Erik ten Hag: United lacked bravery and belief in 'hammering' by Manchester City

Erik ten Hag blamed a lack of belief for Manchester United's "hammering" in Sunday’s 6-3 derby day demolishment at Manchester City.

Having bounced back from alarming defeats to Brighton and Brentford with four successive Premier League wins, the Red Devils were brought down to earth with a bump at the Etihad Stadium.

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both scored hat-trick as City ran amok in the highest scoring Manchester derby.

Substitute Anthony Martial’s brace complemented a superb second-half strike from summer signing Antony for United, but a number of fed up visiting fans had already headed for the exits by that point.

"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."

Put to the Dutchman that professional footballers should already have belief, he said: "I think often it’s the other way around.

"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.

"We can walk away from it but if we do it we will not get the solution.

"We will be very clear and then we have to move on. We will carry on to the next game."

"Of course, we have to criticise, we have to criticise each other, so I didn't get the message right to the players quite clearly to get the