing challenges, being beaten successful duels and uncovering it difficult to play out. They were not search runners and did not cognize who to mark.

In short, they were a full mess.

Tottenham could person been 3-0 up by nan clip Bruno Fernandes was sent disconnected earlier half-time – which was a harsh determination by nan measurement – and nan crippled should person been done.

Spurs head Ange Postecoglou has been criticised for being excessively bold successful immoderate games, but his squad effort to triumph games by playing adventurous shot precocious up nan transportation and, against United they were rewarded for their bravery.

That started pinch nan progressive passing we saw from their centre-halves, and 1 of nan reasons Spurs dominated nan first half was because they were really assured successful what they were trying to do.

United had a scheme too, but they person had to accommodate without nan injured Rasmus Hojlund, who is nan only out-and-out striker they person got. He came connected precocious successful nan crippled against Spurs but is not afloat fresh aft a hamstring injury.

They person utilized 2 number 10s for illustration they did connected Sunday earlier and done OK, playing connected nan counter-attack and utilizing their accelerated wingers.

It sewage them a mates of chances against Spurs too, moreover though they were not playing well, truthful it would harsh to opportunity they don't person ideas aliases look for illustration they activity connected thing erstwhile they person nan ball.

Instead, successful opposition to Spurs, I deliberation a deficiency of assurance successful their patterns of play is their main rumor erstwhile they play retired from nan back.

Part of that is down to nan truth United person been perpetually changing their squad - their centre-halves Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez had only collaborated each different 3 times earlier Sunday, for example.

I really deliberation that broadside of things will amended arsenic their players get utilized to each other, because we cognize they are bully enough.

It is nan team's mindset which is much of a interest for me.

You can’t person nan assurance you request to play done nan lines and bring nan shot retired from nan backmost if you are ever truthful worried astir conceding.

The bits they person to do without nan shot are nan instauration for what they do erstwhile they get it and, unless they amended retired of possession, past they won’t get that correct either.

Ten Hag really fixed it successful nan 2nd half against Spurs, pinch United trailing 2-0 and down to 10 men, erstwhile he brought connected Casemiro and Mason Mount.

There was a spell wherever United centre-halves were coming up to nan halfway statement and putting Dominic Solanke and James Maddison nether pressure, and it gave United a level to create much chances themselves.

Everyone was fighting difficult because they had thing to lose, truthful it tin beryllium done - but wherever was that erstwhile it was 11 versus 11? That is nan mobility Ten Hag should beryllium asking his players this week.

Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.