Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag claimed his side were in ‘total control’ of their 4-2 comeback win over Sheffield United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
The Red Devils were forced to come from behind on two separate occasions as they trailed the Blades due to goals from Jayden Bogle and Ben Brereton Diaz.
After Harry Maguire’s effort just before half-time, it took the efforts of captain Bruno Fernandes to save the Red Devils from disaster. The Portuguese playmaker scored twice – including a 25-yard strike with his left foot to put United in front for the first time on the night – before setting up another goal for Rasmus Hojlund.
There was also added pressure at Old Trafford as Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford and newly-appointed technical director Jason Wilcox watched on from the stands.
Despite the need for a double comeback, Dutch boss Ten Hag remained confident in his side, hitting back at critics.
Speaking after the game, he said: “We were totally in control. I’ve seen a different game, sorry.
“We had two giveaways, two times we were behind so we talk about two negatives – one is focus and one is discipline. But for the rest I think we were totally in control. The team showed resilience. It is not easy when you are losing the game but we turned it around against a compact team. We outplayed them. We were calm.
“You can’t allow these mistakes and have to focus on discipline because life is much easier when you don’t make such mistakes.”
Man Utd ended their four-game winless run in the Premier League against the Blades, totting 25 attempts on goal, with nine chances crated by Fernandes alone.
Their next challenge comes on Saturday when they host another relegation-threatened side in Burnley.