“Body language…” – Erik ten Hag calls for specific Manchester United change amid poor form

Manchester United lost two Premier League home games in a row for the first time under Erik ten Hag last week and the boss is eager to ensure it does not become a pattern.

Old Trafford was known as a fortress during Ten Hag’s debut campaign in charge, in fact, they lost just two games in all competitions at the Theatre of Dreams. That has already been equalled.

United have started slowly this season, and with injuries and other issues creating more problems at the club, it appears that their home form could also be taking a hit.

Losses against Brighton and Crystal Palace were not only worrying in terms of results but also performances. Fans have also seemed frustrated during these encounters; Ten Hag substituting Hojlund against Brighton was booed, whilst fans were moaning at Marcus Rashford’s decision-making on Saturday.

Ten Hag does not believe that the home form is a big issue but stresses that the team must change their approach to these games and show their intentions on the pitch, citing body language as an issue at the moment.

“We lost two games [here] in a row in the Premier League now, that is clear, but I wouldn’t set that as a conclusion [right] now,” replied Ten Hag, when asked if United are becoming soft to play against at Old Trafford.

“We have to do better that is definitely the case, but we have to show it, even in our body language.”

United now play five of their next six fixtures at their home ground, including their upcoming Champions League clash against Galatasaray, and must make a statement in order to resurrect their season despite it still being so early in the campaign.

“Old Trafford needs to be a fortress and [we need to show] that you can’t get anything here,” added the Dutchman. “The only way other teams do that is if we lose. We have to do better here.

“The demand is that we get a row of wins to get into a rhythm. We have to do better than we are doing right now.”