Erik ten Hag forced Man Utd players to sit in silence after Man City defeat as 'leak' reveals post-match reaction

Erik ten Hag forced Manchester United’s players to sit in silence after the club’s humbling 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, it has been claimed.

On Sunday defending champions City breezed to a 3-0 win at Old Trafford to move back to within two points of Premier League leaders Tottenham.

The defeat for United, meanwhile, left the club eighth and nine points behind their neighbours, having lost five of their first ten league games of the season.

Indeed, after the game former Manchester United captain Roy Keane said on Sky Sports: "It's different levels. The United players are just short in every aspect."

Furthermore, his ex-United team-mate Gary Neville said Ten Hag's side had been "obliterated", while former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said they were given "a footballing lesson".

While after the defeat Ten Hag was relatively stoic in public, according to the Sun the Dutchman was privately raging over the way his team fell apart in the second half.

The publication added that when the players returned to their Old Trafford dressing room, Ten Hag ordered them to sit in silence and listen to City’s celebrations across the other side of the tunnel.

As per the Mail Online, United could hear City's players singing, 'Champions again, ole, ole ole' in the away dressing-room at Old Trafford, as they chase an unprecedented fourth Premier League title in succession.

Ten Hag also reportedly wanted his side to hear the away fans hailing their victory. The United boss is then said to have tore into his team for their second-half showing.

Furthermore, the manager had planned to give his players a bonus day off on Monday if they had beaten the Premier League champions, but in the wake of the loss hauled his squad into training for a further post-mortem into how they were humbled.

The Sun added that Ten Hag has also told his United side they were to be given extra ‘homework’, with personalised videos showing where they went wrong at the weekend.

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Topics: Football, Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Manchester City, Premier League

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.