Izuchukwu OkosiManchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes that a lack of belief by his players led to the humiliating 6-3 derby day defeat at Manchester City.
The defeat snapped a run of four successive wins for the Red Devils who at some point were in relegation places after losing their first two games of the season against Brighton and Brentford.
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both scored a, pair of hat-tricks as City ran riot in the highest scoring Manchester derby.
Substitute Anthony Martial’s brace and an earlier strike by Antony ensured that United had some respectability to their loss.
“I also told the players (it was a) lack of belief,” manager Ten Hag said. “I’ve seen some highlights. It was obvious that we are defending not (on the) front foot, we let them play.
“We were, in possession, not brave enough, made technical skills mistakes, decision mistakes and then you get hammered.”
Fielding questions during the post match conference about professional footballers having belief, the Dutchman quipped: “I think often it’s the other way around.”
Explaining further, the former Ajax manager reiterated that his team had that belief in the last few games.
“So, for instance, in the last five games we bring that attitude on the pitch. We have a strong belief and convincement, we bring opponents problems.
“Today it was the other way around but I think it’s normal in our process that the pattern has to go up and I think I see clearly it goes up.
“But you will have setbacks during that process and we have to learn from it but point it clearly out.
United will next week focus on the UEFA Europa League
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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