I saw Ruud van Nistelrooy do what Man United boss Erik ten Hag failed to do during the defeat to Tottenham

The latest Manchester United news. We take a look at some moments you may have missed during the 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham.

It was another disappointing afternoon for Manchester United at Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag’s side returned to the Premier League.

United hosted Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, four days after a 1-1 draw with FC Twente in the Europa League. Things didn’t go well for the team, however, as after just three minutes Brennan Johnson benefited from Micky van de Ven’s run through the heart of the United defense.

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Ten Hag’s side were probably lucky not to be even further behind before half-time as Tottenham caused them problems. But things got even worse for United before the final whistle.

READ MORE: Southgate, Van Nistelrooy, Tuchel – The odds for Man Utd’s next manager as Erik ten Hag faces sack pressure

READ MORE: Manchester United games Bruno Fernandes will miss out as Erik ten Hag poses a nightmare scenario

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Captain Bruno Fernandes received a red card for the first time in his United career after a foul on James Maddison. The midfielder caught Maddison high on the leg after a slip, but the challenge was deemed a serious foul and he was shown a red card.

Spurs capitalized on their numerical advantage at the start of the second half as Dejan Kulusevski doubled their lead after just three minutes. While United showed some small signs that they would try to get back into the game, any faint hope was extinguished 13 minutes from time when Dominic Solanke converted a corner.

This leaves United 12th in the Premier League table after recording two wins, one draw and three defeats in their first six games of the season. Questions remain for Ten Hag.

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It was another afternoon to forget for the team. But here are some moments from the game that you may have missed.

Ten Hag makes feelings clear

At one point in the first half, with United losing 1-0, the team struggled to cope with Tottenham’s high press as the ball was stolen by Spurs’ attacking players. On one of these occasions the ball fell to James Maddison; Luckily for United, his shot went straight to Andre Onana.

The Sky Cameras switched to Ten Hag on the touchline, who appeared to be shaking his head slightly. This was something noted by commentator Gary Neville, who didn’t hold back his emotions at the performance.

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“He shakes his head, he can’t believe what he’s seeing, I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s terrible,” he said in the Sky commentary.

Van Nistelrooy advice

Just a few minutes later, as Tottenham prepared to take a long free-kick, the camera focused on Ten Hag again. This time he sat on the bench next to coach Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The two talked intensively during the game. While Ten Hag appeared frustrated with his contributions, including gestures towards the pitch, van Nistelrooy appeared to remain cool and calm during the conversation, not losing sight of what was happening on the pitch.

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The former striker was linked with a number of senior positions in the Premier League over the summer but returned to Old Trafford to become part of Ten Hag’s backroom team. The 48-year-old was PSV Eindhoven’s coach for a year and led the Dutch team to victory in the Dutch Cup.

Fernandes’ Maddison talk

Things got even worse for United before half-time when Bruno Fernandes was shown a red card. It was his first time during his time at the club, with replays showing his boot catching Maddison after he appeared to slip.

The VAR was unable to find a clear and obvious error in the decision as the challenge was considered a serious foul play. As Fernandes left the pitch, cameras showed Maddison putting his arm around the United player and the pair chatting.

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While it wasn’t clear what was said, it appeared to be good-natured since both had commented on the incident. Maddison seemed sympathetic towards Fernandes.

Rub salt into the wounds

The course of the game gave the Spurs fans traveling with them the opportunity to chant in Ten Hag’s direction. In the 50th minute, with their team 2-0 up, they shouted “You’ll be sacked tomorrow morning” at the United boss.

In the final stages of the game, when Spurs were 3-0 up, the away fans started chanting: “Can we play against you every week?” In stoppage time, the “Ole’s” came out cheering with every Tottenham pass Stadium.

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The nature of the chants from the corner at Old Trafford summed up how the game was going at opposite ends for both teams. It’s a game that the United fans in attendance will quickly want to forget.