Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was “not celebrating,” following his side’s perfect performance against Barnsley in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, Soccernet.football reports.
The Red Devils have bounced back from consecutive defeats before the international break with consecutive victories in their first two matches after, thanks to dominant displays against Southampton over the weekend and Barnsley on Tuesday night.
Ten Hag’s side brushed aside their League One counterparts in scintillating fashion to secure the biggest win of his United tenure. Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen each netted twice while Antony grabbed one for himself in the 7-0 victory.
While his side seem to have turned their form around, the Dutch manager has chosen to remain cautious and won’t rush into conclusions just yet.
“I was not devastated after Liverpool; I’m not now celebrating,” Ten Hag told the media afterwards.
“We are on a journey, and we will see where we are in May, because then we have to be good and we have to be at our best. In the meantime, we have to progress the team.”
Giving his thoughts on the Barnsley match, though, he continued; “For me and for the team, it’s the perfect night.
“We did everything we planned to do; we win, next round, scored lots of great goals, entertained the fans, we worked on our game model. So, yeah, we are happy.”
One of the standout performers on the night was Rashford who followed up his goal against Southampton with a brace on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old looks to be regaining his form and confidence again after enduring a very rough patch last term.
“Confidence is a big part of it,” Ten Hag added. “It’s not everything – there are also other parts – but confidence is a big part.
“Rashford is a big guy, he’s scored so many goals. In the list of United goalscorers, he’s at the top of it. So, he’s a big guy, but you’re as good as your last game, and every time you have to prove it.
“I have seen the biggest guys, the biggest football players when they are not performing, when the strikers are not scoring, and they drop in confidence. It doesn’t matter who.”